Get an exclusive Surfshark deal! Enter promo code WINGINIT for an extra 3 months free at surfshark.deals/winginit Stay updated with my Europe by Train Bright Trip course! www.brighttrip.com/coming-soon/europe-by-train In today's video I take the iconic TGV InOui Duplex from Paris to Barcelona. This is one of my top high speed routes in the world - the variation of scenery and the linking of two of Europe's most fabulous cities makes this a real bucket list item. I'm in first class on the top deck (where else?) as we negotiate a 90 minute delay, a suspect package and I show you how to cheat at the cafe-car queue. Enjoy! Follow me on Twitter: @paul_winginit ¦ twitter.com/paul_winginit Follow me on Instagram: paul_winginit ¦ instagram.com/paul_winginit Merch store: wingin-it.teemill.com/collection/all-products/
We rode this train in first class and something that surprised me, as an American, is how quite the train ride was. I’m used to a hum from jet engines, so very limited travel sound almost freaked me out.
That's only because Amtrack trains are from the 50's....i know , i'm French but live in the US...Took a train ride once from Chicago to Mineapolis..and i was wondering when the Robbers on horses were going to attack my train )
@@jean-yvesmartin6934Not really in the east coast, in the east coast like boston, NYC, philadelphia amtrak trains go 150 mph and they are surprisingly modern, the midwest just has one 110 mph route chicago to St. louis.
Favourite fast train was Barceloa to Madrid. First class got me breakfast & dinner at my seat. Spent the day at the Prado. For me it was a great use of time.
I rode this route in 2000 aboard a Talgo set from Montpellier to Barcelona. One of the most spectacular trips I’ve taken and the view along the Mediterranean coast was absolutely stunning.
We just took it to catch a plane in Barcelona and it was packed. Word to the wise. The cars are not designed to handle 50 lb airline luggage. Try lugging these up to the second level and not finding a cubby hole to put them in . Good luck. You need to get by with a carry on and a back pack even you are old like us. No one told us of the dearth of luggage storage capacity. At that the views of the mountains were beautiful and I would take it again in a heart beat to see these.
We just traveled in March. I booked Paris to Strasburg, then to Lyon, then Geneva, all 1st class. Coming back it was Geneva to Lyon, then Lyon right into CDG for an overnight, leaving the next day for home. We loved the scenery, comfort, and we always purchase food before boarding. Great video as always ❤
Love your train journeys!! But, I also delight in watching your aircraft videos, too! I’ve been watching your videos since before Covid.. thank goodness I found you. It’s the best trips ever, traveling along side of you!
Just returned from a trip from Leicestershire to Istanbul, all by train. I've travelled on the bullet train and of course Eurostar, but the high-speed TGV runs the bullet train a very close second. Left on time from Paris and arrived on time in Stuttgart - its like flying on rails! The sense of speed is exhilarating and the trains are spotless with extremely polite staff. Simply cannot see the point of flying (which I do a lot of) when the TGV is an option.
LoVeLy! I loved the station , the train, and your cam is superb brilliant views shots and footage ! Thumbs up! ThAnK YoU! Bravo France je t'aime France!
Probably Ningbo to Xiamen is my favorite high speed train route. And all the way down to Shenzhen. Plenty to mountains and wide rivers to cross... Great route!
We did the same trip just in reverse in 2019, what a great trip it was. This August we are going from Frankfurt to Paris(Est) and I also used SNCF connect to book.
Thanks Paul.... I am retiring to Spain in a couple of years and being from Australia, I'm very keen to work out the Europe trains and I love that journey....
Haven't seen someone smiling so broadly about being 93 mins late on the journey. And why not? A true rail enthusiast loves spending more time on the train
Love the trains here 😊I am going to Madrid from Alicante on Thursday sitting up top. I have done the train to Barcelona, Paris , London. Budapest back to Spain etc . Much more relaxing than flying
Great video Paul as always 😎 As someone who lives in France I am forever grateful for the wonderful TGV network we have here (even if the Riviera region past Marseille where I am does not have a high speed line). Just curious if you applied for a G30 delay repay to make up for the 90 mins delay you incurred on this trip? SNCF makes it fairly easy to apply for the compensation online on the SNCF G30 webpage
My favourite high speed route has been Eurostar London to Lille and then TGV Lille to Angouleme or Libourne - a great way of avoiding Paris when travelling to and from the Dordogne.
That looks like a fantastic journey - I can’t get over the price of it either - that’s about the cost of a single from London to Birmingham these days. The French do high speed rail well!
Your trip was also my favorite high speed train in France. But I really like to drive from Barcelona to Nime. That way I can spend time in Argele sur Mere. It's a gem.
