Cheapest and Easiest ways to Travel in France!

After living in the south-east of France for two years I've had a lot of opportunities to travel around the country and Europe. For the past two school years (2018/2019 and 2019/2020) I have lived in two beautiful french cities (Lyon and Chambéry) as an English language assistant through TAPIF (Teaching Assistant Program in France). One of the awesome parts of working in the french school system is the insane amount of vacation we get. Every 6 weeks french schools have 2 weeks of vacation, however they do have a shorter summer vacation than we do in the States, so it evens out in the end.

Now, so much vacation might sound awesome, which it is, but as a language assistant I wasn't making a whole lot of money. So, when I wanted to travel during these breaks I had to do my research on the best ways to travel that didn't waste my time or money, or make my carbon footprint bigger than it needs to be. With that being said, here I share the ways that I've traveled around France on a budget!

Train ride on the coast of France, near Marseille.

Trains, Trains, Trains!!!

In France there are so many options for taking the train. There are SNCF train stations near, or in, every airport that can take you to destinations all around Europe. And the best part about taking the train is that you often don't loose any time, compared to taking a domestic flight, and it is a MUCH smaller impact on the environment!

There are several options when deciding on which train to take when traveling within France. There are the normal TERs (Train Express Régional/regional trains), TGV (Train à Grande Vitesse/fast long-distance trains), and OUIGO. All of these options are either cheap or have yearly discount cards that are often worth the cost after 1 or 2 uses. If it's your first time in France this guide will help you experience France by train on a budget! These are all the things I wish I would have known before I lived in France for the first time.

TER ticket bought from the "blue machine".

TER

TERs are inter-regional trains that make visiting cities around you very convenient and cheap (especially if you have a discount card!)

Here are some of the things you need to know before taking a TER.

Buying your ticket: It isn't necessary to book your ticket in advance, unlike the long distance trains. When taking a TER you can buy your ticket right before hopping on, or you can get your ticket on the OUI.SNCF app/website before you get to the station. I always recommend getting to the station a bit early because if you need to buy your ticket you may have to wait in line to buy it at the machine. You can buy your ticket at the blue TER machines or at the new white machines. The tickets bought on the blue machine are valid for one ride within seven days of purchase (within the same period, either blue or white). If you buy your ticket at the white touch-screen machines you only have the option to buy your ticket for a particular train at a certain time. Here you can also buy TGV tickets, which can sometimes be cheaper than a TER for certain shorter routes and at specific times.
Blue and white periods: Prices for TERs are always the same, except for a small difference during rush hour. These times depend of the day and are indicated on the machine.
Validating your ticket: If you buy a paper ticket at a machine, make sure to validate your ticket before you get on the train. You can do this by inserting your ticket into the yellow machines that are located before every platform entrance. Technically the tickets you buy at both machines have to be "composted" with the yellow machines. However I've forgotten to do it a few times with my tickets from the white machines and have never had a problem, mainly because the time is already written on it. But it's better to be safe than sorry!
Seats are unassigned, so sit where you like! BUT make sure you are in the correct class (1 or 2). The classes are marked on the outside of each car or on the door between cars. Most people take a ticket for second class, because it's cheaper and there isn't a huge difference between the two, in my opinion.
Discount cards!! I can only speak for the cards from the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, but in my experience it has always been beneficial to get one of these cards. Particularly if you are going to several cities, even for 1 week, the card can save you a lot on ticket prices. Every region has its own discounts (which you can look up here). In Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes if you are under 26 years old you can get a card that is 15 euro/year and 26 years and up is 30 euro/year. These cards get you 50% off all TER trains, and 25% off on weekend TER for the 26 years+ card. You can purchase the discount cards online or at the white touch-screen machines at the station.
Bikes are free! If you want to explore a city by bike, all bikes ride for free on TERs! Just find the car marked with a bike sign and you will find plenty of space to set up your bike. I have never had a problem finding space!

TGV

TGV stands for "Train à Grande Vitesse", which means high speed train, traveling at 320 kph (200 mph). These trains make it super easy to travel across France, and internationally, without wasting time in the car or in an airport. TGV stations are located all around France, the only place where TGVs do not service are cities in the center of the country (so to get here you have to hop on a TER.)

Helpful tips before taking a TGV:

Buying your ticket: It is important to buy your TGV ticket well before your trip to get the best prices. The price goes up the closer you get to the departure date, so booking last minute can get pretty expensive (unless you have a discount card!) You can book your ticket online and print the ticket when you get to the station at the white touch-screen machines, simply by inserting the card you used to pay, or simply buy it on the app, with the ticket on your phone. TGV tickets are ONLY valid for the specific time and day that you booked, so you do not need to validate the ticket before boarding the train.
Discount cards!! If you are planning on taking a TGV around/through/in France, more than once, a discount card is normally worth the bang for your buck! The two most popular cards are the Carte Avantage Jeune (young) and Week-end, there is also a card for seniors and families. The Carte Avantage Jeune is for people aged 12-27 and can get you 30% off TGV tickets, discount on TERs, and special last minute offers on TGV prices. It normally costs 49 euro for the year BUT around black friday they normally sell them at a discounted price for 25 euro, so keep your eye out for that deal! The Carte Avantage Week-end is for people aged 27-59 and gets you the same discounts as the young person card, but on the weekends.
Assigned Seating: When you book your ticket you will get an assigned seat in a particular car. While waiting for the train to arrive you can situate yourself on the platform where your car will arrive with help of screens, indicating the train info. At the bottom of the screen it shows a letter in relation to each car. You can find the letters on signs along the platform, showing you where your car will be. If you did not get a seat number on your ticket, don't worry it's still valid. Just ask the train attendant where you can sit and they will help you (they all speak english).
TGV INOUI, TGV, TGV Duplex? What's the difference?Nothing really. A TGV Duplex is a double decker train and TGV INOUIs have wifi, but other than that they are all fast trains with food cars.

