Soak up the sunlight this winter
Pack your bags for an escape to the sunnier, south-er side of France.
Imagine you and endless bowls of consommé, served up on the shores of Nice, Toulon, Marseille, or Montpellier. Okay, stop drooling and focus.
Plan your trip with the best of the French…
Domestic:
🚆 TGV INOUI and INTERCITÉS for all travel between 09/01 - 30/03, and select routes up until 04/07*
Cross border:
🚆 TGV INOUI ESPAÑA for travel between 31/03 - 04/07
🚆 TGV LYRIA for travel between 31/03 - 04/07
The earlier you book, the better.
(That consommé isn’t gonna consume itself!)
SNCF Winter Seat Release terms
*Tickets on sale from 13 November 2024 at 5am (GMT) for travel between 9 January 2025 and 30 March 2025 inclusive, for journeys with TGV INOUI or INTERCITÉS, in France and to a selection of destinations in Europe with TGV INOUI (France-Brussels, Paris-Fribourg, France-Luxembourg), subject to availability.
Tickets on sale from 13 November 2024 for travel between 9 January and 4 July 2025 inclusive on TGV INOUI between:
- Paris Gare de Lyon - Lyon Part-Dieu / Lyon Perrache (without connection) and including St Etienne-Châteaucreux in both directions,
- Paris Gare de Lyon - Marseille Saint Charles (without connection) including Nice Ville, Toulon and Hyères in both directions,
- Paris Gare de Lyon - Montpellier Sud de France / Montpellier Saint Roch (without connection) including Perpignan in both directions.
TGV INOUI tickets to Spain and TGV Lyria tickets to Switzerland on sale from 13 November 2024 for travel between 31 March and 4 July.
Tickets exchangeable and refundable free of charge up to 7 days before departure. From 6 days before departure, exchange or refund charges of €19 maximum on TGV INOUI and €15 maximum on INTERCITES (reservation required). From 30 minutes before departure, only one exchange possible and no refund possible after the exchange.
TGV INOUI, INTERCITÉS and TGV LYRIA are registered trademarks of SNCF Voyageurs. All reproduction rights reserved
French rail Christmas seats are now live
Time to start practising, “Joyeux Noël”.
Your holiday traditions are looking a little more… French!
Swap Christmas pud for bûche de Noël.
Send your wish-list to Père Noël, not Father Christmas.
Or even wait ‘til New Year’s Day to open your presents! (Okay, maybe not that one.)
Now you can book it all in and so much more with SNCF:
🎁 TGV INOUI, INTERCITÉS travel between 15th Dec – 8th Jan (1)
🎁 OUIGO travel between 15th Dec – 4th Jul (2)
🎁 Cross-border travel between 15th Dec – 30th Mar (3)
Merry booking!
Terms and conditions
TGV INOUI/IC:
(1) Tickets on sale from 02 October 2024 at 5am (BST) for travel between 15 December 2024 and 08 January 2025 inclusive, for travel in France. Tickets can be exchanged (only 1 exchange possible, no refund possible after exchange) and refunded free of charge up to 7 days before departure). From 6 days before departure, exchange or refund fees of €19 on TGV INOUI and €15 max for INTERCITES (reservation required). TGV - INTERCITES are registered trademarks of SNCF Voyageurs. All reproduction rights reserved.
OUIGO:
(2) Price (incl. VAT) from €16 for a single OUIGO journey, on certain days and on certain trains, to a selection of over 60 destinations in France, subject to availability of seats at this fare on eligible trains. Offer valid from 2 October 2024 at 5am (BST) to 4 July 2025 inclusive for journeys from 15 December 2024 to 4 July 2025 inclusive. Grenoble, Albertville, Aime-la-Plagne, Moûtiers and Bourg-Saint-Maurice stations will be served from 15 December 2024 to 23 March 2025. Perpignan, Sète, Agde, Béziers and Narbonne stations will be served from 24 March 2025. Reservations must be made at least 10 minutes before train departure. Tickets are non-refundable and can be exchanged under certain conditions. List of destinations : Aéroport Roissy Charles de Gaulle TGV ; Agde ; Agen ; Aime-La-Plagne ; Aix en Provence TGV ; Albertville ; Amiens (Gare TGV Haute Picardie); Angers Saint Laud ; Angoulême ; Antibes ; Auray ; Avignon TGV ; Béziers ; Blois; Bordeaux Saint-Jean ; Bourg-Saint-Maurice ; Brest ; Cannes ; Chartres ; Guingamp ; Grenoble ; Juvisy (Gare RER); La Rochelle ; Laval ; Les Aubrais (à 4km du centre d'Orléans) ; Le Mans ; Les Arcs-Draguignan ; Lille ; Lorient ; Lyon (Lyon Perrache, Lyon Part Dieu, Lyon Saint Exupéry Aéroport) ; Marne-la-Vallée Chessy ; Marseille ; Massy TGV ; Massy-Palaiseau (Gare RER C) ; Metz (Gare Lorraine TGV) ; Montauban ; Montpellier (Montpellier Saint-Roch, Montpellier Sud de France) ; Morlaix ; Moûtiers-Salins-Brides-les-Bains ; Nantes ; Narbonne ; Nice ; Nîmes ; Niort ; Paris (Paris Austerlitz, Paris Est, Paris Gare de Lyon, Paris Montparnasse) ; Perpignan ; Poitiers ; Quimper ; Rennes ; Saint-Brieuc ; SaintRaphaël Valescure ; Saumur ; Sète ; Strasbourg ; Surgères ; TGV Haute Picardie ; Toulon ; Toulouse ; Tourcoing ; Tours (Gare St Pierre des Corps) ; Valence TGV Rhône Alpes Sud ; Vannes ; Versailles Chantiers (Gare RER)
Cross-border:
(3) Excluding Eurostar tickets.
