Do you want to travel by train at the best price? We have developed tools to make your search easier. Follow our tips and advice to find the best deals effortlessly. Here’s how it works.
Book a train ticket
Book a train ticket
Book tickets in advance
To find tickets at the best fares, we advise you to think ahead and plan your journey. Log in as soon as tickets become available online. Most tickets go on sale 4 months before the travel date, but this can vary depending on the period and the carrier.
For journeys to Europe, book your train tickets in advance to secure the lowest fares:
- To London, with Eurostar: book up to 11 months in advance
- To Spain and Italy with TGV INOUI, and Switzerland with TGV Lyria: book up to 6 months in advance
- To the Netherlands and Germany with Eurostar: book up to 4 months in advance
Booking alerts
If you search for a particular route and see that not all train tickets are available to purchase, you can set up a booking alert. When your train becomes available, you will be notified as soon as possible by email and/or notification.
Ticket release periods: 4 times a year
For key times of year, such as the summer, winter and Christmas holidays, we organise ticket release periods, which are always announced well in advance so that you can prepare your trips ahead and travel at the best fares.
Generally, the Christmas ticket release period starts in October, the winter holiday one in November, the summer holiday one in March and the autumn holiday one in June.
To make sure you don’t miss out, a reminder tool is made available in the run-up to a ticket release period so that you can add the date on which tickets go online to your diary.
>> Detailed information about our ticket release periods
And if you change your mind, rest assured: all tickets are exchangeable and refundable free of charge up to 7 days before departure on TGV INOUI in France and abroad, and on INTERCITÉS (excluding Lyria, Eurostar and OUIGO).
Low fare alerts
You can create a low fare alert on the SNCF Connect website and app. This feature allows you to set up alerts on routes in order to receive a notification and/or email (depending on your choice) when tickets matching your travel preferences and budget are available for purchase.
How to create and activate an alert
On both the website and the app, you need to remember to log in to your customer account. Then fill in your preferred destination, your preferred dates and your budget. You can then find all the alerts you have created in your SNCF Connect account under ‘Available Ticket Alerts’ then ‘Low Fare Alerts’.
Add an option
If you’re unsure whether you’ll be travelling at all, if you want to compare fares or if you’re still discussing your trip with your travel companions, then adding an option to your ticket is the ideal solution.
This allows you to lock in your seats at a set fare for a given period of time. It is then up to you to decide whether you wish to finalise your order or not.
How does adding an option work?
Once you have completed your travel search, when it is time to pay, you can select ‘Place an option’. You then have the option of finalising your order later, before a particular deadline.
By that date, if you have not purchased the ticket, the option will be automatically cancelled and the ticket will go back on sale. To help you remember your option, an email will be sent to you just before it expires to prompt you to finalise your train ticket purchase.
Use a discount card
Whatever your travel profile, frequency and habits, there’s bound to be a discount card or season ticket available to allow you travel at reduced rates.
To help you navigate the various options, we’ve developed a tool that compares the different offers. Choose the offer best suited to your situation!
>> Compare cards and season tickets
The Avantage card: for discounted travel all year round
If you want to travel more and at lower fares, in France and Europe, then the Avantage card is for you! At a fixed price of €49 and with three profiles available (Young Person, Adult and Senior), it allows everyone to benefit from discounts all year round on TGV INOUI and INTERCITÉS trains:
- 30% discount for you and a companion
- 60% discount for children
- capped fares, even at the last minute depending on the length of your journey, on TGV INOUI and INTERCITÉS direct and 2nd class services (journeys of less than 1.5 hours: €39 max., journeys between 1.5 and 3 hrs: €59 max., journeys lasting more than 3 hours: €79 max.)
- 15% off services such as ‘Ma Location Avis’ car rental, ‘Mes Bagages’ luggage delivery, and on-board catering.
The Avantage card is also valid on TER trains, with discounts varying from region to region.
Good to know: your card pays for itself from your second journey (following one completed return trip). Also important: you can request that your card be activated up to 5 months after it is purchased.
>> All about the Avantage card
The Liberté card: for frequent travellers and business travellers
If you travel a lot, both for work and leisure, we recommend you buy the Liberté card, which offers guaranteed discounts all year round and fully flexible tickets.
MAX ACTIF: for remote workers
Do you travel several times a week, on the same route, all year round? If so, choose the MAX ACTIF season ticket. Ideal for remote workers who travel 2 or 3 times a week!
MAX JEUNE: for young people aged 16 to 27
A €79-a-month season ticket that allows you to travel as often as you like, outside peak periods. If you travel at least twice a month and are flexible, this is the solution for you!
MAX SENIOR: for the over 60s
Are you flexible and don’t need to plan your trips in advance? The MAX SENIOR season ticket gives you control over your budget, with unlimited travel for €79/month.
Take advantage of good train deals
Throughout the year, we offer a wide range of special offers and flash sales. To make sure you never miss out, visit our good deals page, which lists the best current offers for spur-of-the-moment holidays in France or Europe.
But the easiest way to stay informed about low fares is to subscribe to our newsletter!
Travel outside peak hours
If you’re flexible, consider travelling outside peak hours. It’s a good way to secure cheaper train tickets! This means avoiding travel in the morning between 7.30 am and 9.30 am, and in the evening between 5.30 pm and 7.30 pm.
Choose OUIGO
OUIGO is a low-cost train offer that enables you to travel to over 50 destinations in France starting at as little as €10 for adults.
One of the great things about OUIGO is that if you’re travelling as a family, children (under 12) travel at the fixed fare of €8 all year round! And children aged 0-3 can travel on a Toupti ticket, where they can sit on your lap free of charge! Transport of pushchairs (max. 2) is included in this offer.
There are also several options available to you for just a few euros more: seat selection, OUIGO PLUS, etc.
Select Prem’s tickets
Now exchangeable and refundable up to 7 days before departure, Prem’s tickets allow you to take advantage of attractive fares by booking your journey up to 4 months in advance: from €25 on TGV INOUI and €15 on INTERCITÉS daytime services.
Good to know: you can enjoy an additional 30% discount on your Prem’s tickets if you opt for an Avantage card.
Take advantage of the benefits associated with your ticket
Did you know that your train ticket can give you access to discounts on other services? You can receive:
- up to 15% off your car rental with ‘Ma Location Avis’
- preferential entry to national monuments, such as Mont Saint-Michel Abbey, simply by showing your INTERCITÉS train ticket (partnership with the Centre des Monuments Nationaux, covering around a hundred monuments in France). >> Discover a selection of these low-cost cultural offers
