SNCF, the official European distribution channel of France’s railways, has announced there are 5 million discounted train tickets available to encourage individuals to experience the nation by train.
The initiative went live on May 3 to celebrate the lifting of regional travel restrictions.
With a maximum cost of €39, major operators including TGV Inoui, Ouigo, and Intercité will be providing journeys to “a variety of destinations”, according to Head of SNCF Voyageurs, Christophe Fanichet.
All tickets will be fully refundable or exchangeable up to three days before departure. If it’s a family trip you’re planning, travel for children under the age of 12 will cost just €8 till 29 August to any destination in France.
If you’re currently based in France, tickets go on sale every Wednesday.
After another national lockdown in France, many are keen to get away from their hometown.
The mainline tickets include main cities like Paris, Bordeaux, Marseille, and Lyon, as well as Toulouse, Biarritz, and Avignon among others.
The initiative is, of course, designed to help combat the damaging consequences of COVID-19 on tourism industries around the world.
SNCF reported a loss of 48 percent of passengers on high-speed trains in 2020 – though that number did increase over summer 2020, which saw traffic return to around 85 percent of 2019’s figures.
In the longer term, SNCF hopes to introduce travel packages that complement the new norm of a remote working lifestyle, as well as additional plans to reignite the travel for business.
