Pairs often confused
TGV or TER in French?
The TGV goes far and fast, by reservation; the TER goes near, stops often, and is taken without booking.
Why
Both are SNCF trains, and that is where the resemblance ends. The TGV links major cities, with a numbered seat and a price that rises as departure nears. The TER serves a region, with no allocated seat, at a fixed fare: it is the everyday train, the one you take to work or study in the next town. On a station sign, the letter after « T » says it all.
TGV
TGV Paris-Marseille, 3 h 20, réservation obligatoire.
TGV Paris to Marseille, 3 h 20, reservation required.
TER
TER Lyon-Vienne, 20 minutes, sans réservation.
Regional train (TER) Lyon to Vienne, 20 minutes, no reservation.