Everything you need to know about the French "Pass Rail 2024" and 5 itineraries to make the most of it!
Announced in September 2023 by the French President, the Rail Pass is finally available for a summer trial. Inspired by Germany's Deutschlandticket, it offers unlimited travel for €49 a month. The initiative is funded by the State and the Regions. Here are the answers to all your questions about the french Rail Pass.
Who is the Rail Pass for?
For this initial trial, the Rail Pass is reserved for those under 28 and is only available for July and August 2024.
How much does the Rail Pass cost?
It costs €49 for 31 days of validity. You choose the start date of validity from July 1st, with the latest end date being August 31st.
Where can I buy a Rail Pass?
It is now available for purchase on the SNCF Connect and Trainline websites.
How does the Rail Pass work?
You need to be between 16 and 27 years old. The Pass Rail 2024 gives you unlimited travel on the TER and Intercités networks. It does not allow you to take the TGV or Ouigo trains.
The Rail Pass does not replace the purchase of a train ticket. But it allows you to get second-class tickets for €0 on all TER and Intercités trains. Youncanalso get a bed in a shared cabin for €19.50 on Intercités night trains.
In practical terms, once you've bought your Pass, you simply need to make a reservation for each train you want to travel on, mentioning your Rail Pass number. You can make up to 6 reservations in advance. But as soon as a journey is over, you can book another one.
You are limited to one trip per day from the same city (including connecting trains).
Onboard, if checked, you must show your Rail Pass, your ticket, and your ID.
Is the Rail Pass worth it?
That depends on your plans. It almost always pays for itself on the first round-trip on Intercités. On the TER network, you need to plan several trips. If you're only planning to stay in one region, you'll need to check that there isn't a more advantageous local Pass on the TER website of the region in question.
In short, if you plan to leave your region on Intercités or travel on TER across several regions, it’s a great opportunity to travel all summer without spending too much.
What to do with Pass Rail?
You probably already know your region's TER network. We'll show you what the Intercités network looks like. View larger map
Let's get out and about! We've already got lots of ideas.
1. The Mediterranean Sea with Pass Rail
It's often the undisputed star of summer. The Mediterranean Sea offers a wide variety of beaches and landscapes, from the Spanish to the Italian border, sometimes windy, sometimes turquoise.
With the Pass Rail, you can reach the Mediterranean at Marseille or Nice from Paris by night train. You'll just need to add €19.50 to book a bed in a shared cabin (no extra charge if you settle for a standard seat, but we don't recommend it if you want to sleep!).
Louise tested this train a few months ago. We recommend reading her testimonial here if you're interested in the experience.
There is also a night train from Paris serving Nîmes, Montpellier and the rest of the Mediterranean coast as far as the Spanish border.
There's also a daytime Intercités line from Bordeaux to Marseille via Toulouse and Narbonne. And a TER line from Lyon to Marseille via the Rhône valley (Vienne, Valence, Montélimar, Avignon, Arles).
We've put together a little guide to Marseille, with must-sees, the best vegetarian restaurants and eco-responsible hotels.
Do you already know all this? We've also found 10 hidden spots in Marseille.
2. Travel to L.A.!
Okay, to L.A. in Loire Atlantique, of course! Thanks to the Intercités lines from Lyon and Bordeaux, you can reach Nantes with your Rail Pass.
Every summer, the city organizes its “Voyage à Nantes” event, adding works of contemporary art to public spaces. A good excuse to discover the city, the Passage Pommeraye and the Château des Ducs de Bretagne. And let's not forget the machines de l'île and its now-famous elephant, an immersion in the fantastic world of Nantes author Jules Verne in the buildings of the former shipyards.
The best way to enjoy all this? Another pass! The Nantes Pass, which includes public transport to get around the city and entry to the main tourist sites.
From Nantes, you can reach the ocean with the TER network: Le Croisic, Saint-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie, Les Sables d'Olonne...
3. Go to a Festival
There are dozens of them all over France, and the festivals in your region are usually accessible by TER. This is your chance to share a moment with other music fans, take your time and party.
According to The Shift Project, 79% of the carbon footprint of festivals is linked to transport and logistics. So we teamed up with Pioche! Magazine, the new media for ecological stories, to create a map of festivals that are accessible without a car!
This is just the first version. We hope to add many more: Here!
4. Hiking in the Auvergne volcanoes
The Chaîne des Puys is a collection of dormant volcanoes offering exceptional landscapes. Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since July 2018, it's the ideal destination for nature walks!
With the Rail Pass, you can reach Clermont-Ferrand with the Paris-Clermont Intercités line via Moulins, Nevers and Vichy. Or from Lyon, Saint-Etienne and the whole Auvergne Rhône Alpes region by TER.
You can make a first stop to visit the town. Then, off to nature! A bus from Clermont-Ferrand station will take you to the start of the hiking trails or to the foot of the Puy de Dôme and its cogwheel railway in around 40 minutes.
It's also a great spot for paragliding.
5. The call of the capital
Contrary to popular belief, the Pass Rail allows you to travel to Paris using the Intercités network and TER trains from other regions with a terminus in Paris. From Bayonne, Toulouse, Brive, Limoges, Clermont-Ferrand, Châteauroux, Blois, Orléans, Amiens, Troyes, Belfort... all roads lead to the capital!
However, once there, the Pass Rail does not allow you to take the RER in Ile-de-France for this first year. But there's plenty to do in Paris alone!
We've put together a guide to the must-sees in Paris, the best vegetarian restaurants and eco-responsible accommodations.
The extra tip? National museums are free for those under 26 upon presentation of an ID. It’s the perfect occasion to greet the Mona Lisa at the Louvre or see Van Gogh's Starry Night at the Musée d’Orsay!
We promised a top 5, so we'll stop there. But we could also have talked about the Châteaux de la Loire or literally all of France, because the TER network means you can go almost anywhere. We hope we've inspired you to travel and enjoy your summer with as little impact on the environment as possible. At the end of the summer, the success of the Pass will be evaluated by the government, and we can only hope for its renewal year-round and for everyone, as is the case in Germany. For a true democratization of train travel!
Our last articles
Going to Lapland by train: she visited Santa Claus
Paris-Brussels: a new train for only 10 euros
