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France's SNCF Is Launching a New Fleet of Fast, Ultra-Chic Trains

All aboard for Toulouse and Bordeaux from Paris.
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Courtesy SNCF

The grande buzz in French train news last week may have been about the plans to run rails through the Chanel perfume fields where the fashion house grows roses and jasmine for its beloved No.5 fragrance. But this week, it’s all about the new high-speed trains that launched on Sunday, December 11, connecting Paris’s Montparnasse station with two southwest France destinations that are both foodie favorites: Toulouse, known as the home of duck confit and cassoulet, and the wine-lovers' paradise that is Bordeaux.

The new TGV Océane, which comes to us from the French National Railroad (SNCF), travel at upwards of 199 miles an hour. That maximum running speed is about 20 percent faster than that of the previous generation of trains, the TGV Atlantique, which first launched almost three decades ago. Trips from Paris to Bordeaux will now take you just over two hours, instead of three and a quarter, with those to Toulouse coming in slightly over four, down from nearly five and a half.

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It’s not just higher speeds that differentiate the Océane and improve upon its predecessors, though. The 556-passenger double-decker trains have power plugs and USB ports at every seat and wider tray tables in the second-class cabins, while those sitting in first will also find reading lights, coat hangers, mirrors, and luggage space under each seat, which are upholstered in leather and wool. Nearly all of the seats can also rotate 180 degrees, so you can always ride in the direction of travel (key for those of us who easily develop motion sickness).

Passengers who come aboard with tiny ones will also find new changing-table setups for when they’re on diaper duty, and accessibility has also improved for those who use wheelchairs or are limited in their mobility. On-board screens give info on the trip’s status—especially helpful in case of delays or other disruptions—and there’s an information desk, too, for folks who’d rather get their travel intel from a real live human being.

Come July, when 17 Océane trains will be in service on the completed Tours-Bordeaux line, up from the four that just launched, all the cars will also be equipped with 4G Wi-Fi, making it that much easier to upload those Snaps and Instagram Stories right from your swiveling seat.