France by train in September solo

Having done a fair amount of solo (female) traveling by public transportation in France and elsewhere in Europe, I wish you a wonderful trip! I'm sure you know the usual safety precautions for traveling alone; today it's easier than 20 yrs ago to stay in touch with loved ones by text message to let them know where you are and that you're all right.

You probably also already know that France has multiple wine regions, so you won't visit them all in 3 weeks at the leisurely pace you prefer.

I would say to skip the Loire chateaux, as their locations are not convenient for public transportation. But you could always sign up for one or more day tours by bus/van if you are keen to visit some of these landmarks.

The great thing about traveling solo is flexibility. You can pace yourself exactly as you want and see/experience the things that really interest you. Bon voyage!

In 2014 I read an article in The NY Times about tasting France through 5 signature dishes. Later that year, I took my “Tour Gastronomique” going by train from CDG to Strasbourg, Lyon, Marseille, Toulouse, Dinan and, finally, Paris. It was a culinary delight. Having visited France many times before, this was my first trip using their great rail system. This particular solo trip had to be one of my favorites.

I'd go to the local library or bookstore if possible and skim the guide books for France. After skimming them take one out or buy the one you like. By reading the guide book you can pinpoint more efficiently where you want to go better than anyone here. Then after you decide where you want to go during the 3 weeks ask the forum any questions you might have to fill in gaps. I have been to Lyon and it is known as a capital of gastronomy and has a nice fine arts museum. I've also been to the area around Bordeaux known for wine and the area east of that the Dordogne has some beautiful countryside (some hard to access without a car) and good eating. Needless to say Paris has some great shopping and museums. Either way since you are flying in and out of CDG I'd maybe start with 3 nights in Paris and then train somewhere and so on.

My daughter and I spent 3 weeks in France back in the spring of 2016.
I used Rick Steves’ France and Lonely Planet guidebooks.

This was our itinerary:
Flew into Geneva >> Chamonix >> Annecy >> L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue >> Avignon (day trips to St.Remy & Les Baux-de-Provence) >> Paris >> Amboise (visited a few castles) >> Paris.

Congratulations on planning a solo trip. I truly enjoy taking solo trips (two to Italy), and can’t wait to travel again!

Edited to add…
I forgot to mention that my daughter and I traveled solely via public transportation.

You may want to read this great post full of great advise: Solo Trip To Paris, 1st Trip to Europe

P.S. You may also get more ideas by reading Jane’s trip report here: Our Combined Solo & Couple Vacation in France

As you (hopefully) know, Rick happens to do TV shows as well as guidebooks. He has a lot of shows about France, find the list on this site and watch the relevant ones. And do buy his France book as well.

For a pleasant visit to wine country, consider the Dijon/Beaune region.

Consult Rick and the Man in Seat 61 regarding rail travel and when/if passes make sense. Be aware that on popular trains like the TGV a pass can sometimes be more of a hindrance (since seats are limited for passholders and reservations are required).

Getting to Bayeux from Paris is not hard (leave from Gare St Lazare and no changes). That gives you some Normandy experience. Try to be there for the Saturday morning farmers market. Could do a WWII tour if you're interested. Also a great cathedral and the Bayeux tapestry.

Colmar is also a no changes TGV from Paris. Can walk the old city easily. Trains and buses go to nearby towns too. This gets you to Alsace. We loved the Reisling (not sweet) and baeckeoffe.

Giverny has Monet's house with the water lilies, and accessible from Paris by train for a day trip. Similar complexity to going to Versailles. Those are both day trips of you dont want to relocate.

We bought rail passes this year and struggled hard with reservations. Eventually got things worked out ok, but it was not easy at all to figure out. Not sure it allows the spontenaity it once did.

We also did Reims as a day trip from Paris to visit a champagne house. We liked the Freixenet tour much better than the other one we took at a larger house. And if you go there, be sure to have lunch at the restaurant right in front of the cathedral that has a large patio. Good food and an awesome view!

2nd the thought about Colmar - just did that on my own in April and it was an easy journey. I stayed in Hotel Saint-Martin right in the old city center and it was wonderful. I was there in April and it was just such an interesting area. There are vineyards around there and I believe there are local day tours out to various vineyards. I did not do one.

Bordeaux is also a thought as it's just a 2-hour journey by TGV so very easy. There is wine country around there although not really accessible by train. There are probably some local tours that will take you to Saint-Emilion and perhaps the Medoc area. I was on a group tour so did those with my group.

I do encourage you to have your train tickets on your phone and I guess the suggestion before that should be that you should have an up to date smart phone and have skills with it good enough to download apps, screen shot tickets to various trains and museums and to access apps for trains and museums.

I might spend a night or 2 in Paris at the start but I would plan to be back in Paris several days ahead of your departure flight in case there are any train strikes. None mentioned that I know but I consider that when I am planning.

What a fun time you will have. I love train travel in France! AND I love solo travel in France!

Tip: Be sure to pack VERY light. The steps into the French trains are quite steep and difficult to negotiate. It also can be a very long walk down the platform to your train car. I advise a carry-on size 4 wheel spinner suitcase. (This from bitter experience resulting in a trip to the orthopedist and PT for my damaged shoulder from the last set of French trains.)

Seconding pack light! You will have to schlepp your bags to the train and up the big steps into it then get it up onto the storage area overhead, unless you have booked a train where you can check a bag. Some types will have that option, some won't.

Since you’re planning on staying in places at a leisurely pace- consider buying your TGV train tickets in advance. I paid as little as €19 for long- haul TGV train tickets a few years back. If bought on travel day they can cost as much as €150! These deeply discounted TGV train tix are non-refundable so you’re committed once you buy them. You can save several hundred euros by buying your tickets 60-90 days in advance for routes going to Lyon , Strasbourg (for the Alsace-Lorraine wine country) Avignon, Nice, Tours St. Pierre des Corps (for Amboise in The Loire Valley) and many other cities.
Google up France TGV Train route Map to see how this might work for your itinerary.
For details check out www.Seat61.com and search for France TGV discount tickets.
Rick’s book on France would be a valuable resource.
Have fun in 🇫🇷 France!

If you plan to ride TGV, consider buying the tickets on SNCF-CONNECT website or their mobile app of the same name. The purchase will be stored in your mobile app in e-Ticket format (you can still print out as a backup); no validation needed. It also allows you to pick the seat of your choice (upper deck has better view). If you buy it on third party website; you can only specify your preferences (window, upper/lower deck, solo/duo for 1st class); the assigned seat will be random. The ticket pricing system is similar to airline tickets; so book earlier will be cheaper.

I plan to take a 4-day side trip from Paris to Nice; the non-stop direct TGV inOui I just booked takes 6 hours. From Nice a couple day trips to Monaco and Antibes by TER train (20 to 30 mins); the tickets costs 4 to 5 euro each way. You only need to buy ticket when you need it (using same mobile app, no seat selection); so it’s super easy and flexible.