Traveling by train in France

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Traveling around Europe and France. I had the pleasure of visiting friends who live near Geneva. I took a train there, the fast train they call it. Found my tickets on https://www.sncf-connect.com, the price was not ideal, but it was worth it. If you buy your tickets with plenty of time you will get better deals. And sometimes getting to a near by destination can also be cheaper and than taking another train to your final destination.

I traveled economy class, it was a bit uncomfortable for my taste, but it was okay. I left from Gare de Lyon, it was crazy busy, if you get to leave from that train station, the platforms are at the very top above the metro station, you just need to go through a series of exits (or maybe it just happened to me). Once you get to the train station keep an eye on the platform and pay attention to where you need to take your train. Most are going to different destinations and will only show the last destination. Usually the train number will appear 10 minutes before departure. People are all over the palace without order at Gare de Lyon, it seemed to be normal during month of September. On the way back I booked a ticket on first class and to be honest I was not impressed, so if you want to save 30-40 € I would recommend just taking the economic class train. Unless you pay business class, I believe those seats are more comfortable.

If you leave from Gare Saint-Lazare it is a bit easier, if unsure of where to go ask anyone a simple, “pardon, vous parle anglais,” Can help you to get help. You will need to scan your ticket when you enter the platform and when you leave the train, make sure you keep your train ticket to scan it. If I I remember correctly you need this for most train stations.