Discovering the BEST Historic Trains in the South of France with @TourismeenOccitanie

Bonjour à tous!

Welcome to this new video! A few months ago, @TourismeenOccitanie asked me to discover their wonderful region thanks to their brand new “Occitanie Rail Tour Pass,” which allows you to travel unlimited in the region for only 10€ a day. Considering the vast size of the region, this is one hell of a good bargain!

Here’s a link for the Occitanie Rail Tour Pass : https://www.visit-occitanie.com/en/rail-tour/

This video was recorded with a different recording and editing style. It was fully recorded and edited by Alexis Calvignac more on : https://www.instagram.com/alexiscalvignac/ and @HOURRAIL @globetolter

Enjoy, and don’t forget to like/leave a comment to help the channel 🙂

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00:00 : Intro
00:42 : The Occitanie region
01:32 : A region accessible by train
02:10 : The Occitanie Rail Tour Pass
02:51 : So much more than trains…
03:18 : My adventures in the region
06:19 : The oldest TER in France – Le Train Jaune
08:34 : The Steam Train of the Cevennes
10:30 : Outro

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Hi folks, Thibault here and welcome to Paris Gare de Lyon for a new adventure on the rails! Today, I’m doing something slightly different from the classic format. This week, we are traveling to the South of France, to the Occitanie Region, and guess what? We will discover this region almost exclusively by train, thanks to the new Occitanie Rail Tour Pass. This pass will take us to two of the most unique trains in France: Le Train Jaune and the Steam Train of les Cevennes. But we’ll get to that in a second. Let’s go! Located in the south of France, the Occitanie region spans over seventy thousands square kilometers and comprises 13 departments with nearly 6 million inhabitants. With a perfect balance between the Mediterranean seaside and the Pyrenees mountains, the Occitanie is known for its vibrant and diverse areas, rich in history, culture, and natural beauty. But is it accessible by train? Of course it is, and you’ll have plenty of choices! You can take the high-speed train, TGV Inoui and Ouigo, from Paris Gare de Lyon to Nîmes, Montpellier, Agde, Narbonne or Perpignan. You can also take the high-speed train from Paris Montparnasse with direct TGV Inoui and Ouigo services to Toulouse. The Occitanie region is also one of the best in France for night trains. My favorite! Five different night trains connect the region to Paris. You can travel from Tarbes, Aurillac, Rodez, Nîmes, Toulouse or Latour-de-Carol by night trains. We actually gathered over 30 itineraries on hourrail.voyage for you to reach the region easily. But once you get to Occitanie, what’s the best way to get around? Let me tell you about the Occitanie Rail Tour… The Occitanie Rail Tour Pass is a ticket that gives you unlimited travel within the region for only 10€ a day per person. You’ll have access to any regional trains (TER) without any reservations, just hop on and hop off where you want. Considering the vast size and diverse landscapes of the Occitanie region, this pass is perfect for exploring different areas without damaging your carbon footprint or your wallet. And you know me, folks—I love showing you my adventures by train. By using the Occitanie Rail Tour Pass, I discovered so much, such as… … the fact I could overcome my fear of heights… the biggest bamboo forest in Europe … some bamboo forests… the mining past of the region… some of the prettiest French villages…… But of course, I will also talk about train since the Occitanie Rail Tour brought us to two of the most unique trains in France: the Train Jaune, which is the oldest regional train in the country…and the stunning Steam Train of the Cevennes. Our trip began in Anduze, where we visited the amazing Bambouseraie. This impressive bamboo forest, the largest in Europe, can be reached by train via Alès and by bus from Nîmes. The Bambouseraie is truly remarkable, with its unique natural beauty in the heart of the Cévennes. It even features dedicated areas inspired by Laos and Japan. The Bambouseraie is also accessible by train, as the steam train of the Cévennes stops right in the middle of the forest. But more on that later. While you’re in the area, don’t miss out on the stunning village of Anduze. It’s quintessential France at its finest! Next, we explored Alès, also known as the capital of the Cévennes. Here, we delved into the mining history of the region. Coming from the North of France, I was surprised to learn that this area was once very active in mining, like in the North. Alès served as our starting point for a journey toward the north of Occitanie, to a part of France I was unfamiliar with: the Lozère, a department located in the heart of the Cévennes. Visiting Lozère had been on my bucket list because I wanted to experience one of the most scenic train routes in France, the Cévennes line, and the mighty Cevenol. The views along this route were breathtaking, especially that moment on the bridge of Chamborigaud. We stopped in Villefort to explore its