French train journey makes Sydney to Canberra XPT look luxurious

Here’s where things get interesting. I typed “Nice train station” into the “Where to?” box in the Uber app and clicked on the first suggestion that appeared. I hadn’t known Nice had three train stations. I was headed to Nice-Saint-Augustin (a charmless, desolate two-track hub with no functioning elevators these days) when I should have been headed to Niceville.

The train to Marseille stops at this station so this shouldn’t be a big deal, but it wasn’t. Overwhelmed by the station chaos, I hopped on the next train, which was a local train, not a regional express. It terminated in Cannes, which was far from my final destination.

The upside? It was a leisurely, scenic stroll past some of the most beautiful beaches on the French Riviera (Juan-les-Pins, Baie Juan, Antibes). A helpful French lady told me to get off at the Cannes station and wait for the next TER which would arrive in 10 minutes. It was later than the one I had a ticket for but there was no attendant on board so it was smooth sailing.

this seat; special seat; seat

Standard class seats are arranged in a 2-2 single-aisle configuration and are covered in blue fabric. They are comfortable enough for this relatively short journey. I sat in one of the four-passenger seats, facing one other passenger. There are overhead racks for small to medium-sized luggage.

luggage

The train was in chaos. Passengers were rushing onto the train, cramming their large luggage onto the seats and aisles. I had a hard time squeezing myself, my suitcase, and my handbag into a seat facing another passenger, but somehow we managed to squeeze through.

Food + Drinks

I thought there would be delicious French drinks and snacks available for purchase, but I didn’t bring any. Tough luck. TER (unlike TGV) trains do not have onboard catering, so when we arrived in Marseille, I was hungry and thirsty. There are many supply stations within the station, including Paul, Carl’s Jr, EXKi and Go Johnny Go.