transport

[CathH]

Can anyone tell me what the transport system is like in France?

We would like to move to the country but not having been allowed to drive I have to rely on the bus service.

cheers,

Catherine

[Poppy]

Transport in country areas of France is very poor. Check out the bus routes before you commit yourself to a property.

Jan

Lost in the Lot

PS Not being able to drive is why I'm lost in the Lot

[Nick Trollope]

[quote]Can anyone tell me what the transport system is like in France? We would like to move to the country but not having been allowed to drive I have to rely on the bus service.cheers,Catherine[/quote]

In Brittany at least, the buses are non-existant (we are on a "main" D road and there are none), the trains are excellent, fast and expensive & taxis are relatively cheap (but they keep the same hours as the bars...).

France is a nation of stay-at-home car drivers - if you have no independent transport, move to a town centre. Or become a hermit. Who doesn't eat. And drinks alot.

 

[Anton Redman]

Bus into city, Limoges 6:45 , bus back at 18:45 other wise nothing. If you choose rural location close to TGV or main rail link like Libourne to Bordeaux may be OK otherwise transport very poor / non existant 

[andyh4]

Just confimring what others have said.  We are in 07 on a major D road and the nearest bus stop is 9km away!

[zeb]

This reminds me of several visitors we had when we first moved to France, who we either collected from Limoges/Poitiers airports or from the TVG at Angouleme. We had advised them to hire cars but they all insisted that they would use public transport whilst staying with us even though we kept insisting that there isn't any (we are in rural 16). Being UK town and city dwellers, they couldn't get their heads around that and took no notice. In the end they all used our car for their daytrips (and as one set of visitors was a family of five it meant that we had to stay at home!!).

PS In some areas you are able to get on the school bus but you have to be prepared for an early start and a long, tedious journey! Having said that though, the train service from nearby towns which have one, are excellent. We are two hours from Paris and one hour from Bordeaux by TGV (which is 20 minutes away).

[Will]

It depends entirely where you are. Many, though by no means all, major towns have a bus, tram or metro service. Outside those, though, things can be very different. Here in Manche public transport is just about totally non-existent, whereas across the departmental borders Calvados has, by comparison, a pretty reasonable bus service and Orne has a few routes too. Mostly, smaller towns, even regional capitals, have very little transport.

Taxis, as mentioned, are a possibility, but you cannot guarantee getting one when you want to travel, even if you can pre-book well in advance. If you need to get to hospital or school then transport can usually be found - otherwise it's up to you.

As far as trains go, apart from the Paris suburban services and the TGV these are infrequent and can, in my experience, be unreliable. For instance, we have a house in a small town in England, a short walk from a railway station where there are 3-4 or more trains per hour to London throughout the day. Here in Northern France, it's a 40 minute drive to the nearest station, with a mere five trains to Paris on most days. The fact that the trains are always packed out shows that there is a demand, it's just that most of the regional councils, who are responsible for local and resgional transport policies, do not regard public transport as a priority.

[Val_2]

We have approx four buses per day in both directions between two local towns some 25miles apart. The first and last buses serve the kids going to the Lycée and workers at 7am and the last one back from town is at 6pm ending back at the town 25miles away ready for the repeat next day. There is only one company that serves the countryside round here, the town has regular buses. If you have no transport,then you don't want to live in insolated countryside I can tell you especially if you have medical problems or need to get to the bank and do your specialist shopping.

[CathH]

[quote]We have approx four buses per day in both directions between two local towns some 25miles apart. The first and last buses serve the kids going to the Lycée and workers at 7am and the last one back fro...[/quote]

Thanks all, a real quick reply and thanks for the person who made this website.

A lovely country but I certainly pity the French people who, like myself, are not able to learn to drive.

catherine

[Tourangelle]

Those that can't drive probably live in the city! Where I live (Lyon)there is a fantastic transport system, buses, trams, trolleys and metros, no problem getting around and it is not too expensive. I chose not to have a car although I can drive, simply because the transport is so good.

[KathyC]

If you live on the outskirts of many small French towns it can feel quite rural compared to the UK, but with many facilities within walking (or biking)distance in the town centre. You could then have a taxi for the occasional supermarket trip when necessary. This could be a good compromise solution for you. I used to live in rural Shropshire and there were virtually no bus services there either;it's the common situation in rural areas everywhere.

[Poppy]

KathyC you took the words right out of my mouth. I was just about to make a posting about a lovely small town near us called Prayssac. Houses on the outskirts are in the 'country' and the town has all amenities, including a bus service. Most facilities are much better than in the nearest large town Cahors. I'm sure there are similar small towns throughout France.

Dont want to digress but where did you live in Shropshire.

Jan

Lost in the Lot

[KathyC]

Hi Jan

We're just about to complete on a house on the outskirts of Mussidan in 24. It's not really picturesque (so few tourists - hooray!) but it's got everything you need within walking distance, with the bonus of a station with trains to Bordeaux and Perigeux within 5 minutes' walk.

When we lived in Shropshire we were in a hamlet between Craven Arms and Church Stretton - almost as rural as France. Buses - what were they?

Regards

Kathy

[Will]

One other thought. I don't know the reason for you not driving, but if it's just that you don't have a licence, you might consider a 'voiture sans permis', i.e. a microcar, which can be driven in France without a licence. They have two seats, a small engine and are rather slow and uncomfortable, but ideal for short trips into a nearby town.

[Poppy]

 Hello again Catherine - As I am lost in the Lot I have thought about a sans permis. They are more expensive than conventional motors but cost probably outweighs the benefit. it just depends on why you cant drive.

Have you decided which region of France you would like to live? Perhaps if you could let the Forum know members in that area could give you more detailed information. I'm sure somewhere in France that suits can be found.

Jan