TGV Trains
Modeled after Japan's early high-speed bullet trains, France's Train à Grande Vitesse (TGV) transports passengers in modern carriages designed with either a single- or double-decker design. Free Wi-Fi Internet is available throughout all the cars on the vast majority of routes. There is ample storage for luggage, so travelers are welcome to bring along as much as they can carry. Most itineraries, excluding those that are very short, such as Paris-Lille, also include a café-bar where guests may purchase hot or cold beverages and small bottles of wine or spirits. Sandwiches, snacks, and light meals are also available. Alternatively, travelers are welcome to bring their own refreshments to picnic during their journey. Pop a bottle of French champagne, and toast to a fantastic trip.
Subtle differences between Standard and First Class allow passengers to enjoy the travel experience that is right for them and their group.
- Second Class - The standard service class on TGV trains is Second Class. Seating in this class is available on both single and Duplex carriages. Side-by-side armchairs line both sides of the aisle. Guests may reserve forward-facing seats or elect to sit in groupings of four with a table in between. Those chairs that do not face a table feature a drop-down tray. While trains that utilize second- or third-generation rail cars offer power outlets in Second Class, they are not available in all cars.
- First Class - An upgrade to First Class brings a quieter environment and more elbow room. Guests may sit face-to-face seats on one side of the aisle or in pods of four on the other. Forward-facing seats, both single and side-by-side, are also available. Tables separate the bays of seats, and power outlets are available in most First Class train cars.
Whether traveling to the Loire Valley, France's wine country, the coastline or across the border to one of France's neighboring countries, the TGV promises a trip that is just as efficient as it is memorable.