TGV ticket, printed from a "white machine".

OUIGO!!!!

OUIGO trains are the absolute best thing for people who are travelling on a budget. The network of these trains is smaller than the TGV network, but it takes you to all the bigger cities in France. OUIGO trains are basically a budget TGV. They are fast long-distance trains, with the main difference being no food car, no wifi, and instead of a trash can at every seat there is one per car. These trains are easily recognisable by its bright blue and pink colors.

How to book: You can book a OUIGO train through the Oui.sncf website/app or directly through the OUIGO website/app.
Prices: There are no discount cards for OUIGOs because the prices are already extremely low! These tickets can be as low as 10 euro if you book them in advance. (If you wait too long, the prices can jump up, so best to book early.)
Luggage: Another important difference is that you have to pay for any big luggage, 5 euro per bag.

International Trains

From France you can take a train to neighbouring countries, sometimes on a TGV, other times on that specific country's train network. All of the trains mentioned below can be booked on the oui.sncf website/app, unless stated otherwise.

France -> Spain Renfe SNCF trains start in Lyon and take you to Barcelona. The ride is 5 hours and it takes you to the Barcelona-Sants station, with easy access to the citycenter!
France -> Belgium/Netherlands From Paris you can take a Thalys train to the Netherlands through Belgium. From Paris Nord you can get to Brussels in 1 hour and 20 minutes and to Amsterdam in 3 hours and 20 minutes. If you are under 26 years old and book in advance Thalys tickets are only 29 euro! Paris -> Brussels The cheapest option to get between Paris and Brussels is with a train called IZY (run by Thalys), which you have to book on the IZY website. It takes 1 hour more than a Thalys but if you are flexible with time the 10 euro ticket is much more affordable! Make sure to book as far in advance as possible because there are only a certain amount of 10 euro tickets per train.
France -> Switzerland TGV Lyria is the train line that runs from France to Switzerland. These trains tend to be a little more expensive, but you can get directly to Geneva, Zurich, Basel, and Lausanne from Paris.
France -> Germany From Paris you can get to Munich with a TGV in 6 hours, with stops in Strasbourg, Karlsruhe, Stuttgart, Ulm, and Augsburg. Prices vary but the average price is around 55 euro with a discount card.
France -> UK The Euro Star takes you directly to London from Paris - Gare du Nord. These trains take about an hour and a half and cost on average 55 euro (no discount card needed).
France -> Italy There is a direct TGV from Paris to Milan, and takes about 7 and a half hours. This train stops in Lyon, Chambéry, and Turin (among others), all of which are cities you can't miss! Paris to Milan could cost as low at 40 euros with a discount card, if purchased in advance!

By Car

As much as renting a car might sound like the best way to get around, it's definitely not the cheapest option if you are traveling solo or with a friend in France. I normally recommend taking the train, however there are a few cheap options for traveling by car.

BlaBla Car

This is a ride sharing network that is super convenient and is available all over Europe. Anyone can post their route on the website and offer seats in their car for a fee. This can often be cheaper than taking a train, but can potentially take longer in the case of traffic or the driver being delayed. All drivers are verified before being able to post a ride. I have never had a bad experience doing this, plus it's a great opportunity to meet new people and practice speaking another language!

Getaround

Getaround, formerly known as Drivy, is a kind of an airbnb for cars. You can rent a car from a local person for the amount of time you would like (a few hours to multiple days). There are different insurance packages ranging from a lot to a little. Through the app/website you are in direct communication with the owner of the car for pick-up, drop-off, and any questions during your rental period. I have had really great experiences with this and it is so much cheaper than renting a car from an agency. The only catch is that you have to pick up and drop off the car in the same location. It is nice to use when going on hikes far from train station or skiing when you are tight on time. If you are an American, make sure to have an international driving license on top of your normal license. In the states you can get an international license at your local AAA.

By Bus

There are a lot of options to travel by bus. Personally, it is my least favorite way to travel, but it can be soo CHEAP! In France you can choose from several companies:

Flixbus
Blabla bus / OuiBus
OUI SNCF
Eurolines
Regional busses

When I am planning a trip I always check out the options by bus, because there are often promotions where you can get a ticket as little as 1 euro. I use the site Omio to compare prices from different bus companies.

Helpful Info:

OUI.SNCF app: for booking tickets
SNCF app: for checking timetables, searching train routes, getting info on traffic
OUI.SNCF.com: SNCF website to find and book trains
Omio app/website: helpful to compare bus and train prices within Europe
Trainlines: helps find train itineraries and tickets within Europe

Vocab:

gare = train station
gare routière = bus station
billets = tickets
voie = platform
voiture = car
autocar = bus
SNCF = name of the train company in France
à composter = must be/to be 'validated/stamped'
place assise = seat number (found on TGV ticket)
prix = price
utilisable du...au... = usable from...to...

Thanks for reading! If you are planning a trip to France, don't be afraid to send me any questions you might have and I'll see if I can help you out!