Quote Originally Posted by Don Corleone View Post
Hello to all my Frontroom friends. Sorry for the cross-post with the backroom, but I know there's folks that visit one and not the other, and I need your help, in a hurry.....

So, I know NOTHING about train service in Europe. Zilch. Nada. Nyet.

And I have to find a way to get from Rennes to Bordeaux one night. I've heard trains are the way to go for such regional travel, but the TGV, the SCNF and the RailEurope sites all seem to want me to travel by way of Paris, which appears to add substantial time and distance. The first two have the unfortunate habit of reverting to French if the orgination and destination are both within France.

Any assistance tendered will be most graciously praised and appreciated, si vouz plait.

Also, as a native English, somewhat Spanish speaker with little to no French in my vocabulary, I'm terrified. Can somebody tell me how gauche it is to be seen carrying a phrasebook around? If I start now, do I have any hope of being 'presentable' in 2 weeks?

As I said, I'll be in Rennes and Bordeaux, not Paris directly (other than a brief change of planes in DeGaulles).

Thanks for the help/advice.

Merci.
Well though I'm not hunderd procent familiar with the French train system (I have only i-used it to go to Paris, but then again all railways lead to Paris in France). Well I can't say what line to take but I can have a check. You should use the normal train site, not the TGV or so site. As that is for international and big city travelling only. Are you going on a weekday or during the weekend? Usually there are fewer trains at the weekends.
Also of course a French will always like it if you can speak French. But if you don't they're usually very happy to help you if you try. Nobody knows every language perfect, but trying to talk it is always very postively accepted. Even if it remains with just a few words as merci beaucoup, or bonjour and stuff.
Of course it's hard to estimate if your presentable. It depens to who you present yourself too.