As I mentioned in my post last year about Ouigo, the low-cost TGV service is an incredible deal, given that it whisks you from the Paris region to popular southern destinations (Avignon, Aix en Provence, Marseille, Lyon) in just a couple of hours. If you’re already sold on the idea, go snag your tickets now on Ouigo.com while the promotional rate is still available.

However, there are a few things to keep in mind, as Ouigo isn’t a perfect solution for everyone.

Ouigo provides train service from the Paris region to Aix en Provence, Avignon, Lyon, Marseille, Montpellier, Nimes and Valence.

Pros:

• Astonishingly cheap! Ouigo provides high-speed TGV train service at a fraction of the cost of a normal TGV train. Even once these 100,000 promotional €10 seats are gone, the seats are still cheaper than on the TGV.

• Fast! Ouigo gets you there just as quickly as the higher-cost TGV.

• Convenient booking. Book it all online now, print off your tickets, and voila! You’re done. The booking portion of the website is available in English (although, maddeningly, most of the terms and conditions are only available in French).

A search this morning turns up €10 tickets for June travel to Avignon.

Cons:

• Not in Paris. Ouigo does not serve Paris proper, but instead serves Marne la Vallée (home to Disneyland Paris), which is 40 minutes from the center of Paris by RER A (according to the SNCF website). However, this trip could take you longer, depending on your starting location. You can hop on the RER A line in central Paris at the following Metro stations: La Défense, Charles de Gaulle Etoile, Auber, Chatelet les Halles, Gare de Lyon, Nation. (Check out this handy little map of the RER trip.)

• Limited luggage. Your Ouigo ticket includes one suitcase and one piece of hand luggage for free. You can bring more, but you’ll have to pay an extra charge for it. (Note: If you plan to bring extra luggage, save by pre-booking it. €5 per suitcase if you book it when you buy your ticket, €20 if you show up without pre-booking it. More info)

• No seat selection. Unlike on the normal TGV, Ouigo only guarantees that you will have a seat, it doesn’t let you choose your actual seat in advance. Parties that book their reservations on the same ticket (couples, families, groups of friends) will be given some assistance in finding groups of seats together. (Read more about this — in French.)

• Nonrefundable. Once you buy your ticket, you cannot cancel it or get a refund.

• Pay-to-exchange policy. You can change your ticket up to four hours before the train, however it costs €10 to change by internet, or €20 to change by phone. (Read more about exchange conditions — in French.)

• Online only. To buy tickets, you must go to Ouigo.com or use the Ouigo app. You cannot purchase these tickets in the train stations or ticket offices.

More information

Is it a good deal? We think so, as long as you’re willing to take the RER trip out to Marne la Vallée and are flexible about seating selection. If so, you can speed to your southern destinations (or from your southern destinations up to the Paris region) for almost nothing.

For more information and to book tickets, visit the Ouigo website (available in French and English).

The post Flash: €10 Ouigo TGV tickets now on sale for summer travel appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

Today I’m posting some “postcards” from the first week of the trip.

1. Vélib’ at work (above).

The good news: Vélib’, the city’s bike-share program, seems to be a smashing success. Bike stations are everywhere in the city, with new pick-up (and drop-off) stations being added frequently. The bad news: I didn’t get to try it out. I will next time, I promise.

I took this photo of my room while brushing my teeth.

2. Hotel “Jeanne Dark”

We’ve recommended the Hotel Jeanne d’Arc in the Marais since the site launched in 2001. We’ve never had any complaints–it’s a cute guesthouse with a “country” touch and reasonable rates. When I stayed on July 25 with my parents, however, the hotel experienced a very unusual power outage. The rooms at the Jeanne D’Arc were without electricity all evening and night, meaning that teeth were brushed and faces washed by the lights from cell-phone screens, watches, and laptops. At 2:45 AM, POOF!, the juice came back on, and those of us with the switches flipped the wrong way experienced a bright, unscheduled wake-up call.

The fish are first presented.

3. Bouillabaisse in Marseille’s Old Port

We took the TGV south to Nimes, and then rented a car and made day-trips around Provence. One of those trips was to Marseille, where we feasted on fresh fish at a restaurant along the (very active) port. Above, the waiter presents the fish before “preparing” them for the bouillabaisse.

The Roman Arena in Arles is still in use.

4. The Roman Arena in Arles

Lovely Arles, in the heart of Provence, was colonized by the Romans in about 125 BC. Many important sites from those Roman days can be visited today and are a major tourist draw. The most popular of these is the town’s gorgeous Roman Arena, built in 1 BC, and still used today for bullfights.

A steep climb up to “la Cité” in Carcassonne

5. Carcassonne’s “La Cite” is worth the hike

Heading west from Nimes, we drove through Montpellier and to the walled Medieval city of Carcassonne. We spent the night at the chic (and affordable) Maison Costes B&B in the town center, but dined in “la Cite,” the town’s famous walled fortress. From the city’s center, the hike isn’t very far, but it’s a steep one. And if you take advantage of the region’s delicious wines over dinner, the walk back—downhill—can be tricky!

Coming next week: Photos from week two!

The post Postcards from France: First week on the road appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.