I love European High Speed Trains!! ICE from Duesseldorf to Amsterdam, Eurostar from Amsterdam to Brussels, TVG Brussels to Paris and Back to Amsterdam. Renfe Trains in Spain, and Frecciarosa in Italy 😎
Did this journey when it involved travelling by Talgo Hotel Train from Paris Austerlitz. A fantastic overnight journey that included dinner, overnight sleeper cabin and breakfast
It was fantastic. That was a real train journey. And the individual cabins had a lavatory with shower. It was costly though. But dining very well while leaving Barcelona (first turn) and then a drink in the bar before retiring to your fantastic "room" with bath... well, it was awesome. Good old days. Yes it took longer but sleeping on the train both ways saved you 2 hotel nights and of course you went from one city center to the other. No airport mess.
Trains in France have really come a long way. Although the pre ticket scan just to get to the platform and the cramped overhead space is a little annoying, but the free WiFi, definitely a huge plus!
it's worse in Spain, where even many regional trains have mandatory reservations, and almost all stations have pre-boarding ticket (and security!) checks. It's a real and unnecessary hassle...
I have done this full trip 3 times and been delayed by border checks at Perpignan for 90ish minutes, but was on time the other 2 occasions. Earlier this month, I broke it up heading north by spending 3 nights in Nimes, a nice city to visit with both strong Italian and Spanish influences like the "Feria" bullfighting and bull runs like la Corrida in Pamplona and the Arenes de Nimes, the most intact Roman arena in the world. Sadly I missed the Feria which is 6 days at the end of May each year. I then spent 1 night in Avignon, from where the TGV route to Paris is slightly different up to Valence. Love the French, Spanish and Italian high-speed trains!
I’ve taken a number of high speed trains in Europe. A few tips. If you have a bag that’s not carry on size you of course can bring it onboard but it can make it more challenging to travel by train. I always have a large bag so I am used to having to deal with it. I recommend always booking a premium cabin because there will be more luggage space available. In France if you are traveling from a larger station expect the boarding process to be hectic. If you have never traveled by train before take note of your car number or “voiture” in French. If you do not board your car it can be virtually impossible to navigate your way to it while onboard especially if you have luggage. I don’t 100% remember if they did this in France but definitely in Switzerland they have a diagram displayed on the station platform screen that shows what zone a particular car will be at on the platform. Being on the upper deck has its pros and cons when it comes to luggage. In my experience it tends to actually be easier to find luggage space on the upper deck for large bags because few people are willing to carry them up the stairs but it is obviously easier to deal with if you’re on the lower level. Although if you are on the lower level there can still be a few steps up to the door platform from the lower deck. I have found the trains in Switzerland and Germany to be the best for large luggage if you are traveling in first class. If you have large luggage and the train isn’t stopping for long at your station please be sure to gather your belongings and move to be near the exit about 5 minutes before you’re expected to arrive. If you are transferring trains at a station please try to book at least 15 minutes between transfers.
@@newbris Yes, that is a valid concern. I haven’t personally had any issues fortunately with this. I recommend if possible trying to stow it on a rack that you are able to see while sitting but that’s not always possible. If it’s of any comfort to you they are typically good about checking tickets to make sure everyone on the train actually has a ticket for it especially in Italy, Switzerland, and Germany (expect random checks onboard). France though they are not as proactive about checking tickets though in my opinion but they do tend to check tickets before reaching the platform at busy stations. I don’t personally know of anyone who has had issues with luggage getting stolen on the train but I’m sure it’s happened. I would say though it’s far more likely it gets stolen while buying tickets at the station than onboard. I do know someone who got their bag stolen while buying train tickets at the Amsterdam airport. Keep in mind a lot of the airports and train stations are rather crowded in Europe so it can be overwhelming to keep track of your luggage too. There is though in my opinion good video surveillance onboard the train so that would hopefully deter bag theft. Some other things that may help deter this is taking high speed trains on popular tourist routes such as Rome to Venice or Paris to Amsterdam or London. The other thing is if you buy a more exclusive cabin with minimal seats that has a dedicated attendant who maybe even manages handling your bags onboard I’d say it’s unlikely then to get stolen. Another option is in some places such as Switzerland it is possible to have the train company handle your luggage and bring it to your destination for a fee (I don’t recall the exact price but I believe it was rather reasonable). The only thing I don’t like about this option is that there is a day or two delay in receiving your luggage at your destination. Another possibility is if you don’t need a particular bag with and will be coming back to the station you are departing from. Most major stations in Europe have a left luggage counter or locker where you can leave your luggage to be securely stored. Some stations are more reasonably priced than others.
I have only been on trains in Europe twice. The first was just from London to Alton and the second being the Eurostar from London to Paris. Enjoyed both of them very much. I am not counting the Heathrow Express.
