We go to France quite often, my wife being half that way inclined by birth.
I've often looked at great swathes of brand new TGV line sweeping across the country and wondered how they can do it. My theory is twofold. One, France is, compared to the UK, large and empty. There are fewer folks there to be annoyed when you want to bulldoze their houses. Two, it's a national psyche thing. The French are more willing to countenance massive national statements, such as TGV lines, than we are. I don't know if it's always been the same here, but we've got a much more selfish attitude to everything and "national interest" doesn't wash.
Mind you, I don't know which attitude is better.