Tickets for 1 euro: How to make the most of budget travel in France this summer
Intercités train on the Nantes-Bordeaux route (Photo: wikipedia.org)
Thousands of affordable train tickets in France are now being sold at a fixed price as part of the country's transportation minister's initiative to make train travel more budget-friendly. Notably, tickets for just 1 euro can be purchased for regional trains in the northern region of France, according to Euronews Travel.
Previously in France, 200,000 railway tickets were sold at a fixed price of 19 euros during the summer. This promotion concluded on July 15 and applied to all Intercités lines, but other discounts are still applicable.
Until August 27, travel on regional express trains in the coastal region of Hauts-de-France (Upper France) costs only 1 euro. Discounted tickets have been back on sale since July 25. They are valid for use on all days, including holidays and weekends.
It is reported that passengers will have access to a limited number of seats for 1 euro, so delaying the purchase is not advisable. These tickets can be obtained at ticket counters at Hauts-de-France train stations as well as on the official website of the French railway operator, SNCF.
The region is located north of Paris and borders Belgium. Historic and picturesque cities such as Amiens, Lille, and Calais are found here. Local authorities financed the ticket discounts to assist both tourists and residents in saving on train journeys.
Photo: The city of Lille in France, the center of the Hauts-de-France region in the north of the country (unsplash.com)
In addition to budget train travel in certain regions, France is also launching other transportation promotions. The country's Ministry of Transport hopes to introduce a unified pass for youth by next summer.
This pass will be valid on all public transportation, including Intercités trains, TER trains, and buses.
According to ministry data, Intercités trains carry around 12 million people annually. This is significantly fewer than the 23 million passengers carried by the French TGV trains last year, but the state cannot alter prices for high-speed rail travel.
In the future, authorities aim to follow the lead of some existing regional and national discounts that are currently in place.
Earlier this year, Germany introduced a pass for 49 euros per month, which turned out to be very popular.
During the summer of 2023, Spain reduced prices for Interrail tickets for individuals under 30 years old. Discounted tickets are available until September 15. Young people can also benefit from a 90% discount on short and medium-distance state buses and trains.
Following in the footsteps of Germany, Hungary, and other European countries, Czechia introduced an unlimited train pass for the summer period. Ticket sales began on June 15.