My favourite European High Speed Train Routes are 1. Eurostar: From London to Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam and Köln (English: Colonge) and more 2. SNCF TGV Réseau (TGV InOui): From Lille to Brussels, Brussels to Lille and or & more 3. Thalys (Now Eurostar): From Paris to Brussels, Amsterdam and Köln (English: Colonge) And / & More 4. Renfe AVE-TGV: From Paris, Lyon & Marseille to Madrid and Barcelona, & More 5. SNCF TGV Euroduplex: From Paris to Barcelona, Barcelona to Paris & More / Much More Or Many More 6. SNCF Ouigo TGV: In France 🇫🇷: Paris to Marseille Lille to Marseille In Spain 🇪🇸: Madrid to Barcelona Barcelona to Madrid 7. DB German ICE (German InterCity Express): Frankfurt to Brussels Brussels to Frankfurt Frankfurt to Paris Paris to Frankfurt & More 8. TGV Lyria: Paris to Zürich Zürich to Paris Paris to Geneva Geneva to Paris and more 9. Frecciarossa - Red Arrow in Italian - Trenitalia & Iryo (French-Italian and Spanish): Paris to Milan Milan to Paris Madrid to Barcelona Barcelona to Madrid and more, much more or many more, My all favourite European High Speed Train Routes in Europe 🇪🇺.
Wingin it Paul Lucas, In 2023 Eurostar merged with a company called Thalys. They even launch a new brand identity which means all services are operated by the new company would be branded as Eurostar.
My favorite high speed trains are the Italian Frecciarossa 1000. I usually travel Executive Class with its buttery yellow soft luxurious leather seats and delicious meals served seat side. It’s the top class/level of service offered. Inexpensive? NO … BUT WORTH EVERY LAST PENNY! 😉👍🏻
I frequently travel with these trains. They are the fastest train connections in Italy (similar to the TGV in France or the ICE in Germany) and the most comfortable and reliable, but not really fast. They very rarely go faster than 200 km/h because the network is not developed for high speeds for the most part. Never had lunch in Executive class though, need to try this! I ride Business class, which includes a comfy seat and a box with a small sandwich, juice, water, snacks and free coffee (not recommended!), tea, soft drinks etc. from a trolley.
Sadly Spanish frecciarossa (Iryo) doesn’t have executive; although Iryo’s food is much better than Trenitalia, their gourmet Haizea food is astonishing
Your journey was more successful than mine last summer. 90 mins late on the way to Barcelona due to major strikes down south, no way to order food from the cafe bar. On the way back the train was cancelled at Montpelier and we all had to disembark in the blazing sun, thankfully to board a replacement about 90 mins later. No food at all on that one and very limited water.
Still better than our trip, due to french strikes, all of the TGVs which we booked got cancelled and we had to divert to Bordeaux, then Montpellier, but thanks to our interrail pass, we still got to Barcelona on the planned day. But we had to change 6 times in total over a course of a one day journey. All the TGVs to Barcelona during the strikes were cancelled and we ended up taking the old route to Portbou.
@@NancyPickering I would say the 3 hr journey from R11 from Cerbere to Barcelona is absolutely beautiful and would recommend it despite the long journey time.
@@nathanchan8955 how was the train? Typical Rodalies stock, or something a little more comfortable? I loved the trip through the Pyrenees I made last week via Latour-de-Carol, but the Spanish train really was not meant for a trip of over 3 hours...
@@barvdw I can say it's a typical Rodalies stock (3 carriages in total), the seats were ok for sitting that long but it wasn't designed for passengers to go all the way to Cerbere. Many passengers get off either at Girona or Figueres.
Interesting to see! I have been to Beziers some years ago. I stayed in Narbonne. The last time I was in Girona, Spain, they were still building that high speed line from France to Barcelona. 3 weeks ago I traveled to Bilbao in Baskia north west Spain. I took the TGV Inou from Paris Montparnasse to Hendaye on the French / Spanish borden west of the Pyrenees. It took in total 4h45 min from Paris to Hendaye. I traveled 2end class. And I noticed that the seats were quite hard. I began to feel my bottom. I had expected more comfort from a long distance train. But I guess I had to book 1st class. I used the Interrail Card, and I could not select my seat as you could do. And did you know they only have a few seats for Interrail card holders per train?
Paul Lucas at 1:58 “Boarding has stopped because of a suspect package on the train.” Me: Oh dear! I wonder why that may be? Paul Lucas 2 seconds later “It’s better than flying. There’s no security check.” Me: Hmm, maybe that might have something to do with it. But in all seriousness, the TGV is a great train and I really hope to try it someday. It’s super convenient, and it’s the fastest train in the world behind China!
Have done this journey a couple of times and have to say had none of the hassles you had at all..boarding made easy as there are always lots of extremely smartly dressed and multilingual SNCF staff on hand to help with any queries you may have ..no queues at the onboard cafe/bar either and train left and arrived bang on time ..even the train announcer you featured seemed to be having a bad day as normally they speak up to three languages fluenty ..vids are great though ..thanks
My favourite TGV trip is Paris to Marseille. All things going well, it's 3 hours on the button. Mostly open countryside with big towns and cities in the distance. This gives the impression that you're not really travelling fast at all.
Great vlog as always! I love trains too! What airline will give you 25% of the price of the ticket on a that short of a delay? Keep up the good work. Be safe!
