EUROSTAR AND TGV HIGH SPEED RAIL
Eurostar takes you from London St Pancras, through the Channel Tunnel, to Paris Gare Du Nord or Brussels Midi. Some Eurostar trains bypass Paris, travelling direct to Lyon, Avignon and Marseille, where you can soak up French culture and cuisine. Fares vary enormously and on some journeys you can save a lot by booking ahead.
If you want to stop in Paris and travel on later, the TGV high speed rail service, which runs across the continent at 270mph, can whisk you from Paris to the French city of Avignon in three-and-half hours. Avignon is full of amazing heritage sites including The Pope's Palace, the Bridge of Avignon, the Museum of the Petit Palais and the Cathedral of Doms.
Get a high speed train from Paris to Barcelona, where you can see amazing Gaudi architecture, beautiful coastlines, parks and gardens, and enticing shopping opportunities.
Get the Eurostar to Brussels rather than Paris to pick up a connection to Bruges, the Venice of the North, Rotterdam with its futuristic architecture, or Munich, the city of art, culture and hi-tech industry.
Fancy a break in Italy instead? There are connections from Paris to Turin, Milan and Rome. The journey to Italy takes you past stunning landscapes in comfort, with food and drinks on board. WWW.EUROSTAR.COM/UK-EN WWW.RAILEUROPE.COM/EUROPEAN-TRAINS/TGV/HOW-TO-BOOK.HTML