The SNCF and Ouigo open this Wednesday, January 25 the sale of their train tickets for the spring holidays and the bridges of the month of May. For families, it’s time to take advantage of the best prices to plan the next vacation.
[Mise à jour du 25 janvier à 15h02] The sale of SNCF and Ouigo train tickets for spring holidays and long weekends in May opened this Wednesday, January 25 from 6 am! Thousands of train tickets to France and neighboring countries are available for sale at preferential prices. Travelers can pre-book their train journeys from Monday, March 27, 2023 to Wednesday, May 31, 2023 for journeys by TGV INOUI and Intercitésand until Friday July 7, 2023 inclusive for OUIGO routes. Families who want to organize their next vacation for spring can now book their train tickets online in advance. If parents want to stick to the dates of the school holiday calendar, they can start from April 8 until May 9 depending on the academic zones. If you prefer to take advantage of a long weekend, know that this year you have the 1st and 8th May bank holidays which fall on a Monday, without forgetting the Easter weekend (Monday 10th April), Pentecost (Monday 29th May ) and the Ascension Bridge (Thursday May 18). The train remains a means of transport that is often less restrictive, faster, compared to a journey by car or plane, and sometimes even cheaper when you book it in advance. Here is our tips for buying cheap train ticketsas well as information about the increase in SNCF fares in 2023.
Which train tickets will increase in price in 2023?
SNCF Voyageurs has announced, with regard to inflation in 2022, that part of its costs will be passed on to prices of certain TGV tickets and Intercités tickets for 2023. An average increase of 5% has been effective since January 10, 2023. The following are concerned:
- Rates offered to companies (Business Première and Liberté tickets)
- Max Active subscriptions and plans
- The maximum tiers of TGV leisure tickets in 1st and 2nd class
Intercity train journeys may also be subject to the price increase if the government approves the measure.
When to take your train ticket to pay less?
To get train tickets at the best price, you must book as soon as possible. It is from the opening of ticket sales that we can hope to have the best prices. The model is simple, it is based on supply and demand. Thus, as the tickets are sold, the prices of the last places on board the trains will increase, in particular for example at the time of the weekend of departure for the school holidays. So if you want to be sure to have your ticket at the right price, it is better to buy it in advance. You can always exchange it if the dates no longer suit you. For TGV INOUI, ticket exchanges and refunds are free, up to three days before departure.
Besides booking in advance, you can benefit from the advantages of an SNCF subscription, such as the Carte Avantage. For 49 euros a year, it provides 30% reduction on TGV and Intercités for the holder and an accompanying person, and up to 60% for accompanying children. In addition, ticket prices are capped with this subscription, depending on the distance of the journey: less than 1h30 = 39 euros max, between 1h30 and 3h = 59 euros max, and for your journeys of more than 3h = 79 euros max. In addition, this type of subscription is often discounted at less than 50% just before the start of the school year and sometimes even during Black Friday. It’s always a saving to take!
What is the cheapest day to buy a ticket?
To pay less for your ticket, you need to know be flexible on the day and time we choose for our trip. Indeed, the price of a train ticket can easily double if you leave in the afternoon around 4 p.m., at the end of the day, or on Friday before the weekend. These times correspond to peak hours (return from work, school, etc.), they are more popular than the others. In general, trains that depart very early in the morning, very late or in the middle of the night are often cheaper. Knowing this, it is better prefer to leave by train one day in the middle of the week, in the morning or in the evening. Also on weekends, Saturday morning is often the best time to go.
Bus tickets under 20 euros
Always in the idea of saving money, you can opt for bus tickets. By taking them in advance, they are much cheaper than train tickets. Even if the journey time is often longer than by train, the prices are sometimes unbeatable. On the site Flixbus for example, bus ticket prices start from 2.99 euros.
What is the date of the sale of tickets for the winter holidays?
The sale of TGV INOUI and Intercités train tickets for the winter holidays has been open since November 9, 2022. The sale of Ouigo tickets for the winter period is also available. A sale eagerly awaited by families, especially those who have already planned their next ski holiday. Small novelty this year, faced with the number of requests, the SNCF has decided to strengthen its offer in certain regions, in particular on the Intercités Nantes-Lyon line, where the frequency of trains will increase in the coming months. Twelve new Ouigo destinations will also be open including Brest, La Rochelle and Perpignan.