Buying a Train Ticket for Travel in France
To find the best train tickets for travel in France, use the official French railway website SNCF, as it offers the most direct access to deals and allows you to purchase tickets directly from the source.
The SNCF Website
SNCF is the official French railways website, and the itineraries and prices provided are the same as those available in train stations in France.
Tickets for RER and SNCF trains can be purchased on the SNCF website.
Enter the destination …
… and options are returned for departure. After selecting your departure and outbound date, select “See Prices” at the bottom of the screen to continue.
Note the duration under each selection:
“Direct” means you don’t have to change trains — but there may be stops between your departure and destination
“1 connection,” or more connections, means you’ll need to change trains somewhere between your departure and destination
Buy Tickets Earlier for Cheaper Prices
Buy your train tickets as far in advance as you can. Using the same itinerary but choosing a different date a month later, returned the following prices …
… that were a significant discount from the previous search.
TFE Insider Tip: Before arriving at the train station, have your ticket handy as it will be needed to board the train. Prior to traveling, take a screenshot of your ticket and save it to your phone in the event your cellular service is unavailable when you arrive in France.