These are my type of trips, sit back, watch the world roll by, both my wife and I hate flying, so the train takes the strain. Did this service ever go via Toulouse, I remember seeing a Barcelona train there in 14
Nice report ! Upper deck can be very noisy and busy with people going to and back from the coffee car. There is no connection between coaches on lower deck (you'll need to take the stairs to upper deck to get to coffee bar). So my advice is to take first class, upper deck for the view, but in the last of first coach (depending on train configuration, choose from the map at booking) so you get almost no passing by. Note that if you get motion sickness, i'll advise lower deck in all case. About the seat, it's electric recline function, not electronic ;-) and it often doesn't work as it should. And wifi is free yes, but is not that reliable either, I don't connect to it anymore, breaks down way too often. Train manager does speak english on this train because it's international route. Don't expect other then French language on domestic, if you hear another language, that's just a coincidence.
Looking to make this journey later in the year is top carriage the best to travel in? Also is standard class that much worse than first class comfortability wise? I’m a tall guy and get uncomfortable on long journeys if the seats are really bad. It’s also very expensive on the days I plan to travel sadly
When you visit Nimes, the Maison Carree (not a house and not square - it's the best preserved Roman temple in the world) and the Musee de la Romanite (Roman portable barbecue anyone? Requires 4 slaves to carry it) are absolute must sees. There is a hotel Ibis right outside the station and it's an easy walk into the city centre.
twice a day, and book in advance, his warning that trains get sold out is not a lie. Hopefully, Renfe can restart running to France as well, their Lyon-Barcelona train was rather handy for people not wanting to change station in Paris.
The good news, Renfe just reinstated the Lyon-Barcelona and Marseille-Madrid trains, this time under their own name in France, too. This will hopefully alleviate pressure a bit on the 2 Paris-Barcelona TGVs.
Hi Paul, Could make a review of the FSC airline AIS Airlines? They operate a Jetstream 31/32 on the routes from Esbjerg to Stavanger and Karup to Copenhagen. Perhaps you could plan a trip across Europe using only smaller regional carriers like AIS Airlines, Avanti Air, Aoroexpress Regional, Blue Express, etc.
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In today's video I take the iconic TGV InOui Duplex from Paris to Barcelona. This is one of my top high speed routes in the world - the variation of scenery and the linking of two of Europe's most fabulous cities makes this a real bucket list item. I'm in first class on the top deck (where else?) as we negotiate a 90 minute delay, a suspect package and I show you how to cheat at the cafe-car queue. Enjoy!
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What's the website to purchase tickets?
We rode this train in first class and something that surprised me, as an American, is how quite the train ride was. I’m used to a hum from jet engines, so very limited travel sound almost freaked me out.
That's only because Amtrack trains are from the 50's....i know , i'm French but live in the US...Took a train ride once from Chicago to Mineapolis..and i was wondering when the Robbers on horses were going to attack my train )
Yes, especially at 300 kph!
😂
@@jean-yvesmartin69341990s* and getting replaced soon
@@jean-yvesmartin6934Not really in the east coast, in the east coast like boston, NYC, philadelphia amtrak trains go 150 mph and they are surprisingly modern, the midwest just has one 110 mph route chicago to St. louis.
Favourite fast train was Barceloa to Madrid. First class got me breakfast & dinner at my seat. Spent the day at the Prado. For me it was a great use of time.
Which train ? Planning trip . Thank you .
TGV
Comfortable, fast and cost effective country to country train travel. I'm crying from Australia
It would take a rather long railway bridge to New Zealand don't you think?
I'm sure we'll get a high speed train linking brisbane-syd-melb in the next hundred years maybe lol
I rode this route in 2000 aboard a Talgo set from Montpellier to Barcelona. One of the most spectacular trips I’ve taken and the view along the Mediterranean coast was absolutely stunning.
Paul, your videos are just getting better and better (and I’ve followed you since before “winging it”!! What a gorgeous ride, thanks!!!
We just took it to catch a plane in Barcelona and it was packed. Word to the wise. The cars are not designed to handle 50 lb airline luggage. Try lugging these up to the second level and not finding a cubby hole to put them in . Good luck. You need to get by with a carry on and a back pack even you are old like us. No one told us of the dearth of luggage storage capacity. At that the views of the mountains were beautiful and I would take it again in a heart beat to see these.
We just traveled in March. I booked Paris to Strasburg, then to Lyon, then Geneva, all 1st class. Coming back it was Geneva to Lyon, then Lyon right into CDG for an overnight, leaving the next day for home. We loved the scenery, comfort, and we always purchase food before boarding. Great video as always ❤
Love the train journeys more than the flying , more intresting cities ,more intresting everything!
Love your train journeys!! But, I also delight in watching your aircraft videos, too! I’ve been watching your videos since before Covid.. thank goodness I found you. It’s the best trips ever, traveling along side of you!
