SNCF Discounts and Tips for Booking Trains in France

• When is the sale? 28th July to 30th July 2026
• Applicable travel dates: Journeys between 10th August and 1st October 2026
• Applicable SNCF service: TGV INOUI
• Routes: All of France
• Available discounts: 150,000 tickets (100,000 Second Class, 50,000 First Class)

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TGV INOUI

This is SNCF’s premium high-speed offering. Trains travel at up to 320 km/h (196 mph), and you’ll get plenty of extras included in your ticket as standard along with a more comfortable experience on board. Standard tickets can also be exchanged or refunded up to 7 days before departure at no extra cost, meaning these tickets are extremely flexible. You also have the option of upgrading to TGV INOUI’s First Class seating for extra space, comfort and a quieter journey.

Included in your Standard ticket, you’ll get:

• Free Wi-Fi and streaming content

• Power sockets

• Generous luggage allowance (1 small + 2 large pieces of luggage)

• Access to a dining carriage

OUIGO

OUIGO is the low-cost option for high-speed travel in France. You’ll still travel at extraordinary speed (up to 300 km/h on high-speed lines), but your ticket will only include the essentials – you’ll have to pay a fee for any extras. 

• Fees apply for extra luggage (only 1 handbag + 1 cabin bag included)

• Fees apply for seat selection/seats with power sockets

• Fee applies for Wi-Fi

• No onboard dining carriage

• Non-refundable tickets

It’s worth noting that OUIGO trains often serve less central stations in cities, so check your departure and arrival stations before you book. Tickets go on sale up to 9 months in advance, with cheaper fares available the earlier you book.

Intercités

SNCF’s Intercités service covers classic medium-to-long-distance routes not served by high-speed lines. You’ll find comfortable seating with plenty of space as well as catering of some kind, either a trolley service or a cafe-bar depending on the train. 

If you’re interested in sleeper trains, ‘Intercités de Nuit’ is SNCF’s overnight service. More than just a fun way to get around, sleeper trains also help you save on hotel costs and are surprisingly time-efficient. These trains are equipped with couchettes that allow you to sleep the journey away so you wake up at your destination with a full day ahead of you.

TER (Regional)

TER trains are SNCF’s regional service, focusing on local routes and commuter traffic. Tickets for TER trains are flexible – they are valid for any departure on the chosen route on your selected travel day, and they operate on a fixed-price structure. Seating also operates on a first-come, first-served basis.

These are the trains you’ll most likely be getting on if you are headed to a rural destination or a commuter hub, fitted with a standard regional configuration with bike spaces available.

Paris to Lyon trains 

• Departure stations: Paris Gare de Lyon, Paris Bercy
• Arrival stations: Lyon-St Exupery (TGV), Lyon Part Dieu
• Train types: INOUI, OUIGO, TER

Trains from Paris to Lyon take around 2 hours on high-speed services, making the journey incredibly time-efficient compared to driving, which can take as much as 5 hours depending on traffic around Paris. 

Paris to Nice trains

• Departure stations: Paris Gare de Lyon, Paris Austerlitz
• Arrival stations: Nice Town
• Train types: INOUI, OUIGO, Intercités

At 687 km (427 miles) apart, you can cover the considerable distance from Paris to the coastal city of Nice in just 5 hr 40 min with a high-speed SNCF train. 

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Lyon to Paris trains

• Departure stations: Lyon-St Exupery (TGV), Lyon Part Dieu
• Arrival stations: Paris Gare de Lyon, Paris Bercy
• Train types: INOUI, OUIGO, TER

Take the 2-hour train from Lyon to France’s capital, Paris – where you can take in breathtaking sights like the Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triomphe or just sit on a corner terrace with a coffee or a wine and watch the French cosmopolitan world go by. Or if you’re staying for longer, you could also take a day trip by train from Paris to destinations like Versailles or Chantilly. 

Paris to Marseille trains

• Departure stations: Paris Gare de Lyon, Paris Austerlitz
• Arrival stations: Marseille-St-Charles, Marseille-Blancarde
• Train types: INOUI, OUIGO, Intercités

The fastest trains get from Paris to Marseille in just over 3 hours, taking you right to the port city in the south of France with minimal fuss and maximum comfort. You’ll get to enjoy its rich Roman history, incredible seafood and a bold, authentic character that makes so many people fall in love with this city. It’s super easy to get around here too thanks to the metro, tram, buses and maritime shuttles serving Marseille.

Nice to Menton trains

• Departure stations: Nice Riquier
• Arrival stations: Menton
• Train types: TER

The short hop from Nice to the vibrant French Riviera town of Menton takes just half an hour on the regional ZOU! trains under the SNCF TER network. Menton is a must-see town if you’re in Nice, as it has a distinctly quieter and romantic atmosphere, with charming streets and a slightly more Italian feel to the place. You’ll love sauntering past its pastel-coloured facades and gorgeous terraced gardens. 

In addition to our SNCF discounts and promo codes, there are also some other tactics you can implement to make great savings on SNCF fares across France.

Book in advance: Prem’s fares

Consider regional TER passes

If you plan on doing extensive rail travel within a specific zone – like Provence–Alpes–Côte d'Azur – you’ll find multi-day passes aimed at tourists that provide unlimited TER train travel for 3 or 7 days, meaning you don’t have to worry about timetable constraints or accumulating train costs. 

Save on hotel costs with sleeper trains

The Intercités de Nuit sleeper trains are an excellent way to save money on your travel costs by combining accommodation and transport into one – no need to spend on a hotel stay when you sleep your way through the train journey and wake up in your destination, ready for the day ahead. Intercités de Nuit trains are fitted with couchettes to let you rest in comfort. 

Travel mid-week

Travelling off-peak is another guaranteed way to save on your rail fares. Tuesdays and Wednesdays are generally the cheapest days to travel, so if you can arrange the travel days of your trip to fall on these cheaper days, you can secure cheaper fares.

Choose OUIGO services

If you can do without extra baggage or onboard amenities like Wi-Fi or charging points, choosing OUIGO trains will often secure you a much cheaper fare. Bear in mind, though, that they often depart from alternative stations, such as Paris Marne-la-Vallée. 

Official Reseller, Automatic Discount Application

TrainPal is an official reseller for SNCF train tickets, so when the operator launches flash sales or 2-for-1 promotions, TrainPal automatically applies this discount so that you get the best deal available. No need to hunt around for the best deal – our fares are always updated with the latest offers. 

Promotional codes with TrainPal

In addition to applying discounts from SNCF, TrainPal also launches our own exclusive discount codes to get you an even better deal on your train journey in France. We keep this page updated with the latest discount codes, so make sure to bookmark this page to stay in the know.