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A density of TGVs like nowhere else, plus the Paris termini, Alpine approach routes and freight traffic heavily concentrated on a few corridors.
6 locations listed
France is laid out like a star centred on Paris. That makes the capital's terminus stations the most productive locations in the country, while away from the TGV corridors services are often sparse. If you are looking for freight, you will find it at the marshalling hubs and in the Rhône valley.
SNCF handles photography more restrictively than most neighbouring railways. It is tolerated on platforms, but in the larger Paris stations security staff regularly ask what you are doing. Stay calm, explain your purpose and do not set up a tripod.
Because of the Vigipirate security level (France's national terrorism alert system), photography in stations is occasionally stopped even when there is no legal basis for it. A viewpoint on public road land outside the railway premises reliably gets round the problem.
Main stations with high train frequency and many operators. Ideal for beginners: platforms are publicly accessible, departure boards make traffic predictable and the haul is high.
Lyon Part-Dieu
Lyon
Part-Dieu is the only major French station where high-speed trains pass through in close succession instead of turning back. That makes it far more interesting photographically than any Parisian terminus – but it costs you reaction time and patience, because the station has been under rebuilding for years.
Marseille Saint-Charles
Marseille
Saint-Charles sits on a rise above Marseille and ends where the high-speed line meets the Mediterranean. For spotters it's above all one thing: the place in France with the best light – hard, clear and merciless in summer.
Paris Gare de Lyon
Paris
Gare de Lyon is the gateway to the south: the high-speed lines to Lyon, Marseille and Italy all start here, and at peak times the board shows one departure after another. The price is a terminus station with tight walkways, controlled access and huge crowds.
Paris Gare du Nord
Paris
No station in Europe moves more people. Gare du Nord bundles high-speed traffic to London, Brussels and Amsterdam, dense suburban services and regional traffic towards northern France – and seals off part of it behind border control, an area you can't reach as a spotter.
Strasbourg Gare Centrale
Strasbourg
Strasbourg is the only major French station where German and French traffic meet every day. On top of that there's an architecture found nowhere else: a historic station building completely enclosed in a glass shell.
Where the electrification system, operator or track gauge changes: locomotive changes, long dwell times and vehicles from two countries in the same yard.
Record every vehicle with location and time – and see what other spotters are reporting here right now.
See also
The vehicles you will come across in France are listed in the rolling stock database. You can find out who runs them in the railway operator database. And the guide Planning a spotting tour explains how to plan a tour properly.