Looking for inspiration for your 2024 winter holiday? ❄⛄
Check out some of the most popular routes in France and start planning your trip away this winter. Book early to avoid disappointment and snap up the best fares!
Go skiing in France by train
Les Arcs, Chamonix or Alpe d'Huez, many ski resorts in France are accessible by train. Forget about traffic and the hassle of snow tires, jump on a train instead and make the most of your ski holiday.
Getting to a ski resort by train has never been easier thanks to the extensive rail network covering France and its exceptional ski areas. Check out the best mountain destinations that can be easily accessed by train below:
- Paris to Grenoble: you can get to Alpe d'Huez station thanks to the many shuttles departing from Grenoble station
- Paris to Briançon: you can easily reach the alpine area of Montgenèvre from Briançon station
- Paris to Annecy: shuttles leave regularly from Annecy station to take you to La Clusaz station in Haute-Savoie
- Paris to Lourdes: take the train to Lourdes to reach the Pyrénées.
Direct trains to French ski resorts map
Why take the train to go skiing?
There's no luggage limit on trains
You can travel with skis, snowboards and any other ski equipment without paying a fee.
*Additional pieces of luggage are free on TGV and Intercités trains.
Forget about traffic
Thanks to the train, you'll arrive rested at your destination, ready to put your skis on! No more traffic jams, bad weather on the road and the many hours to find a parking space.
Choose a greener mode of transport
Getting to a ski resort by train rather than driving or flying is a greener option. This year, do something good for the planet!
In need of some inspiration?
Our map below shows some of our most popular French rail routes and journey durations from Paris.
With SNCF, it's easy to travel by TGV, Intercités or OUIGO trains to some of the must-see destinations in France. Here's a simple explanation of the different services:
- TGV – these high-speed trains travel at over 300 km/h to connect the major cities in France like Paris, Bordeaux, Lyon and Marseille.
- Intercités – although these trains aren't high-speed, they provide rail connections to cities not served by the TGV network.
- OUIGO – these low-cost, high-speed trains are popular for long-distance journeys within France. Ideal for those wanting to keep travel costs low.
France is also well connected to Europe by rail via a number of different train companies – we're here to help make understanding it easy. We’ll get you across the Channel from the UK, via Eurostar, and around France for less. Plus, with our free app in your hand, all your tickets and timetables are in one place. For more information on train travel in France, check out our dedicated page to trains in France. Bon voyage!
Popular destinations
Ready to plan your next trip to France? Tap one of the most popular French destinations below for some useful travel tips.
Ticket sale by train company
Check out when the different companies in France and around Europe start releasing their cheapest fares if you don't want to miss out on any bargains.
|
Train company |
How much in advance can I book tickets? |
|
TGV and Intercités |
4 months in advance (except for summer, Christmas and February holidays) |
|
2 to 9 months in advance | |
|
6 months in advance | |
| 4 months in advance | |
| 3 months in advance | |
| Deutsche Bahn | 6 months in advance |
Frequently Asked Questions
When do SNCF Christmas tickets go on sale?
SNCF Christmas 2024 train tickets are on sale from 2nd October 2024.
Which train tickets are available to buy for winter travel?
Cheap TGV INOUI and INTERCITÉS tickets are available to buy for travel between 15th December 2024 and 8th January 2025. Cheap OUIGO tickets are also available to buy for travel between 15th December 2024 and 4th July 2025.
What time does SNCF seat release take place?
The exact time of the SNCF seat release has not been communicated yet, but in general SNCF ticket sales start early in the morning.