Such a large country... perfect for rail travel

As we leave Paris by Rail Europe'sTGV train, The Only way to Travel in Europe , a space-age marvel that feels like it's going about as fast as a family car,
although it reaches speeds around 200 miles an hour, we get a feel of France today.
It is old; it is new. It is in transition.

Paris from the TGV train There are changes being made as glass and concrete buildings replace the architecture of ages. The official monuments will be there for some time, but the rest of the city is growing like the rest of the world. Now is the time to see it while there is some of that magic left in it.

We have a large choice of where to go from Paris. North are the D-Day beaches of Normandy, and that is a worthwhile journey... and a little beyond lies the etherial island-city-monastary of Mont St. Michelle. It is island in a tidal bay that is sometimes connected to land, sometimes completely surrounded by the sea.

Mont St. Michelle

France's Mont St. Michelle

It is the quintescent fairytale castle, but real people live there, and you can visit. Many tours are available, some from Paris.

Mont St. Michelle

Check it out with a rail pass
from Rail Europe.
Rail Europe actually owns most of the trains in Europe. (Click here for Rail Europe)
It is still astonishing to me that such a huge megacompany can have a branch that takes such personal care of each traveler.
It is like they looked at the modern policy that says you can only service the top ten percent of your customers, and then laughed and decided they would give everyone the top level of service.

Truthfully, I felt I had the entire company at my fingertips when making my plans, and I had never contacted them before.
Try that at your local travel agency.

Take the TGV train to Lyon France

Lyon Park Gate Not to digress... we have miles to go before we sleep. How about going southeast to Lyon, the 'Second City' of France, the second largest metropolis behind Paris. You can imagine the buildings and monuments and cars and streets and traffic, just as in Paris, but there are suprises here, too. A park gate. Just a gate to a normal park. World class.

TGV Rail Travel To Marseilles on the French Riviera

Marseilles, the French Riviera

Or we could go south to the French Rivera, to the famous port city of Marseilles. The summer temperatures tend to be in the 20's (that's in the 80's on the farenheit scale... isn't that better). On the white sand beaches, there are the famous minimal swim suits to match the temperatures. Or even warm them up a bit.

From Paris to the Loire Valley aboard the TGV train

Another great excursion into the country, the best one in my opinion, is to the Loire Valley. It's about an hour southwest from Paris aboard a comfy TGV train. On the way you see the true countryside of France. Once you get there, you experience it.
The Loire Valley is where many of the great castles of Europe reside, aging gracefully under the tender care of docents, groundkeepers, and of course the owners of the chateaux who sometimes live nearby.

Castle de Azay in the Loire Valley

Above is the castle Azay. This view is from the little bridge that overarches a small bubbling brook that runs away from the moat you see in the picture. You can stand on that bridge and think thoughts of knights and ladies and how you could have been the noble who accommodated the king and his traveling court for a few weeks as they passed through your district. Whether you think most about the honor of it all, or about the enormous food bill, is up to you. Still, the opportunity for romance....

Back aboard the TGV train from the Loire Valley to Paris

Versailles, near Paris

But first, a stop on the outskirts of Paris... the Palace of Versailles, a place where so much French and world history has been acted out by the giants of their times. Kings and Kaisers. The Treaties that shaped our world. Just bear in mind that the lines to see the grandeur of Versailles can be a royal pain, and that making arrangements beforehand is suggested here, too.

Desole! I'm so sorry! But this is the last page on France. However, you can click the 'Our Visit' button in the left column, and make a more intimate visit along with Pat and Colleen as we share our actual trip to la belle France with you on informationeurope.com, or you may want to check out the following rail travel link:
Eurail Pass: The best way to get around Europe

Please visit our Europe Travel webstore featuring Love To Travel gear for your European Vacation, and make sure you visit these other fine Europe websites
Euro-Rail.org Eurostar-TGV.com AirfaresToEurope.com VacationInEurope.com TravelEurope.biz Europe-Train.org

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