Question: What is a TGV train? Where can I buy TGV train tickets?
Answer: TGV trains are high-speed bullet trains operating from France. Trains a grand vitesse, or TGV trains, are built by the French engineering company Alstom and operated by SNCF (the French rail company). TGV trains run on electricity and can only achieve their fastest cruising speeds on special high speed tracks called LGV (Ligne á Grande Vitesse).
Those TGV trains' speedy cruising speeds are up to 186 miles per hour. A TGV train makes the journey from Paris to Zurich in six hours and ten minutes, or Brussels, Belgium, to Avignon, France in five hours.
Do I Need a Reservation on TGV trains?
Reservations on TGV trains are mandatory. You must pay for a reservation when you buy a TGV ticket.How Much Do TGV Tickets Cost?
TGV trains are more expensive than "regular" trains. A reservation, which you must have on a TGV train, also costs a few dollars. Before you buy, you may want to compare budget European airfares, but remember that trains take you to the heart of European cities (hostels are often a few steps away), and budget European airlines often land at out-of-the-way airports, so consider all costs...- Learn more about single European rail tickets
- About Eurail passes
- Buying tickets on overnight trains in Europe
- About the Eurostar train
Where Can I Buy TGV Tickets?
You can buy TGV tickets online from Rail Europe, or at the train station.Alstom is talking about building TGV trains for Argentina and China, among others. A TGV French train set a rail speed record in 2007, partially to promote Alstom, and to highlight a new TGV route from Paris to Strasbourg -- TGV travel on that route should take two hours and 20 minutes, as opposed to "normal" train travel time of four hours and thrity minutes.
