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France: Railway Information

Enjoy France by Train with a Eurail Pass

Paris, Bordeaux, Marseille, Nice. All these cities are connected to the French Railway Network. Tasting wine in famous vineyards, hiking in the French Alps, enjoying local cuisine, all of it is possible if you travel on a Eurail Pass in France.

Eurail Passes for France (including Monaco):

French railway company

Logo French Railways

The national railway company of France is called SNCF (French National Railways - Société Nationale des Chemins de fer Français).

For detailed information on the French trains, you can visit the website of the French railway company SNCF: English version / French.


Network

The French rail company, SNCF, provides direct service from most European countries using regular trains. The Eurostar service uses high-speed to connect Lille and Paris with London, the later via the Calais-Dover channel tunnel. The Thalys service uses high-speed TGV trains to connect Paris to Brussels and onward to cities in the Netherlands and Germany.

Railway Service
Exceptional comfort and the wide and various range of services available to customers have made TGV trains into a commercial success. In the enjoyment of a relaxed atmosphere passengers can read a book at leisure, write their postcards to their family and friends, make a phone call or just have a meal, relax and take pleasure in a smooth train ride.

Monaco

The Principality of Monaco does not operate its own railway system, but the French National Railroads (SNCF) stop at Monaco's new state-of-the-art underground train station. Regular daily train services connect Monaco with France, Italy and the rest of Europe.

Monaco's train station is centrally located and any location in the Principality is easy to reach. All international trains stop at Monaco/Monte Carlo Station located at Avenue Prince Pierre.

Supplements in France

Surcharges and/or reservation costs are required for these domestic day trains:

  • TGV
    1st and 2nd class: € 3 (approx. USD 4,40 / AUD 5,25)
    Reservation compulsory.
  • TEOZ
    1st and 2nd class: € 3 (approx. USD 4,40 / AUD 5,25)
    Reservation compulsory.
  • Corail / Corail IC
    1st and 2nd class: € 1,50 (approx. USD 2,20 / AUD 2,60)
    Reservation recommended.

Special trains

You can travel by train through Europe on a large variety of special trains. Examples are high-speed trains, scenic trains or night trains.

Special trains mostly require a small supplement or a reservation fee from Eurail Pass holders. See the list of supplements for international trains and the information about train reservations. You can plan your trip with the help of online timetables.

Eurail Countries