When in France, be sure to ride aboard the TGV which takes you around the country at 300km (186 mph) per hour. This was my first experience on a European high speed train! In this review, I will highlight the two different experiences one could have in first class and why the splurge could make sense.

Price

The best way to snag a cheap price on first class is booking far in advance. To upgrade from second class for my dates was about 20 euros more.

Train Overview

Both of my trips in first class were operated by SNCF. The train type was a double decker. Both times I almost missed my train; so I apologize for not getting a picture of the outside. My train departed from Paris Gare de Lyon which can be easily reached by the Metro.  The station was massive and easy to navigate.  SNCF also operates a lounge inside the station.  If this was a flight I would have missed it, but first class customers can show up any time before the train departs.  The train departing Paris was the new style and the one departing Nice was the older train.

First Car

The morning departure was not to busy. This car featured the four person table seats and 1×1 seats.

Each seat features a recline button.

A lamp is also present at every seat.

EU power outlets and a waste bin are available.

The table is larger than an airplane and makes getting work done easy.

The dining car was right across from the car my seat was located. I ordered breakfast for 6 euros and I was surprised. The yoghurt was terrible!

Lunch was ordered an hour before I arrived into Nice.  Bread was provided and the terrible yoghurt was served again. I forgot to take a picture of what was in the bowl but it was some kind of curry dish with chicken.

By the time I arrived in Nice my car was completely empty. Here are some pictures of the first class aboard this train.

There is plenty of luggage storage in first class.

Second Car

The departure from Nice was in the evening and the first class car I was seated in was full. I managed to get a few pictures.  Seating arrangement featured the same tables as the last car, but all other seats were in a 2-1 configuration. Dinner was also available for purchase. All the table seats were taken when I was doing my seat assignments online.

SNCF offers a website where you can track where the train and how far away the next stop is. On the website, you can order food at any time and it is always faster than ordering in person.

For dinner, I ordered Moroccan chicken tagine. I have no idea what chicken tagine is, it did not look appetizing but it tasted very good! The dinner also comes with your choice of drink and tiramisu. Just like the yoghurt in the morning, the tiramisu was awful. The cookie was ordered as an extra dessert, but it became my only dessert.

After dinner I was quite tired so I took the opportunity to get some needed sleep and woke up at the train station in Paris.

Final Thoughts

The journey from Paris to Nice takes about six hours, but the train makes a few stops in between. While I have no idea what second class is like in France, I enjoyed the experience in first class. I would definitely recommend that if you could get first class for a few more euros to splurge, but if it costs significantly more I would not bother. I thought food was going to be included but it was not. WiFI was included in first class and it was very fast. I was able to watch YouTube and the video quality was excellent. If I ever have a need to travel between cities in France again I will check to see if first class is available.