Travel Talk
What's it like to zip through the French countryside at 200 miles an hour? Travel from Paris to Lyon in less than two hours? Enjoy the Loire Valley from seating more comfortable than the best first class air accommodations? We found out during our recent trip to France when we spent a week in Paris and another week in Provence.
Our original plan was to drive to the south of France after our week in Paris. However, after hearing a travel seminar hosted by Rail Europe in our office, we decided to take the train instead. This enabled us to enjoy the scenery and arrive much more refreshed at our destination. Since there were two of us, we got a special rate of $l64 per person for three days of unlimited train rides. We added individual seat reservations for $11 per person. Our rental car was waiting for us at the train station in Avignon and the transition was very smooth. We had enjoyed the ride and liked being able to walk around and stretch our legs whenever we chose.
Then we drove through the Var region of France and stayed in the beautiful old village of Seillans, enjoying the perfume region around Grasse. At the end of our week in the south, we took the train along the Riviera starting at Nice, and passing through Cannes, St. Raphael, on to Marseilles and up to Lyon. This segment was on a local French train and we hadn't been looking forward to the seven-hour ride from Nice to Lyon. We found instead that the time passed quickly as we enjoyed the beautiful scenery along the Cote d'Azur. Speaking of time, you can set your watch by the arrival and departure times of the French trains.
For the last segment, we took the TGV from Lyon straight to Charles de Gaulle airport. We liked our non-smoking car with cheery red seats and friendly messages preceded by a melodious bell. Luggage storage was close by in overhead racks or in a well-designed adjunct to the coach. We don't always get to go first-class in life, but this was an attainable pleasure. It added a great deal to our already Bon Voyage in France.
Sunny Latta is a certified travel counselor in the corporate and leisure departments at All Horizons Rancho Travel in Los Altos. Her husband, who accompanied her on this trip, is an engineer at IBM Research Center.