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From Times Online

April 11, 2008

Ask our expert: getting between France and northern Italy

Dorothy Haik wants to get from Poitiers to northern Italy but can't find a direct right train or flight

Alan Heywood

We have bought a house near Poitiers in France, and from there we would like to visit north Italy. We would prefer not to drive, but have not been able to find a reasonable alternative. Do you know of any budget airlines who fly from Poitiers to Milan or Brescia? Also, what is the best way to make use of the train system in France and Italy? If we want to take the TGV, I think we have to "backtrack" to Paris and go to Milan from there. I would be grateful for your comments. Dorothy Haik, Dungannon, Co Tyrone

Assistant Travel Editor Times Online, Ginny McGrath, responds: Your option for flights between Poitiers and Milan are limited. You can fly with French regional carrier Airlinair and Air France via Lyon, but return fares can top £500 per person, depending on when you fly. Alternatively you can fly for nearer £200 return with Air France from Limoges (about 80 miles from Poitiers) via Paris to Milan.

To get between Poitiers and Brescia, the only way is to go via Stansted with Ryanair, but the flight times mean you'll spend the night at Stansted because the Poitiers flight arrives in the evening and the Brescia flight doesn't leave until close to midday. To take a connecting flight over such a short distance seems illogical, so it would be wise to look into the train options. For these, I've asked our rail expert Alan Heywood to advise:

At its best, the French rail system is brilliant. Starting in the early eighties, the famous TGV high speed trains have gradually taken over most of the long distance routes radiating from Paris so that it is now possible to travel from the capital to, say, Marseille on the Mediterranean coast (469 miles or 750 kms) in a little over three hours. There has been massive investment and, in the UK, only the new high speed line from St. Pancras to the Channel Tunnel is in the same league.

At the other end of the scale, however, the secondary cross country services are abysmal - usually infrequent and often slow, they have more in common with the mid 20th century than the early years of the 21st. So it doesn't surprise me when I find that you are quite right - it is quicker to head 200 miles in the wrong direction to Paris than it is to go cross country to Lyon and Chambéry to pick up a train for Italy.

For the record, you currently have two choices of trains via Paris depending on the time of day you wish to arrive in Milan.

The first involves leaving Poitiers by TGV at 0506, arriving Paris Montparnasse at 0650. You then take the 0742 TGV from Paris Lyon (note the change of stations) arriving Milano Centrale at 1450. Your second choice has a more civilised departure at 0948 but doesn't arrive in Milan until 2120.

Just for fun (except that it wouldn't be fun at all!), I tried to go cross country. Take a deep breath - depart Poitiers at 0538 (Mondays to Fridays only) to Limoges arriving 0750. Then 0805 to St. Germain des Fosses arriving 1121 and 1139 from there to Lyon Part Dieu (arrive 1328). You haven't eaten or even had a drink yet, by the way. None of the trains so far have any buffet facilities.

So take an hour or so here for lunch and then catch the 1441 to Chambéry, arriving 1559. Finally you meet up with the TGV from Paris (due Chambéry at 1711) and reach Milan at 2120. You could of course have achieved this leaving Poitiers four hours later via Paris.

This story is quite an object lesson for those who are only too keen to criticise our rail system in the UK. True we have very little to match the TGV but the cross country services are excellent by comparison with a train every hour (or even half hourly) on many routes.

For point to point tickets in France and international rail journeys from France try any rail specialist agency or contact www.raileurope.co.uk

Alan Heywood is a director at rail specialists, Ffestiniog Travel

Got a question for Alan? Email us at yoursay@timesonline.co.uk

Hi Alan,

My wife & I are travelling to New Orleans in June via Atlanta. We will be spending 2 nights in the city one of which is our wedding anniversary. I would like to surprise my wife with dinner at a fine dinning restaurant; can you recommend somewhere?

Many thanks,

Gav

Gavin Schmidt, London,