From this Wednesday, October 2 at 6 a.m., TGV, Intercités and Ouigo journeys in France and Europe can be reserved for the period from December 15, 2024 to January 8, 2025. The fastest and most organized will be able to make up to 38% of ‘economy.
First come, first served. And it’s not the Taylor Swift concert. This Wednesday, October 2, the SNCF opens its Christmas ticket office, and the battle to obtain your seat promises to be tough. “Tickets are going fast!», We can read on the website of the railway company, and the good prices with it. Generally very popular, this ad requires anticipation and perseverance to try to obtain the best prices.
When to log in?
For the bravest, the alarm clock should be set for 6 a.m. this Wednesday. On the SNCF website or in stations, it will be possible to buy TGV Inoui and Intercités tickets for journeys between December 15, 2024 and January 8, 2025. And until July 4, 2025 for the Ouigos. The French rail giant specifies that certain international destinations (Spain, Switzerland, Germany, Belgium, United Kingdom and Netherlands) are already open for a period extending until March 30, 2025.
For what savings?
Like airlines, SNCF has adopted the famous “yield management” (or “dynamic pricing”) which can vary prices very quickly depending on customer requests and availability on board trains. According to analysis by Trainline, an online ticket purchasing platform, travelers who booked their tickets 11 weeks in advance at the same time last year – the opening week of sales – were able to make up to 38% savings on certain journeys. But from one day to the next, from one hour to the next, prices increase. A seat for a sought-after destination, around a weekend, and booked late will be charged at the highest price. Its price could be three times higher than the same place reserved well in advance for a weekday departure in the early morning.
For example, a saving of 22 euros is possible on a journey between Paris and Metz compared to only 9.50 euros on the same journey, booked a week later, explains Trainline. On a Paris-Lyon, you will save 14 euros on average on a reservation 11 weeks in advance, compared to 8.50 euros on the same reservation 10 weeks in advance. Concerning Ouigo, the SNCF ensures that by reserving as soon as sales open, tickets will be available from 10 euros or 16 euros for trains departing from or arriving from Paris intramural.
The Trainline platform specifies, however, that whatever the age, the frequency of travel or whether you take the train alone or with your family, reduction and subscription cards are the best way to save all year round. on train journeys. For example, the advantage card, priced at 49 euros, allows you to benefit from an immediate 30% reduction on all TGV Inoui and Intercités journeys. So booking in advance for the Christmas holidays allows you, above all, to get a place when the trains, at this time, are packed.
Which routes are the most popular?
According to an analysis of the Trainline application, among the most popular destinations, some showed, at the same period last year, three days after the opening of the ticket offices, a quarter of the trains were already full on certain lines such as Paris- Perpignan (20% on the Paris-Nice line; 19% on Paris-Biarritz; 16% on Paris-Montpellier; 15% on Paris – Aix-en-Provence).
And for the 2025 winter holidays?
Sales are expected to open on November 13. Reservations will be available for journeys between January 9 and March 23, 2025.
