Trains

Of course there are local trains - not everyone is going from say Paris to Calais. Auntie Sue is going three towns down the line to shop at the Super Co-Op. The high speed trains are the best way (time wise) to travel between long distances (they also require reservations - obtained when purchasing ticket). We take the local train frequently for short hops.

Don't know who told you that. I took several regional trains in France last summer.

Hi, Not so, regional trains are those with TER painted along the side of the train. These are the trains where no reservations are needed, just hop on with the ticket. From Paris going to Amiens, Beauvais, Fontainebleau, Reims can be done on a regional train. You can still go to Metz from Paris on a regional train

Please tell us who told you that, so we can warn others about this inaccuracy.

There are probably many more regional trains than there are TGV trains.

There are regional SNCF trains, but some routes have sparse timetables with lots of holes through the day; others are buses rather than trains.

There are local trains of course. What someone may have been telling you is that it is rarely possible to save money by making long journeys by changing from local train to local train, because SNCF deliberately avoids setting up convenient connections so they can sell TGV tickets.

Please tell us, Pamela, who said that. Have they ever been to France?