Rail tickets for spring holiday period in France go on sale this week
Rail tickets for spring breaks go on sale in France this week - including for 2024's exceptional May 'double holiday'.
Starting on Wednesday, you can book train tickets with France's national rail service (SNCF) for the April-May period - and you may want to do so quickly because there will likely be high demand.
Many people will be looking to book rail journeys in France during April and May, in part due to the spring school holidays, but also thanks to the exceptional public holidays this year.
Which dates should I keep in mind?
The spring school holidays will take place from April 13th to 28th for Zone A, from April 20th to May 5th for Zone B, and from April 6th to 21st for Zone C.
Map of school regional districts in France (Credit: Service Public website)
As for upcoming public holidays there will be a day off on April 1st for Easter Monday, as well as days off on Wednesday, May 1st (labour day), Wednesday May 8th (VE Day), Thursday May 9th (Ascension Day), and Monday May 20th (Pentecost).
It's likely that many French people will take advantage of the 'double holiday' of May 8th and May 9th to take the whole week off, while others might be tempted to faire le pont (do the bridge) around the holidays of May Day or Pentecost.
Although May 8th is always a public holiday, Ascension is a movable date linked to Easter, and it's rare for the two to fall on consecutive days.
READ MORE: Why 2024 is a very good year for holidays in France
When and how can I buy tickets?
On Wednesday, customers will be able to reserve any high-speed (InOui) or Intercités ticket until May 22nd. Meanwhile, you will be able to purchase tickets for the budget rail service Ouigo all the way until July 5th.
Regional journeys within France on TER trains will depend, with some offering tickets from Wednesday until mid-April, mid-May, and mid-June, depending on the service.
As for rail journeys outside of France, trips from Paris to Luxembourg, Brussels and Friborg will be available for the four months forom Wednesday, with high-speed tickets to Spain or Italy available for the six months following Wednesday.
Eurostar tickets to Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany are usually on sale for a period of four months in advance, while trips to the UK can be booked 11 months in advance.
You can book tickets by going online to the SNCF website or app. You can also do so directly in the station at an SNCF kiosk.
READ MORE: 9 new train routes in France in 2024
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Starting on Wednesday, you can book train tickets with France's national rail service (SNCF) for the April-May period - and you may want to do so quickly because there will likely be high demand.
Many people will be looking to book rail journeys in France during April and May, in part due to the spring school holidays, but also thanks to the exceptional public holidays this year.
Which dates should I keep in mind?
The spring school holidays will take place from April 13th to 28th for Zone A, from April 20th to May 5th for Zone B, and from April 6th to 21st for Zone C.
As for upcoming public holidays there will be a day off on April 1st for Easter Monday, as well as days off on Wednesday, May 1st (labour day), Wednesday May 8th (VE Day), Thursday May 9th (Ascension Day), and Monday May 20th (Pentecost).
It's likely that many French people will take advantage of the 'double holiday' of May 8th and May 9th to take the whole week off, while others might be tempted to faire le pont (do the bridge) around the holidays of May Day or Pentecost.
Although May 8th is always a public holiday, Ascension is a movable date linked to Easter, and it's rare for the two to fall on consecutive days.
READ MORE: Why 2024 is a very good year for holidays in France
When and how can I buy tickets?
On Wednesday, customers will be able to reserve any high-speed (InOui) or Intercités ticket until May 22nd. Meanwhile, you will be able to purchase tickets for the budget rail service Ouigo all the way until July 5th.
Regional journeys within France on TER trains will depend, with some offering tickets from Wednesday until mid-April, mid-May, and mid-June, depending on the service.
As for rail journeys outside of France, trips from Paris to Luxembourg, Brussels and Friborg will be available for the four months forom Wednesday, with high-speed tickets to Spain or Italy available for the six months following Wednesday.
Eurostar tickets to Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany are usually on sale for a period of four months in advance, while trips to the UK can be booked 11 months in advance.
You can book tickets by going online to the SNCF website or app. You can also do so directly in the station at an SNCF kiosk.
READ MORE: 9 new train routes in France in 2024
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