Train travel
News, insight and essential information about travelling by train around France.
LATEST: Severe disruption expected during Wednesday's French rail strike
Rail services across France will be severely disrupted on Wednesday, June 10th, with multiple trains cancelled as unions stage a coordinated strike. Here's what it means if you're planning on travelling.
New Paris-Amsterdam train launches with tickets from €19
Travellers looking for a cheaper, albeit slower, option for travelling between Paris and Amsterdam will soon have a new alternative to Eurostar, with Dutch start-up GoVolta set to launch a daily train service.
Ouigo: Everything you need to know about France's low-cost trains
They're set for a major expansion with a target of carrying an extra 8 million passengers a year - but what exactly are France's Ouigo trains and how do they differ from the classic TGV?
One trip, one ticket: New EU rules aim to ease train travel
The EU plans to force railway companies operating across the bloc to sell rivals’ tickets on their websites and share data with booking platforms, under new rules that are intended to boost train travel.
Full steam ahead for revived Paris-Berlin night train
The first service on a revived night train between Paris and Berlin arrived in the German capital on Friday morning, winning plaudits from its passengers.
'We live here': Fears grow in south western France over loss of train lines
Rail users in south western and central France have sounded the alarm bell amid fears they will lose crucial regional train lines.
Why the future of the popular Paris to Berlin night train is in doubt
The Paris to Berlin night train faces being taken off the tracks less than two years after it returned to the railway schedules - even though it's proved popular with travellers.
France's SNCF rail service to launch new 'optimum' class
France's national rail service, SNCF, has announced it will launch a new, ultra-premium class starting in January 2026.
'Unfair privilege': Flights in Europe up to 26 times cheaper than train routes
Environmental campaign group Greenpeace has slammed the fact that budget flights between destinations in Europe are still often significantly cheaper than travelling by train.
Violent storms halt train services in south-west France
Train tracks and roads in south-west France were left flooded after violent storms hit the region on Monday night, with some rail lines expected to remain closed for days.
Revealed: France’s five worst rail lines for delays and cancellations
After frustrated passengers boarded the 'trains of anger' on Tuesday to protest chronic delays and cancellations along two French rail lines, The Local reveals which train routes are actually the worst for disruptions.
Italy's rail operator FS under investigation for 'hindering' French competitor
Italy's competition watchdog said on Friday that it was investigating state-owned rail operator Ferrovie dello Stato (FS) for allegedly "hindering" French competitor SNCF Voyages in its efforts to enter the Italian market.
France’s SNCF opens ticket office for early summer getaway rush
If you were thinking of letting the train take the strain of an early summer holiday in France, you’d better get your skates on, because tickets have gone on sale.
Venice sleeper train setback reveals Europe's rail troubles
The maiden run of a sleeper train from Brussels to Venice ended well short of its destination on Thursday, in a telling tale of the troubles of cross-Europe rail travel.
New Munich-Paris high speed rail service planned
Following the success of the daily high-speed Berlin-Paris route, Germany and France's railway operators say they want to roll out more direct connections, including between Munich and Paris.
New direct Paris-Berlin high-speed train service makes debut
French and German rail operators launched the first direct high-speed rail link between Paris and Berlin on Monday, in response to growing European demand for train travel.
New daytime Berlin-Paris high-speed train service launches
Monday sees the launch of the new Paris-Berlin high-speed train connection, linking two capitals that had previously been directly connected only with a night train.
EU in new push to make European train travel easier with single ticket plan
The EU is launching a new effort to simplify cross-border train travel. The idea is to make it possible for passengers to travel through different European countries with one single ticket.
French rail unions threaten unlimited strikes ahead of Christmas
Trade unions at France's railway operator SNCF on Saturday called for an unlimited strike from next month that could disrupt train services during the upcoming Christmas holidays.
Revealed: The '15-minute rule' on French trains
A recent update to SNCF Voyageurs' general terms and conditions of sale requires passengers to take their seats within 15 minutes of departure, or risk losing it.
France imposes luggage limits for train passengers
New rules that limit the number - and size - of suitcases and bags that passengers can take on board French SNCF trains are now in force. Here is what you need to know to avoid a fine.
'Something always goes wrong': What I learned taking the train through Europe with two kids
Travelling from Sweden to the UK and back by train via stops in Denmark, Germany, Belgium and France is no easy feat. But The Local's Richard Orange and his two kids managed to do it back in 2022. Here's the advice he gave for other travellers hoping to avoid the planes back then.
Why the 'strategic' Geneva to Lyon train line needs drastic improvement
Commuters on trains between Geneva and Lyon (and vice versa) have had to face a number of problems over the years. But there is a new move to drastically improve the service.