Let the train take the strain
There are few better ways to travel around France than on the French railway system, the SNCF
“When Europe was divided up,” confided a fellow passenger as I flew into Marseille airport, “there’s absolutely no doubt that France got the best deal”. And he’s right! From the rugged north coast of Brittany and the historic sites of Normandy; through lush vineyards and cornfields of the Charente and Dordogne and on to the snow-capped peaks of the Alps or Pyrenees, France does indeed have it all.
Which of course means that you could spend hours on the motorway – driving on the wrong side of the road – to see even a fraction of it. Not that the French roads are not excellent: they are and we enjoyed days with a hire-car mooching around the countryside. But in the main, we took the train. In the first instance, immediately from Marseille to Perpignan and onwards to Prades in the foothills of the Pyrenees, where the Pablo Casals Festival was in full swing: over 30 chamber music recitals in 18 days in churches and halls around Prades. One of the attractions was the Chilingirian Quartet who played at Kouklia this year with the Pharos Trust. With friends, we caught their fantastic concert in the magnificent Abbaye Saint-Michel de Cuxa and yearned to hear more – except the mountains were calling and we had some serious walking to do.
Another train; le petit train jaune, all of six carriages long which winds into the mountains, does not stop at the remote village where our friends live unless you hail it, like a British bus. A leisurely chat on the platform ensues about where you’re getting off, how old you are and, if you live within a distance of the line, you get a further discount. You pay your fare!
The mountains were at the same time awesome, serene and stunningly beautiful; they seemed to go on for ever – right, of course, to the Spanish border and beyond. You could spend your whole holiday just here! Many walkers we met with a friendly ‘Hola’ in the Gorge de Carancas came from the Spanish side by coach and then spent the weekend walking back home, staying overnight in the refuges that are scattered on the hillsides. This gorge walk defies description except to say that clinging to a rope on a one-metre path hundreds of metres up a precipice is not everyone’s idea of pleasure, nor the passerelles – wooden bridges that cross the river – with the flimsiest of rope ladders for access.
Back to civilisation and we booked and caught the train to the Dordogne – almost a day’s journey. Two SNCF tips: always book ahead if you can – some weekend trains only take passengers with reservations. Booking means you get a seat and can insist on it when you find another incumbent. And, take your own refreshments; we paid 7.50 euros for two warm beers on Day One and thereafter always carried a small cool-box of supplies on any journey.
You see a great deal from the train; vineyards stretch as far as the eye can see, tournesols (sunflowers) turn their faces like a regiment of sun-worshippers; towns whiz by and glimpses of rivers are frequent.
The Bergerac area is a delight; steeped in history, full of fascinating old buildings, chateaux, market squares and almost totally unspoilt. Staying with friends here meant we didn’t dither about on Eymet market day and instead headed for the best caf? in the square. Food in France is light-years away from anything Cyprus can offer: even the smallest supermarkets have a superb selection of cheeses, charcuterie, fish and seafood, not to mention vegetables and fruit. You may not get a huge range of dishes in French caf?s, but the taste, the freshness and the sheer style are all a delight. The prix fixe or formule combinations offer not only great value but the best of what’s available on that very day. Superbe! Of course you can go more up-market in search of a gourmet experience, but it’s not as essential as it is in Cyprus.
Our next hop was accomplished by car, a hired Renault – what else? – acquired at Bergerac railway station and deposited at the one in Angouleme several days later. In between we pottered through the countryside of Charente, lush with vineyards, wildflower meadows, waving maize and rolling grassland. While cities do not have much appeal for me, we did make it to Cognac which was packed with tourists of every nationality. In fact neighbouring Jarnac – home of Courvoisier – is very much prettier and got us back on track, as did the charming English couple in whose gite we stayed for a few nights in Villeret hamlet. This was bliss: simple home comforts in a barn conversion, secluded garden for lounging about and two friendly pooches for company, together with a mischievous kitten and his mate, all of whom regarded us as a natural extension of their normal domestic arrangements.
The gite self-catering system is brilliant and they’re all over France, often run by expatriates. You can also find accommodation in chambres d’hote (B&B in homes) – often advertised in the local tourist office – and, of course, hotels both independent and part of national chains. The SNCF and the EuropCar websites also connect travellers to hotel partners, as does Mappy, the route-map advice site. In all, not difficult to let the train take the strain of long journeys then settle into either a country town or pretty city – there are lots to choose from – and jaunt around by car.
When it comes to shopping I am a total failure, so I can’t advise on matters retail – apart from food and wine! – but I’m assured that French cities are a mecca for those who love to shop. I made do with country markets and picked up some spiffy casual clothes at knock-down prices. It’s best to travel light in France if you’re using the trains; there are few escalators and even fewer elevators – visible at least – so you need a suitcase on wheels that you can actually lift with ease, otherwise you wrestle with flights of stairs between platforms and three steps up each time you get on a train. The trains themselves are terrific: some even have nursery areas for children and most take bicycles.
We covered some 2,000 miles in France, taking 10 different trains and finally coming, some weeks later, back full circle to Marseille. The night before we left, the English rugby team took on the French in Marseille and we watched on a tiny screen in a tiny room in the city of Montpellier where we broke our rail journey for the night. Montpellier – along with Prades, Jarnac, La Rochefoucauld and Ruffec – is on my list for ‘must see next time’, because there is almost assuredly going to be a next time for us, in trains, en France.
Useful websites
www.skyscanner.net – flight planner, www.voyages-sncf.com – French trains, www.Europcar.com – best car-hire, www.mappy.com – the best map service on-line, www.charentegetawaygites.com – excellent English gite; fishing, horse-riding, golfing and property hunting a speciality!, www.france-rental.com and www.whereonearthgroup.com for accommodation
