I was excited to ride on my first TGV, the high-speed train service in France to neighboring countries. The surrounding international cities are close enough that taking the train rather than the plane was preferable. While I had been on the Shinkansen, Japan’s high-speed train service, the TGV was something new, and I was curious to see how it compared to Japan’s.

While most of the conventional high-speed trains now run up to 320-350 km/h (199-217 mile/h), the TGV retained the fastest train crown until overtaken by a Chinese high-speed railway in 2009.

My first impression of the TGV wasn’t stellar — it looked old and worn. This is the TGV POS model (an unfortunate name in English) that started service in 2006. TGV Lyria uses it from Paris to Switzerland.

My train isn’t the only one that suffered from worn and faded paint. Look at these other TGV models parked at the Gare de Lyon station. The condition of these trains is in stark contrast to Japan’s Shinkansen service — where the trains are clean and well-maintained.

I snapped this picture out the window as we left the station. It features the older, original, and angular TGV design next to the newer POS model.

We rode on the upper deck of a double-decker train. The view was fantastic, but understandably, the ceiling height was cramped.

The most attractive interior feature was the cafe car with food service. To the right is a kitchen and a stand-up eating area. The interior was clean, though the design of the cafe car and seating area seemed dated. Although the train has only been in service for about 15 years, it looks like something from another era.

On the plus side, the ride was fast and comfortable. The cafe car had a speedometer that registered over 300 km/h. For all my gripes, I wished we had a train service like this in the United States.

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