Just returned from a trip from Leicestershire to Istanbul, all by train. I've travelled on the bullet train and of course Eurostar, but the high-speed TGV runs the bullet train a very close second. Left on time from Paris and arrived on time in Stuttgart - its like flying on rails! The sense of speed is exhilarating and the trains are spotless with extremely polite staff. Simply cannot see the point of flying (which I do a lot of) when the TGV is an option.
That sounds like an epic trip!
Two of my favorite cities in the world, linked by my favorite mode of transxportatin. And I am SO here for it!
I hope you can visit them both using this fast train :)
Did this exact route in first class in 2018…couldn’t recommend it enough. Relaxing, beautiful, and quite enjoyable.
I love the train announcer so much!
Question in the video, "Do you have a favourite high speed route?"
Me: *Cries in American*
A road trip by car takes 10 hours... dry your tears.
What beautiful scenery! Thanks for another informative video Paul! I always look forward to watching your newest submissions.
LoVeLy!
I loved the station , the train, and your cam is superb brilliant views shots and footage !
Thumbs up!
ThAnK YoU!
Bravo France je t'aime France!
Probably Ningbo to Xiamen is my favorite high speed train route. And all the way down to Shenzhen. Plenty to mountains and wide rivers to cross... Great route!
Great seeing these transnational high speed trains in Europe.
The scenery is worth each cent or euro, I love traveling by train ( more in France than other countries)
We did the same trip just in reverse in 2019, what a great trip it was. This August we are going from Frankfurt to Paris(Est) and I also used SNCF connect to book.
Thanks Paul.... I am retiring to Spain in a couple of years and being from Australia, I'm very keen to work out the Europe trains and I love that journey....
Train travel beats flying by miles!❤ oh yes! Tres Bien ❤
Haven't seen someone smiling so broadly about being 93 mins late on the journey. And why not? A true rail enthusiast loves spending more time on the train
Would love to do that trip. Many years ago did Lille to Nice on the TGV, great train and accommodation and even better scenery. Happy days😂
Love the trains here 😊I am going to Madrid from Alicante on Thursday sitting up top. I have done the train to Barcelona, Paris , London. Budapest back to Spain etc . Much more relaxing than flying
I applaud your effort to pronounce the names of départements correctly. You did brilliantly ! Specially the "Ain" that is quite tricky. Well done !
Great video Paul as always 😎 As someone who lives in France I am forever grateful for the wonderful TGV network we have here (even if the Riviera region past Marseille where I am does not have a high speed line). Just curious if you applied for a G30 delay repay to make up for the 90 mins delay you incurred on this trip? SNCF makes it fairly easy to apply for the compensation online on the SNCF G30 webpage
Excellent trip report as always Paul!😸
My favourite high speed route has been Eurostar London to Lille and then TGV Lille to Angouleme or Libourne - a great way of avoiding Paris when travelling to and from the Dordogne.
Nice video. Beautiful scenery. Thanks Paul.😀💚
That looks like a fantastic journey - I can’t get over the price of it either - that’s about the cost of a single from London to Birmingham these days. The French do high speed rail well!
Good to see you back on the rails again!
Nice video! That diversion is like a traffic jam on the busy Route de Soleil😅
Awesome trip and great views from the train. I love double deck trains. You have nice voice and good narration. Just subscribed.
Your trip was also my favorite high speed train in France. But I really like to drive from Barcelona to Nime. That way I can spend time in Argele sur Mere. It's a gem.
Great trip report, did this journey back in 2019 very enjoyable high speed journey through the south of France indeed!
Now it’s a party Aussie Jetsetter is here! 😂 😊
@@Calebs_Aviation haha fancy watching at same time. That's gold small world out there!
We are going on this exact route in april. I can't wait
Love the info on the discount card. Brilliant!
Brilliant movie Paul, thank you & keep it up!
Great tip about the Carte Avantage, thanks!
What a fantastic trip and video and a great video as always.
I love European High Speed Trains!! ICE from Duesseldorf to Amsterdam, Eurostar from Amsterdam to Brussels, TVG Brussels to Paris and Back to Amsterdam. Renfe Trains in Spain, and Frecciarosa in Italy 😎
Did this journey when it involved travelling by Talgo Hotel Train from Paris Austerlitz. A fantastic overnight journey that included dinner, overnight sleeper cabin and breakfast
Sadly I missed that one 😔
It was fantastic. That was a real train journey. And the individual cabins had a lavatory with shower. It was costly though. But dining very well while leaving Barcelona (first turn) and then a drink in the bar before retiring to your fantastic "room" with bath... well, it was awesome. Good old days. Yes it took longer but sleeping on the train both ways saved you 2 hotel nights and of course you went from one city center to the other. No airport mess.
@@bcnmanhattan5022 your description exactly mirrors my own experience.
@@grahamwebster9937 We were lucky to live then. Unfortunately we are old now. (At least I am... LOL)
Nîmes is amazing as is Sète on the coast. Check them both out when you're down there. Enjoy your videos, keep up the good work.
