I am planning two RS tours back to back in France next year. What is the best way to get from the ending point on trip one, Marseilles, to get to the starting point of trip two, Chartres, FR? Fly to CDG or take Hi Speed Train to Paris and then onto Chartres?
Posted by
New York, NY, USA
11294 posts
I was curious myself about the answer to your question, so I looked at Rome2Rio: http://www.rome2rio.com/s/Marseille/Chartres.
Going by their report (and I haven't checked it independently, which is always important), it looks like nearly a wash, time-wise, between the train all they way, and flying to Orly (which is not only closer to Chartres than CDG, but has more frequent flights from Marseille). Time aside, you can see all the steps involved with each method.
I would find train less stressful, and with advance purchase it shouldn't be too expensive. While Rome2Rio is great for routes, it doesn't show available discounts, so check prices directly on Skyscanner https://www.skyscanner.com/ for flights and SNCF http://en.voyages-sncf.com/en/ or Captain Train https://www.captaintrain.com/en for trains. On SNCF, don't allow yourself to be re-directed to Rail Europe, and choose France as your ticket collection country.
Posted by
Ohio
2161 posts
Hi tba, I just commented on your other post. You are so lucky to be able to do back-to-back RS tours! We did Southern France in May 2014 and Eastern France in May 2015. Both great tours. Lots to see and do. I love France!
The trains are quick and easy and would provide a nice, relaxing transition between the two tours. I'm not the train "expert" but have learned from others on this site that it's best to purchase tickets 90 days in advance - best price and choice of routes.
Please come back and do a trip report of your tours. Have a great time!