Two Rail Ways, Swift and Scenic

The hare was the much-admired TGV, or Train a Grande Vitesse--"high-speed train," and the world's most prominent one at that. The tortoise was a modest railcar of the narrow-gauge Chemins de Fer de Provence, a homey little line that climbs from the southern resort city of Nice on France's Riviera to Digne-les-Bains, in the Provencal Alps.

High in those mountains, Meailles, a remote, deserted and windblown depot, was the ultima Thule of my journey--about as far in style and spirit as you can get from the modern station at Paris' Charles de Gaulle Airport, where our trip had begun last March.

As an American used to exiting airports on traffic-choked highways, I'm exhilarated every time I fly into a European city and find I can trundle my luggage cart from baggage claim right to the platform of a train heading my way. From Charles de Gaulle's bright, airy station, my wife, Laurel, and I stepped aboard a sleek blue-and-silver TGV, settled into our first-class seats and sped to Marseille over the TGV Mediterranee line, which began service in June 2001.

Since its first route opened two decades ago, the TGV has epitomized high-speed railroading, a healthy contagion that has spread throughout Western Europe as Germany fielded its ICE, Belgium its Thalys, Italy and Switzerland their Cisalpino, Sweden its X2000 and Spain its AVE. But the TGV remains the fastest, reaching speeds of 186 mph over long stretches of dedicated fast track. France's 932-mile network of high-speed lines is the world's most extensive.

And it keeps expanding, most recently with the 156-mile "TGV Med" from Valence to Marseille. The Med's completion has cut travel time from Paris' Gare de Lyon to Marseille to three hours flat, trimming 1 1/4 hours off the previous best. To my mind, the TGV is the best way to travel to southern France; by car, the 550-mile trip would take about seven hours.

The train was heavily booked, so we were glad we had reserved our seats in the States through Rail Europe--though we had paid $11 each for this convenience. (Reservations, always required on TGVs, cost about $1.50 apiece when booked in France.) Seating in first class is two and one across, lending a spacious feel. And legroom is generous. But it's best not to travel at mealtimes because the cafe car offers only rudimentary service for beverages, sandwiches and snacks.