I reallly enjoyed this trip sitting at home in the US. Thanks!!
Trains in France have really come a long way. Although the pre ticket scan just to get to the platform and the cramped overhead space is a little annoying, but the free WiFi, definitely a huge plus!
The scanning and composting of TGV tickets has been stopped since February...
it's worse in Spain, where even many regional trains have mandatory reservations, and almost all stations have pre-boarding ticket (and security!) checks. It's a real and unnecessary hassle...
Rode the same route first class Barcelona to Paris 2019. Great ride and so far my favorite high speed rail.
I have done this full trip 3 times and been delayed by border checks at Perpignan for 90ish minutes, but was on time the other 2 occasions. Earlier this month, I broke it up heading north by spending 3 nights in Nimes, a nice city to visit with both strong Italian and Spanish influences like the "Feria" bullfighting and bull runs like la Corrida in Pamplona and the Arenes de Nimes, the most intact Roman arena in the world. Sadly I missed the Feria which is 6 days at the end of May each year. I then spent 1 night in Avignon, from where the TGV route to Paris is slightly different up to Valence. Love the French, Spanish and Italian high-speed trains!
What an awesome trip!!!!!
Thanks Mr for this rewiew.
Seeing Beziers again in your video was a treat.
Le Train Bleu in Hall 1 has got to be the best railway station restaurant.
It is not high-speed, but the Nice to Marseille route (TGV going to Paris) is absolutely magnificent along the reviera and Estérel mountains.
How is it not high speed ..?
@hiesseeliott3177 the rails are not made for high speed between Nice and Marseille. Thén it goes HS from Marseille to Paris
I’ve taken a number of high speed trains in Europe. A few tips. If you have a bag that’s not carry on size you of course can bring it onboard but it can make it more challenging to travel by train. I always have a large bag so I am used to having to deal with it. I recommend always booking a premium cabin because there will be more luggage space available. In France if you are traveling from a larger station expect the boarding process to be hectic. If you have never traveled by train before take note of your car number or “voiture” in French. If you do not board your car it can be virtually impossible to navigate your way to it while onboard especially if you have luggage. I don’t 100% remember if they did this in France but definitely in Switzerland they have a diagram displayed on the station platform screen that shows what zone a particular car will be at on the platform. Being on the upper deck has its pros and cons when it comes to luggage. In my experience it tends to actually be easier to find luggage space on the upper deck for large bags because few people are willing to carry them up the stairs but it is obviously easier to deal with if you’re on the lower level. Although if you are on the lower level there can still be a few steps up to the door platform from the lower deck. I have found the trains in Switzerland and Germany to be the best for large luggage if you are traveling in first class. If you have large luggage and the train isn’t stopping for long at your station please be sure to gather your belongings and move to be near the exit about 5 minutes before you’re expected to arrive. If you are transferring trains at a station please try to book at least 15 minutes between transfers.
What about security if you presumably have to leave your luggage on the racks?
@@newbris Yes, that is a valid concern. I haven’t personally had any issues fortunately with this. I recommend if possible trying to stow it on a rack that you are able to see while sitting but that’s not always possible. If it’s of any comfort to you they are typically good about checking tickets to make sure everyone on the train actually has a ticket for it especially in Italy, Switzerland, and Germany (expect random checks onboard). France though they are not as proactive about checking tickets though in my opinion but they do tend to check tickets before reaching the platform at busy stations. I don’t personally know of anyone who has had issues with luggage getting stolen on the train but I’m sure it’s happened. I would say though it’s far more likely it gets stolen while buying tickets at the station than onboard. I do know someone who got their bag stolen while buying train tickets at the Amsterdam airport. Keep in mind a lot of the airports and train stations are rather crowded in Europe so it can be overwhelming to keep track of your luggage too. There is though in my opinion good video surveillance onboard the train so that would hopefully deter bag theft. Some other things that may help deter this is taking high speed trains on popular tourist routes such as Rome to Venice or Paris to Amsterdam or London. The other thing is if you buy a more exclusive cabin with minimal seats that has a dedicated attendant who maybe even manages handling your bags onboard I’d say it’s unlikely then to get stolen. Another option is in some places such as Switzerland it is possible to have the train company handle your luggage and bring it to your destination for a fee (I don’t recall the exact price but I believe it was rather reasonable). The only thing I don’t like about this option is that there is a day or two delay in receiving your luggage at your destination. Another possibility is if you don’t need a particular bag with and will be coming back to the station you are departing from. Most major stations in Europe have a left luggage counter or locker where you can leave your luggage to be securely stored. Some stations are more reasonably priced than others.
I have only been on trains in Europe twice. The first was just from London to Alton and the second being the Eurostar from London to Paris. Enjoyed both of them very much. I am not counting the Heathrow Express.
Great video !!
Messi’s taking down notes.
:-D
Great trip. Finally you try this route.
