On January 22, SNCF’s booking service opened for rail travel in spring – a period which not only includes the Easter school holidays, but also two long weekends at the start of May.
As well as jostling for a seat, would-be travellers will have to contend with a fare hike unveiled by SNCF at the start of the year. It came into effect on January 8 and amounts to paying an extra 1.5% on average for TGV Inoui and Ouigo trains.
Those looking to bag an affordable fare could benefit from the following suggestions…
Choose the low-cost train
Before you book a ticket on France’s high-speed TGV, check if its low-budget cousin, the Ouigo, goes to your destination.
Ouigo trains have one class (second) but tickets start from as little as €10 for adults and €5 for children.
Regional Intercités and TER trains are also worth investigating – they cost 30% less than the TGV.
Book in advance
Booking in advance will generally ensure you secure cheaper tickets. Rail operator SNCF urges passengers to “get into the habit of checking the openings of ticket sales to benefit from the best prices”.
Tickets become available on average three months before the date of travel.
Read more: New way for travellers to show identity now accepted on some French trains
Note the ticket release period
SNCF organises 'release dates' for specific periods, usually the summer, winter, Christmas and autumn holidays. They are announced well in advance, so people can get the date in the diary to buy their tickets as early as possible. And usually the earlier you book, the cheaper the ticket.
The release date for spring was in January. Other holiday periods are usually:
- Christmas holiday tickets - released in October
- Winter holiday (February) tickets - November
- Summer holiday (June-August) tickets - March
- Autumn holiday (October) tickets - June
Set up low-fare alerts
SNCF has a reminder tool allowing you to input your dates of travel and be notified as soon as tickets are available.
You can also set an alert for low-price tickets and receive a message when the tickets are on sale.
Learn how to set up SNCF ticket alerts.
Buy a railcard
Frequent travellers can make decent savings if they buy a railcard.
If you can, wait until there are special offers to buy your railcard. There are regular promotions that could give a sizeable discount.
There are several railcard options available from SNCF. They include:
Carte Avantage: This is available in adult (27-59 years old), young person (12-27) and senior (60-plus) versions and costs €49.
It offers discounts on TGV InOui and Intercités.
It gives users capped prices on second-class seats, as well as 30% off trips, 60% off tickets for up to three children travelling with you, and free ticket exchanges and refunds up to seven days before departure.
SNCF says the card pays for itself after one return trip.
Carte Liberté: Designed for frequent travellers, the Carte Liberté (€399) gives users 45% off Business Première class, discounts on first and second class tickets and the ability to exchange tickets up to 30 minutes after a train has departed.
Max Jeune/Max Senior: These young persons (16-27) and senior (60-plus) railcards are designed for travellers who can be flexible and do not necessarily need to book in advance.
For €79 per month, it gives travellers access to €0 tickets, free cancellation up to departure, up to six advance bookings (the rest of the journeys you cannot book in advance), and 30% off tickets in first and second class if there are no €0 tickets available.
Compare cards and season tickets using SNCF Connect website.
Read more: SNCF looks to introduce new luxury first class on some TGVs
Buy an Interrail pass
If you are travelling beyond France, an Interrail pass could be a good investment. The Interrail Global Pass can be used in 33 countries and, unlike its ‘gap year’ image, can be used by people of all ages.
You can customise your pass, choosing the number of countries, start date and duration (from four days to six months). Up to two children under the age of 12 go free when accompanied by an adult.
Check for flash sales
French train operators regularly offer discounts and flash sales, so it is worth following Ouigo, TGV and SNCF on social media, or signing up to the SNCF newsletter, to see all the latest offers.
Big promotions tend to come ahead of holiday periods eg. the summer or Christmas breaks.
SNCF also regularly has Black Friday offers in late November.
Use your annual discount
Residents of France are entitled to a 25% reduction on a return trip of over 200km for their holidays, known as the billet de congé annuel. The offer is valid on TGV, TER and Intercités trains.
It must be used during traditional holiday periods.
The offer can also be used by your partner, children or parents if you are single if you are travelling together.
Travel as a children’s chaperone
Passengers can travel for free or at a reduced rate if they offer to accompany children travelling alone. The website kidygo.fr connects parents looking for someone to watch their child while they are travelling by train, bus or plane with fellow passengers.
They will pay for part or all of your ticket in return for you accompanying their child.
Avoid buying a ticket on the train
Do not buy your ticket on board the train unless it is an absolute emergency. If you do, you will be charged €10 more than the ticket price for a journey of 25km and €60 more than the ticket price for a trip of over 151km.
Travel as a group
SNCF offers discounts on train journeys on TGV InOui, Intercités, and TER trains to select destinations for groups of at least 10 people. So if a big group of you are travelling, book the tickets together to get a discount.
