five little-known features to pay less for your train tickets

Anticipate your reservations, favor low-cost offers like Ouigo, use a reduction card… These tips for paying less for your train tickets are well known. And they are increasingly popular with travelers who are increasingly pointing out the cost of the train. But these techniques are far from being the only ones. On the SNCF Connect website and application, several little-known features allow you to find the most economical tickets. Price blocking, price calendar, personalized alerts… Focus on five features.

Block a price by setting an option

«With the option, SNCF Connect allows you to reserve your seats at today’s price, keep your prices for a given period [et] pay for your tickets at this rate before the deadline expires», Indicates the reservation platform. Concretely, if you are interested in a ticket but do not want to pay for it right away, simply select “Add an option” when paying. You then have a maximum of seven days to pay, modify or cancel it from the SNCF Connect application or website. Beyond this period, the option is automatically canceled and your place is made available. Fare blocking is free and is only offered on TGV inOui, Intercités and TGV Lyria.

Be notified of the opening of sales with the reservation alert

Booking as soon as sales open increases your chances of finding tickets at the bargain price. The sale takes place on specific dates for departures during the Christmas school holidays, winter holidays and long summer holidays for TGV inOui and Intercités journeys. The rest of the year, these trains are open for reservation generally four months to the day before the departure date (six months for international TGVs).

To remember this, simply create a “reservation alert” indicating the desired route and departure date. This function can be found in your account, “Tickets available alert” section. An email and notification are sent as soon as tickets go on sale. So don’t delay in booking before prices increase.

Filter tickets according to your budget with the price alert

The “low price alert” allows you to be notified as soon as tickets corresponding to the desired journey and your budget are available for sale. To create the alert, you must choose a departure period, a favorite day of the week, a time slot and your maximum budget. So, if you are looking for a Paris-Rennes ticket for less than €30 between January 15 and March 15, you will receive an email or a notification as soon as a ticket corresponding to these criteria is on sale.

Play on the flexibility of tickets

If you are unsure between several dates, one way to lock in the price of your ticket is to buy several, even if it means canceling them later. The flexibility of TGV inOui and Intercités tickets, exchangeable and refundable free of charge up to D-7 (except certain promotional tickets), allows you to do “trip stacking” without losing money. money. This tip nevertheless presents a constraint, that of having to advance the costs. Not to mention that she can play tricks on the stunned. Create an alert in your calendar at least seven days before the departure date to cancel your reservations without penalty.

Find the cheapest dates with the price calendar

Knowing at a glance the cheapest days to travel in the coming months is possible by consulting the price calendar. Unfortunately, this functionality is lacking on SNCF Connect. The site only displays prices for the three days preceding and following the chosen date.

Its competitor Trainline, which also sells tickets for operators other than SNCF (Trenitalia, Renfe, etc.) offers a much more complete calendar covering entire months. It is automatically displayed when you select a date during your searches. Please note that the official websites of Eurostar (click on “Lowest prices” in the search bar) and Ouigo (check the box “My dates are flexible”) also offer a price calendar for departures up to nine months. Ideal for anticipating your next escapades as much as possible.

TO LISTEN – Interview: advice from Alain Krakovitch, director of TGV-Intercités at SNCF, to pay less for your train tickets

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