My favourite European High Speed Train Routes are
1. Eurostar:
From London to Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam and Köln (English: Colonge) and more
2. SNCF TGV Réseau (TGV InOui):
From Lille to Brussels, Brussels to Lille and or & more
3. Thalys (Now Eurostar):
From Paris to Brussels, Amsterdam and Köln (English: Colonge) And / & More
4. Renfe AVE-TGV:
From Paris, Lyon & Marseille to Madrid and Barcelona, & More
5. SNCF TGV Euroduplex:
From Paris to Barcelona, Barcelona to Paris & More / Much More Or Many More
6. SNCF Ouigo TGV:
In France 🇫🇷:
Paris to Marseille
Lille to Marseille
In Spain 🇪🇸:
Madrid to Barcelona
Barcelona to Madrid
7. DB German ICE (German InterCity Express):
Frankfurt to Brussels
Brussels to Frankfurt
Frankfurt to Paris
Paris to Frankfurt & More
8. TGV Lyria:
Paris to Zürich
Zürich to Paris
Paris to Geneva
Geneva to Paris and more
9. Frecciarossa - Red Arrow in Italian - Trenitalia & Iryo (French-Italian and Spanish):
Paris to Milan
Milan to Paris
Madrid to Barcelona
Barcelona to Madrid and more, much more or many more,
My all favourite European High Speed Train Routes in Europe 🇪🇺.
Wingin it Paul Lucas, In 2023 Eurostar merged with a company called Thalys. They even launch a new brand identity which means all services are operated by the new company would be branded as Eurostar.
My favorite high speed trains are the Italian Frecciarossa 1000. I usually travel Executive Class with its buttery yellow soft luxurious leather seats and delicious meals served seat side. It’s the top class/level of service offered. Inexpensive? NO … BUT WORTH EVERY LAST PENNY! 😉👍🏻
I frequently travel with these trains. They are the fastest train connections in Italy (similar to the TGV in France or the ICE in Germany) and the most comfortable and reliable, but not really fast. They very rarely go faster than 200 km/h because the network is not developed for high speeds for the most part. Never had lunch in Executive class though, need to try this! I ride Business class, which includes a comfy seat and a box with a small sandwich, juice, water, snacks and free coffee (not recommended!), tea, soft drinks etc. from a trolley.
Sadly Spanish frecciarossa (Iryo) doesn’t have executive; although Iryo’s food is much better than Trenitalia, their gourmet Haizea food is astonishing
@@hypernewlapse … good to know 👍🏻
Great video and very informative. Thanks!
Brilliant video paul
Great video, very helpful
Another great video. Gare de lyon is called because it was on rue de lyon
Stunning, congrats
Your journey was more successful than mine last summer. 90 mins late on the way to Barcelona due to major strikes down south, no way to order food from the cafe bar. On the way back the train was cancelled at Montpelier and we all had to disembark in the blazing sun, thankfully to board a replacement about 90 mins later. No food at all on that one and very limited water.
Still better than our trip, due to french strikes, all of the TGVs which we booked got cancelled and we had to divert to Bordeaux, then Montpellier, but thanks to our interrail pass, we still got to Barcelona on the planned day. But we had to change 6 times in total over a course of a one day journey. All the TGVs to Barcelona during the strikes were cancelled and we ended up taking the old route to Portbou.
@@nathanchan8955 Wow, that sounds like a real treat - not! Glad you made it there in the end.
@@NancyPickering I would say the 3 hr journey from R11 from Cerbere to Barcelona is absolutely beautiful and would recommend it despite the long journey time.
@@nathanchan8955 how was the train? Typical Rodalies stock, or something a little more comfortable? I loved the trip through the Pyrenees I made last week via Latour-de-Carol, but the Spanish train really was not meant for a trip of over 3 hours...
@@barvdw I can say it's a typical Rodalies stock (3 carriages in total), the seats were ok for sitting that long but it wasn't designed for passengers to go all the way to Cerbere. Many passengers get off either at Girona or Figueres.
Great video I was starting to miss them.
Interesting to see! I have been to Beziers some years ago. I stayed in Narbonne. The last time I was in Girona, Spain, they were still building that high speed line from France to Barcelona. 3 weeks ago I traveled to Bilbao in Baskia north west Spain. I took the TGV Inou from Paris Montparnasse to Hendaye on the French / Spanish borden west of the Pyrenees. It took in total 4h45 min from Paris to Hendaye. I traveled 2end class. And I noticed that the seats were quite hard. I began to feel my bottom. I had expected more comfort from a long distance train. But I guess I had to book 1st class. I used the Interrail Card, and I could not select my seat as you could do. And did you know they only have a few seats for Interrail card holders per train?
My favorite LGV is Paris to Geneva which I used to ride in the 1980s. 300 kph, and all fun and blurr.
Paul Lucas at 1:58 “Boarding has stopped because of a suspect package on the train.”
Me: Oh dear! I wonder why that may be?
Paul Lucas 2 seconds later “It’s better than flying. There’s no security check.”
