 Yes, you really can speed from Paris to Provence on a sleek French TGV in less than three hours. But exploring Europe by train is not just about getting from A to B.
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The world’s best skiers head to Austria this weekend to compete in the opening fixture of the International Ski Federation’s World Cup. How about heading to Europe’s best slopes by train see the experts in action?
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 The Black Forest, Bavaria and the Brandenburg Gate all got a little bit closer on Tuesday, when a high speed ICE (Inter City Express) train pulled into London St Pancras station.
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 Every so often we like to give the hard working staff in the Rail Europe call centre a couple of days away from the phones to get a taste of some of the trains and destinations they spend their days selling tickets to.
The latest educational trip saw 8 lucky people make their way down to Biarritz in France. Rail Europe colleague Norman Munro was kind enough to tell us all about it:
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 Galloping gourmands looking for a quick getaway by rail this November are positively spoilt for choice. Whether you fancy wine tasting in the former Yugoslavia or olive-picking in the beautiful Italian countryside, this hat-trick of holiday ideas is sure to set your mouth watering.
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 Undoubtedly one of Europe’s most beautiful cities, the historic Czech capital is a great destination for an extended break at any time of year, but particularly special in the winter months.
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 Get the most time on the slopes and enjoy a hassle-free journey that's greener than going by air. Many overnight trains take you right to the heart of your ski resort, delivering you to the slopes as the lifts open - with no irksome waits at check-in or airport transfers eating into your snow-time.
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 If you’re thinking of taking a high speed TGV Lyria service to Geneva this December, there are now two more reasons to go ahead and book your ticket.
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 Be sure to put on your pyjamas and get to bed nice and early tonight. In case you’d forgotten – fat chance! – 5am tomorrow (13th October) is the date when most European train operators finally open up their winter schedules for booking.
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Now is the time to get planning for the Christmas period. Eurostar tickets for the New Year are already on sale, but 13 October is the day that bookings open for many onward journeys across France. From 05.00 on that Wednesday morning, you can book tickets on French TGV, Téoz, Lunea and Intercité services as well as on Elipsos trains (to Spain), Lyria (to Switzerland) and Artesia (to Italy) – all for travel from 12 December.
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