Nice-Paris TGV train?

I haven't taken the TGV from Nice to Paris, but I know that it's about a six-hour trip because the train can't travel at high speeds between Marseille and Nice.

I have taken the Nice-Paris night train. That's about an eleven-hour ride. There are also night trains between various cities in Italy--Venice for one--and Paris.

Booked far enough in advance on either the French or Italian rail sites, discount fares are available on most routes, both day and night.

I have taken the TGV between Paris and Lyon and it was great. The only problem we had was finding a seat. We had not reserved a seat and had real problems finding one. Other than that it was fast and a lovely trip.

Don't mean to sound uneducated but what are the French railways called?

Oh also do you think purchasing tickets from sites before arriving in Italy is the way to go? Have you tried purchasing as you go once you get there? Just trying to figure out which is best.

Linda....The French railway company is known by the acronym SNCF. You can find their website at http://www.sncf.fr/indexe.htm. The only problem with a run from Venice to Paris via Nice is that it will, literally, take you all day. The only connection from Venice to Nice to make the last train to Paris leaves at 7:45 in the morning, arriving in Nice at 4 pm, then out around 5:25, arriving in Paris at 11:15 at night....a loooong day. You would save five hours going Venice-Milan-Paris. Even from CT out of Genoa, it's still much faster to go via Milan. I would book them in advance thru the Trenitalia website to A) make sure I have a seat and B) to take advantage of cheaper ticket prices. They are at http://www.trenitalia.com/en/index.html. Many have reported problems registering to purchase, so register now, separately, and once your confirmation is e-mailed to you, you'll be able to book. Bookings can be up to 60 days in advance.

You might also consider flying. Discount airlines vueling and easyjet fly Venice Marco Polo to Paris CDG for a little less than the cheapest train fare. myair flies Genoa-Paris CDG or, in the other direction, easyjet flies Pisa-Paris Orly.

Linda, the best site for train timetables for all of Europe is www.bahn.de. Click on the drop-down menu in the upper right-hand corner for English. Enter departure and arrival points and time of day. After you get summary timetables, click on "Details for all" to see the connecting points.

My husband and I took the TGV from Paris to Lyon about 5 years ago. It was great. We didn't have a problem finding a seat because we had to make reservations. Most, if not all of the high speed trains require reservations.

Linda,

My son & I took the TGV from Paris to Nice last year. We had reservations & had no problems.

Very nice ride and only a small delay in the South of France for ~ 1/2 hr, due to some construction.