Bookings open on summer trains between France and Italy

Bookings are open for summer tickets on high-speed trains between France and Italy, for travel between 4 July and 30 August 2020. These apply to the TGV's cool connection between Paris, Turin and Milan, with some Alpine and Piedmont prettiness en route.

The two capitals that top and toe this glorious train route need little introduction, with both Paris and Milan proffering plenty of summer treats for enthusiastic train travellers. You could start with one of our favourite music festivals in Paris, for example, We Love Green in June or Rock en Seine in August, after which you can head to the stunning spa town at Aix-les-Bains on Lake Bourget to recover for a couple of days, then rev up for the metropolitan chic of Milan to round off an epic summer break.

Aficionados of skiing in Italy will already be familiar with the Piedmont region, particularly around Bardonecchia which is on high-speed train route between France and Italy. Travelling with the fastest train, Bardonecchia is just 4 hours 30 minutes from Paris. During summer months you can still make the most of its peaks and pistes on hiking trails, ancient mule tracks and spruce forests that take you to elevations between 1,300-3,500m including the Val Fredda, the Monte delle Tre Croci and the Col del Sommeiller. There are plenty of local mountain guides in Bardonnechia.

Further down the train line is Turin, which is the capital of the Piedmont region and also gateway to Italy's Gran Paradiso National Park. Most definitely a natural paradise, it boasts over 700kilometers of hiking trails. You can fill your boots too at the city's superb and seminal slow food scene. Foodies are also recommended taking a 14 minutes train trip to Villastellone at the end of July when the town hosts their famous local food festival Sagra dello Spiedino. All in all, this high-speed route between Paris and Milan has a feast of cultural and natural treats en-route.

Image credits top to bottom: Italian street scene with flags iStock ©lisaoberholzer, Turin, San Carlo Square - iStock ©Alessandro Cristiano, Gran Paradiso National Park iStock ©Orlettagaspari

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