Sunday 11th December 2011 sees the opening of the Eastern Branch of the Rhin-Rhône TGV high-speed train, placing the Franche-Comté region even closer to London. Journey times from Paris are now just 2h05 to Besançon and 2h15 to Belfort-Montbéliard, substantially cutting their duration, and both towns have brand new eco-friendly TGV railway stations.

Franche-Comté is worth discovering. It shares a border with Switzerland so there’s a distinctly Swiss flavour to its cuisine, culture and architecture, with delicious local cheese and wine, a wealth of summer festivals and gorgeous timbered houses perched by flowing rivers and in traditional lakeside villages. The Jura mountains in this region are renowned for their cross-country skiing, hiking and nature trails, making them a great year-round destination.

More information and prices on rail tickets to the region are available from Rail Europe.