Me: Hmm, maybe that might have something to do with it.
But in all seriousness, the TGV is a great train and I really hope to try it someday. It’s super convenient, and it’s the fastest train in the world behind China!
You’ll still get a terminal emptied for an abandoned bag when flying, even after security! The same principles apply there as any other public place.
Paul, do apply your suncream as you're looking somewhat ruddy there. Great video though.
Good video!
Have done this journey a couple of times and have to say had none of the hassles you had at all..boarding made easy as there are always lots of extremely smartly dressed and multilingual SNCF staff on hand to help with any queries you may have ..no queues at the onboard cafe/bar either and train left and arrived bang on time ..even the train announcer you featured seemed to be having a bad day as normally they speak up to three languages fluenty ..vids are great though ..thanks
My favourite TGV trip is Paris to Marseille. All things going well, it's 3 hours on the button. Mostly open countryside with big towns and cities in the distance. This gives the impression that you're not really travelling fast at all.
Great vlog as always! I love trains too! What airline will give you 25% of the price of the ticket on a that short of a delay? Keep up the good work. Be safe!
Hahah loving the French announcers in English :D
These are my type of trips, sit back, watch the world roll by, both my wife and I hate flying, so the train takes the strain.
Did this service ever go via Toulouse, I remember seeing a Barcelona train there in 14
Nice report !
Upper deck can be very noisy and busy with people going to and back from the coffee car. There is no connection between coaches on lower deck (you'll need to take the stairs to upper deck to get to coffee bar). So my advice is to take first class, upper deck for the view, but in the last of first coach (depending on train configuration, choose from the map at booking) so you get almost no passing by. Note that if you get motion sickness, i'll advise lower deck in all case.
About the seat, it's electric recline function, not electronic ;-) and it often doesn't work as it should. And wifi is free yes, but is not that reliable either, I don't connect to it anymore, breaks down way too often.
Train manager does speak english on this train because it's international route. Don't expect other then French language on domestic, if you hear another language, that's just a coincidence.
A journey I have done many times, but for me the overnight sleeper is the way to do it...
I will use this train on coming Sunday at midday in 1.class. It will be an interesting Journey
Bon Voyage, Paul Lucas!
But do you get a full refund for this delay, as you do in the UK?
My favorite high speed train is still the Japanese Shinkansen, especially the Tohoku line in northern Honshu and on to Hokkaido.
3:58 What kind of programm do you use for making this animated road/train routes?
Another great video. Wow getting money back for a train being late. Operators would be broke in the UK 😂
Thanks Mate
Is Colonel Gadaffi’s private A340 still resident at Perpignan airport? It spent an extended holiday in the south of france I believe
Great video….thanks
Looking to make this journey later in the year is top carriage the best to travel in?
Also is standard class that much worse than first class comfortability wise? I’m a tall guy and get uncomfortable on long journeys if the seats are really bad. It’s also very expensive on the days I plan to travel sadly
When you visit Nimes, the Maison Carree (not a house and not square - it's the best preserved Roman temple in the world) and the Musee de la Romanite (Roman portable barbecue anyone? Requires 4 slaves to carry it) are absolute must sees. There is a hotel Ibis right outside the station and it's an easy walk into the city centre.
For reservations, I like to use "the trainline" which shows you all the trains and companies.
I didn’t know that you can take a train from Paris to Barcelona!!
twice a day, and book in advance, his warning that trains get sold out is not a lie.
Hopefully, Renfe can restart running to France as well, their Lyon-Barcelona train was rather handy for people not wanting to change station in Paris.
you can even go to madrid, milan, rome, amsterdam, london etc.. :D
@@Nicki99779 not all of these cities are with direct trains, though. For Madrid or Rome, you will need to change at least once.
The good news, Renfe just reinstated the Lyon-Barcelona and Marseille-Madrid trains, this time under their own name in France, too. This will hopefully alleviate pressure a bit on the 2 Paris-Barcelona TGVs.
@@barvdw Where do you get tickets for each one? Renfe and TGV?
Great journey but prefer renef than tgv sncf service was better to my opinion
I reckon this is a similar distance as New York to Chicago (not quite, but similar). And that makes it seem like a better value.
Hi Paul,
Could make a review of the FSC airline AIS Airlines? They operate a Jetstream 31/32 on the routes from Esbjerg to Stavanger and Karup to Copenhagen. Perhaps you could plan a trip across Europe using only smaller regional carriers like AIS Airlines, Avanti Air, Aoroexpress Regional, Blue Express, etc.
Is it better to book ahead of time or o the day? If we should book ahead, how soon should we book ahead?
very nice
Hi Paul, what is the name of the app you used to booked the train ticket? Thanks
Hi, Paul. Can I please know if they allow same day/ walk in booking?
You can book on the same day but don’t rely on there being space. This is an extremely popular route.
@@Paul_Lucas Thanks, Paul!
Nice video 👋