France is a pretty expensive country. Like, not-encouraging-to-travel-and-enjoy as the cheap travel paradises we all know. Not budget-friendly.
Fortunately they do understand that lots of people are interested in travelling cheap, so there are ways to replace yourself inside the country, without paying a lot. You just have to know where to find them.
OUIGO
SNCF, the French railroad company, invented their daughter company, OUIGO. Why? To offer low cost train possibilities. For OUIGO they use the same kind of trains, which go approximately at the same speed. The trains depart from: Aix-en-Provence, Avignon, Lyon, Marne la Vallee (Paris/Disneyland), Marseille, Montpellier, Nimes and Valence. When booked at the right moment, it’s possible to score a ticket for 10 euro one way. On popular days, tickets can get more expensive. If they get a little too expensive to your taste and your travel dates aren’t flexible, you might consider one of the buses. It takes longer, but check below how interesting their prices are!
Click here for their website.
OUIBUS
I see them often passing by in my street, when the main highway tunnel underneath Lyon is closed again. OUIBUS is, like the OUIGO, an initiative of SNCF. They offer cheap bus rides inside France, but also international. OUIBUS is pretty new, so they are still expanding their list of destinations. An advantage? The buses are also new. There is wifi, electricity and you can slide the chair a little bit apart from your neighbour. For when you don’t feel like laying your head on a stranger’s shoulder when you fall asleep. Prices go from 5 €. The traject Amsterdam-Paris is 19 € for example.
Funny: I got a bag as a gift when I travelled with the OUIBUS.
Click here for their website.
Isilines
You probably all have heard of Eurolines, a cheap bus company that goes to lots of destinations inside of Europe? Meet his little sister. Isilines only operates inside of France, not international. You know, that’s how it works when being the little sister. ‘Isilines en France, Eurolines à l’international’ is written on the website. Prices go from 5 €. For 5 euro I can travel from Lyon to Paris, which is 305 km and takes approximately 4 hours and 30 minutes. Or for 9 €, I could go to Rennes at 848 km and a 12 hour drive. Not bad at all! Even the buses in Ecuador were more expensive. Also, they mention with every traject the km’s, the time it takes and carbon footprint.
Click here for their website.
BlaBlaCar
If you are a little more adventurous, or if you want to meet new people, you could go for this option. BlaBlaCar is a Dutch initiative, but it became very popular here in France. Probably because the country is bigger, it’s way more interesting to drive with someone for a traject that costs a lot of money if you go by train. The driver publishes his trip on the website and shows what he expects from you: a lot of talking/to keep quiet/(non-)smoking/animals/how much luggage you bring. You can respond and ask some questions, to be sure this trip fits your own needs. Then you subscribe to the trip and you make sure you show up on time. After the drive, you give the driver a code with which he gets paid. Or you make a deal about paying him/her in cash. Afterwards you can also review the driver. Did you like his (driving) style? Or was there something wrong, that might be important for other people to know in advance? It’s ideal if you prefer travelling by car and if you need some tips for the destination you are going. You might even score a place to sleep, as I’ve heard from foreign friends using BlaBlaCar, but it’s exceptional ofcourse.
Click here for the website.
Hitchhiking
If you have all the time of the world and if you are travelling with a travel companion, hitchhiking could be cool. I’ve done it one time myself in the Netherlands and I liked the experience. I’ve also used it here in France for little rides, from a camping to the beach for example. It’s interesting, you meet new people and you can exchange stories and travel advices. Be creative and open minded, you might find a ride that can get you closer to your destination, or perhaps you could just change destination? Make sure you have something to write your destination on, so that passing cardrivers can see where you want to go. But be careful! Don’t do this all alone, especially if you are a girl/woman.
Oh, those bus tickets are so budget they almost cause me to book one impulsively. Wait, why not? For 5 euro you can’t do nothing wrong. And exploring new cities is the best way to spend spare time. Dilemma, dilemma. Are you familiar with this feeling whenever you see budget travel opportunities?
