I tried getting around the French countryside without a car. Never again.

Article Summary:

• I planned on meeting my sister and brother-in-law at a chateau in the French countryside but my train and taxi plans went awry. 
• My train experienced a delay due to a derailment up ahead. Then, I missed a connection, couldn’t find a taxi, and ended up walking two miles. 
• I now recommend that people always rent a car when they plan on exploring the French countryside.

A few years ago, my sister and brother-in-law came to visit me in France. They’re huge history buffs, so a visit to the D-Day beaches in Normandy was a must for them. 

I had to stay in Paris for some appointments, but I wanted to get away from the city for a few days. So, we decided to meet in the Loire on their return journey. 

There is a gorgeous country-house hotel there that a friend had raved about – the Château de Saint-Paterne. It looked like just the spot for a weekend getaway in June. 

The only problem? I couldn’t drive in France at this point. 

The Best-Laid Plans…

American licenses are only good for the first year of your visa. After that, you have to swap them for a French license or take the French driving test. I’d accidentally missed the deadline for swapping my license, and I wasn’t going to risk illegally driving a car.

“No problem,” I thought. And so I decided to take public transportation instead. Problem…

There were trains from the Gare Montparnasse in Paris with only one change at Le Mans. From there, I’d get a train right to the Saint Paterne train station. Then, a taxi I’d booked in advance would pick me up and take me right to the hotel.

I normally don’t like to travel with so many changes, but what could I do? It was either that, or, staying in Paris instead of meeting my family. 

Off to a Seemingly Great Start  

Getting around Paris via public transportation is generally pretty easy. Getting around the Gare Montparnasse train station is another story. The Métro subway system will take you right into the train station, yes. But the complex is so big that getting from the subway to the train can take 20 or 30 minutes.

I was on top of it, though! I left plenty of time to travel inside the train station and made it to the first train with time to spare. Everything was going according to plan…

Things Go Awry

About halfway to Le Mans, my train ground to a halt. I’d been using the time to listen to music and doze, but that halt woke me up with a start. I’d experienced more than one train failure when I lived in the UK, and so I braced for another one now.

There wasn’t a failure, exactly. There was just a derailment up ahead.

I had an hour for my change at Le Mans, a fairly small station, so I wasn’t worried. At first.

But as time passed, I realized: I was going to miss that second train. No other trains were running there that day. And I had no idea how to get to Saint Paterne without one.

Replanning en Route

The first thing I did was the easiest: canceling my Saint Paterne taxi. But getting to Saint Paterne from Le Mans wasn’t going to be easy. It’s a 41-minute drive, and I didn’t have nearly that much cash on me. Many rural taxis won’t take credit cards in France.

Luckily, I had fully charged my phone. I frantically searched for a train, any train, going anywhere in the vicinity of Saint Paterne.

Finally, just as my original train began to pick up speed again, I found a train with a stop just a few miles away from the château. I booked it as fast as I possibly could.

What I Thought Was the Final Hurdle

It was a miracle: I made the transfer to Le Mans with ease. And it was only a few stops to the tiny village where I’d be getting off. I’d even be arriving a little bit early—a huge bonus when I needed a nap more than I ever had in my life.

On that second train, I knew I had to find a taxi to take me from the station to the hotel. It was only about two miles, but I had a small weekend suitcase with me.

I looked up the village name + taxis; there were five companies in the village. Great! I started making my calls.

One by one, each “company” refused me. A French friend later told me that rural “companies” are actually individuals who serve as taxis in their free time. And I was calling over the lunch hour.

We arrived at the station. I got off the train. I had no taxi and I had to walk.

The Truly Final Hurdle

A two-mile walk isn’t usually an issue for me. I do it all the time in Paris. I hadn’t wanted to do it with luggage, but it didn’t seem like that big a deal. The path was a little bit winding but generally straightforward on Google Maps. No problem, right? Problem. 

The first problem came when I realized that Google Maps had instructed me to walk along the train tracks I’d just come in on. No sidewalk, no road, just train tracks.

I rerouted. This made the walk longer, but it would be worth it to avoid oncoming trains.

The new route seemed doable. I was on the shoulder of a country highway, but that wasn’t a big deal. Until, about a mile in, it turned into an overpass with clear “No Pedestrian” signage.  

I found a road circumventing the overpass, but it was gravel. My suitcase—canvas, a mistake I’ll never buy again—bumped along, but it was suffering. By the end of that trip, the bottom looked like it had been clawed up by a pack of rabid dogs.

A Happy Ending

I finally made it. Only an hour and a half later than I’d originally planned and almost twice the amount of time I’d thought it would take me! But, I made it. 

My sister and brother-in-law had already arrived and were wondering where I was. But, in the middle of the French countryside, my cell phone service had cut out.

I’d arrived in what was pretty much paradise: a small French castle with wonderful hosts and incredible food. My room had the most comfortable bed I’d ever slept in, as well as a small reading nook. There were extensive grounds to walk around, and a swimming pool, too.

Final Thoughts

Was using public transportation worth it on that trip? Yes — but just barely.

And now, I always recommend that travelers rent a car in France if they plan on visiting rural or far-flung destinations like I was doing in the Loire. 

This first-hand experience taught me exactly what can go wrong when only relying on public transportation to get around in France. All I know is that if my experience inspires others to make better plans, then the petty annoyances of my trip to the Loire have been worth it. 

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Thanks for reading! Next, check out my article on the places & things I avoid in Paris. Reading it could help you avoid even more transportation disasters!