Great start. From 6 a.m., the SNCF ticket office opened this Wednesday, October 2. “First come, first served… and at the best price”she warns. If you rolled out of bed to buy your golden ticket before dawn, are you still going to pay more than last year?
“Yes, and worse, if you hesitate too long, you risk ending up in a carsays Patricia Perennes, rail transport specialist and consultant at Trans-missions. Some trains will be full within a few days. » Even if 700 trains per day will run according to the SNCF, space is expensive, literally. But it depends on what type of train, what destination and when you book. We’ll explain it to you.
TGVs ever more expensive
If according to SNCF, Intercités and Ouigo prices have not increased this year, TGV Inouï prices are increasing by an average of 2.6%, limited by the level of inflation. An increase which is added to the 5% for 2023, and which according to figures from the Transport Regulatory Authority is more like 7% for TGVs and even 10% for Ouigo.
Read also: INTERVIEW. Are train prices really that high in France?
“These increases are necessary to finance investments in order to offer more offers, such as the purchase of new TGVs and to cope with rising costs such as inflation or the increase in rail tolls”SNCF Voyageurs justifies itself. This represents, for TGVs, “double the price paid by travelers” .
Advantage cards not spared
If the capped prices increase, for smaller budgets, there will still be reduced prices. “But the advantageous places are limited and they will be gone in a few hours, sometimes even in 5 minutes”, according to Patricia Perennes. Worse than concert tickets.
With the yield management (dynamic prices), implemented more than 30 years ago, prices evolve mechanically with demand. Especially when there are ever more travelers, and even more so during the holiday season. “Why sell off tickets when there is so much demand? On the contrary, we try to discourage people who are more flexible from taking the less convenient routes. »
And with an advantage card then? Lost again. Even if they remain the best option, capping prices according to the duration of the journey. But the SNCF has discreetly imagined a new calculation method to increase its fares on at least five routes: Paris-Rennes, Paris-Lorient, Paris-Poitiers, Lille-Lyon and Lille-Strasbourg. The company specifies that this only applies to “the highest prices in 2nd class. »
Lack of pricing transparency
If you’re happy to only have a short trip, think again. According to UFC Que Choisir, the shorter the distance, the more expensive it is in terms of price per kilometer. Logically, fixed costs are more easily amortized over long journeys.
Some journeys are, however, advantaged, thanks to the opening of competition, which allows a reduction of 10% on average since 2019 according to the Transport Regulatory Authority. But here again, be careful: UFC Que Choisir warns of the lack of transparency of rail reservation platforms, in a survey published Tuesday 1 is october. Price differences are sometimes huge from one platform to another, while additional fees can creep in at the payment stage. We therefore advise you to compare prices on several applications, including SNCF Connect.
Some tips to get through it
Well, despite that, the SNCF reminds us of some essential tips to lighten your wallet as little as possible. First, book as early as possible. “The saving is more than 35% when booking 2 months in advance, and 25% 1 month in advance. » And at Christmas, without anticipating, the risk is not to have a train at all.
Then, the more flexible we are, the less we pay: “By shifting their trip from Friday afternoon to Thursday afternoon, the customer can save between 20 and 30%, depending on the train”, boasts SNCF Voyageurs. And benefit cards also offer more attractive prices. “It’s simple: Book early and get an advantage card if you travel regularly”summarizes Patricia Perennes.
Who notes a paradox: “People are complaining, but the trains are full. It is good that part of the population has resigned itself to these prices. » If this is your case, on your marks, set… Go!
