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This post includes a gifted experience.
Traveling from London to the South of France is not just a journey; it’s an experience. I’ve done it before twice, but I never got around to share it on the blog. Of course, when I say South of France, that’s a couple of different destinations and directions with train. This time, my journey starts in London (well, Esher, a village on the London and Surrey border, for some reason just outside the London zone 6) and finishes in Beziers on the same say. 10 hours on various trains, door-to-door. In this blog post, I’ll share the details, benefits, and wonders of taking a train from London to the South of France.
The Journey Begins: From London to Paris
I started my journey at the 8:52 train heading to Waterloo from Esher. Crossed London (you can do this by tube or bus) and the first leg starts at St. Pancras International, where I’m catching the 11:31 Eurostar to Paris. This high-speed train takes you through the English countryside before darting under the English Channel through the Channel Tunnel, (about half an hour), which I always think is the marvel of modern engineering. In just over two hours (arriving at 14:55 local time), I’m in Paris, Gare du Nord precisely. The ticket cost £64.
While you could simply hop on a plane, traveling by train is a different world altogether. You get to experience the gradual transition from one country to another while enjoying a comfortable seat with plenty of legroom. The Eurostar has a bar, wifi (sometimes a bit patchy, though) and the check-in process is faster than at the airport.
A Stopover or Not?
Depending on your interests and schedule, you might consider a short stopover in Paris. Paris hotel rooms can be pricey, but the possibility is certainly there, and you can have a day or two to yourself in Paris.
Crossing Paris
Next task: crossing Paris. I needed to get from Gare du Nord to Gare du Lyon to catch my TGV to Beziers. This is a very easy, don’t worry. Plus it will only cost you EUR 2.55. You will need to purchase a Ticket Metro-Train-RER and hop on the RER, which is Paris’, fast hybrid train network (it runs underground in Paris). It runs frequently, every 5-8 minutes or so and it’s only two stops, so altogether you are looking into a maximum of half an hour (more like 20 minutes) to get from Gare du Nord to Gare du Lyon and that includes walking to and from the RER. Very efficient, cheap and so no need for a taxi. You can get a Navigo pass and put some money on that, so you don’t have to stop to buy tickets on your way back.
A Little Extra Time at Gare du Lyon?
At Gare du Lyon, you might have a little bit of time on your hand like I did, so I walked around looking at the fancy little macaron shops, grabbed a coffee and a macaron and some dinner to eat it on the TGV. Lots of food outlets and even a proper Parisian restaurant (Le Train Bleu). The old part of the station (Halle 1) is very beautiful. (Halle 2 is not that good looking.) With the Navigo, access to the restrooms is free; you just have to present it to the agent at the entrance. If you decide to wait inside the Gare, there are lot of seats but it’s also a busy station, so at any time, most of the seats will be occupied.
Gare du Lyon is only a few minutes walk from some really nice places like Rue de Charenton, Place d’Aligre Marche and Rue Crémieux . You can leave your luggage EUR 9.50 at the baggage drop. (On the way back, we stuffed 2 big bags and 3 backpacks in one locker and we still paid just EUR 9.50) If I were you, I’d avoid the taxis outside the Gare at all costs.
TGV to Beziers
Last leg: board a TGV (Train à Grande Vitesse) to your final destination in the South of France. Mine was Beziers, but trains are running to the whole of Southern France from here. The TGV INOUI trains are known for their speed and comfort, at speeds of up to 320 km/h (200 mph). They are a bit old, but not that old trains. The seats are big and very comfy. I booked Standard Premiere, upstairs, solo seat. It was fabulous. However, looking at the regular 2nd class – I’m not sure it was so much worse at all? It was a double TGV (two of them coupled) with TWO bar coaches. Didn’t go to any but loved the option! The ticket cost £64.97 including booking fee for Trainline. Extra: Carte Avantage Adulte 27-59 year olds, that was EUR 49, with this, the ticket was 30% cheaper. The carte Avantage Adulte offers discounts for travellers aged 27 to 59 in France and across Europe.
The journey is about 5 hours from 16:56 till 21.04 (it was about 10 minutes late, oh well). I could follow the route and timings after logging in the onboard TGV INOUI page to access wifi, they updated the arrival times to each town live. Pretty impressive. Could also watch movies and play games. I got some work done (good wifi) and eat my dinner.
Car rental at Beziers
I was kindly offered a voucher to test out the services of DiscoverCars.com the world’s most-visited car rental comparison & booking site. They started in 2013 as a small company, focused on delivering the best car rental experience. Today, it operates in over 150 countries and has earned notable awards, including being listed by the Financial Times among the 1000 fastest-growing companies in Europe and ranked by Trustpilots one of the top 10 car rental agencies.
We chose a Peugeot 508 Hybrid, picked it up right at Beziers train station (well, 10 minutes walk but much closer than the airport would have been!) and it was very simple to compare cars, rental prices and also deposit charges. With the booking via Enterprise, for 7 days, for the total of £286.48 or EUR 335.15 included we had:
- Unlimited mileage
- Collision damage waiver with £2,565.00 excess/deductible
- Theft Protection
- Third Party Liability (TPL)
- Free modifications
The only strange thing was (this is an Enterprise thing at some odd places, though), we had to return the car with an empty tank. Normally, if you rent cars, you know, it’s the opposite and you have to return the car with full tank.
We were overall very happy with the booking process, the car and it was easy to return it outside of office hours.
Benefits of Taking the Train
Comfort and Space
Train travel offers spacious seating and the freedom to move around. You can walk to the dining car or play cards with friends while enjoying the views outside. The dining options also provide a taste of regional fare.
Eco-Friendly Way of Travel
Trains are one of the most environmentally friendly modes of transport. By choosing the train over flying, you’re contributing to reduced carbon emissions.
Convenience and Accessibility
Train stations are often located in the city center, making your arrival much more convenient than flying into an airport, which may be miles away from your final destination. This means you can start exploring your surroundings as soon as you arrive.
Cost-Effective
Well, most of the time. Although train tickets can vary in price, especially during peak travel seasons, early bird bookings often lead to significant savings. Plus, the seamless travel experience reduces the often hidden costs that come with flying, such as baggage fees and transport from the airport.