surroundings, including the beautiful Lake Villefort. We biked to the medieval village of La Garde Guérin, which is considered one of the most beautiful villages in France. It was an unforgettable experience to reach it by bike. During this trip, I overcame my fear of heights by doing some via ferrata above Lake Villefort. It was challenging, but I made it to the end, with the stunning views from the railway bridge providing some motivation for me. I particularly loved this part of France for its greenery and tranquility. If you enjoy nature, trains, and peace, this is the place for you. After our wonderful time in Lozère, we headed south toward the Pyrenees and the Spanish border to discover what is probably the most unique train in France starting in the small yet beautiful village of Villefranche Vernet les Bains… But more about that soon! Now that you know a bit more about some of the wonders of the Occitanie region, let’s get back to the topic you’re all waiting for : the historic trains! Before I delve deeper into the subject. I’d like to outline that these two touristic trains are not included in the Occitanie Rail Tour Pass and require you to buy additional tickets. The Train Jaune is one of the oldest trains still in service in France. It was inaugurated in 1910 by the Compagnie du Midi and has been operating without interruption ever since. It’s remarkable to think that these carriages were built before the First World War and still run daily between Latour-de-Carol, at the French-Spanish border, and Villefranche – Vernet – Les Bains. At both ends of the line, you can connect with regular TER services. In Villefranche, you can catch a TER service to Perpignan, and in Latour-de-Carol, you can connect to TER services heading to Toulouse or even to Barcelona with Rodalies de Catalunya. An interesting fact about Latour-de-Carol is that it’s the only station in France with three different track gauges: the Iberian gauge (1668mm), the standard gauge (1435mm), and the metric gauge for the Train Jaune. Additionally, the Train Jaune draws its power from a third rail, a system widely used in the previous century but still functioning perfectly today. It’s truly impressive how this train continues to operate so smoothly. The Train Jaune also holds the record for the highest SNCF station, with Bolquère – Eyne situated a fifteen hundred and ninety two meters. Scenery-wise, the Train Jaune is simply outstanding. The fact that you can open the windows makes the experience even more enjoyable, and you can also travel in one of the open carriages for an even more immersive experience. I will let you guess which carriage was my favorite! For the first part of the journey, the train climbs along the Tet Valley before reaching its highest point at Bolquère-Eyne. Once at the top, you can enjoy stunning views of the Pyrenees from the beautiful mountain plateau of Cerdagne. Here, you’ll discover green fields filled with cows and horses, charming villages, and snowy mountains in the background. My favorite moment was crossing the Cassagne’s Bridge, the last suspension rail bridge still in operation in France. It was breathtaking! This is the Steam Train of the Cévennes a beautiful touristic train located in the heart of the Cevennes, it links Saint-Jean-du-Gard and Anduze. This 13 km long line was abandoned in the 1970s when one of the last factories in the area closed. Since then, it has operated as a tourist train run by passionate individuals. We had the chance to visit their workshop, where they maintain their steam trains and repair engines for many other historic railway companies. Although I’m not the biggest fan of steam trains, seeing the workshop and their collection of trains was a true pleasure! Be aware that not all trips are operated by a steam train; some are hauled by a diesel engine, like this old SNCF engine. Once the steam engine was attached to the consist, we were invited to spend most of the trip in the cabin, and what a trip it was! I was impressed by the amount of work required to drive a steam engine. Our locomotive was a German steam engine built in 1937. The train travels along the Gardon Valley and through the Rochers d’Anduze which are considered the Gate of the Cévennes. The views are truly breathtaking, especially the moment when I was hanging out the door of the steam engine with the blue water just below me and the train behind me. I will never forget that experience. One of the coolest things about this train is that you can get on and off at the Bambouseraie, as they have a dedicated stop just above the forest. I highly suggest combining your trip on the steam train with a visit to the Bambouseraie. [Music] all right folks that’s it for today’s video. It was a bit different from the usual format but I hope you enjoyed it if you’re considering a trip to France and the Occitanie region I highly suggest you to take the Occitanie Rail Tour pass which is the best way to discover as this beautiful region I will link something in the description to know more about this pass in the meantime I will see you next week for another adventure on the rails [Music]