French TGV train tickets for spring holidays now on sale

Tickets for high-speed TGV train travel across the country and international routes are now available for purchase between the dates of March 27 and May 31, 2023.

France’s rail operator the SNCF claims tickets will be in high demand due to the combination of bank holidays and school breaks during these dates.

The French bank holidays of May 1 and May 8 fall on Mondays this year with the SNCF expecting many travellers to take advantage of the long weekend.

Furthermore, school holidays for all three zones in France take place in April and May, meaning a rush for tickets is likely.

Read more: The dates of France's 2023 holidays and days off

The announcement is for TGV INOUI trains, the high-speed rail service in France. Tickets for domestic routes with other providers, such as the economy OUIGO service, already have tickets available for routes up to July 7.

Not all stations included

However, Certain TGV INOUI tickets are not yet available for all dates and routes, the SNCF has warned.

Certain trains that are running from Montparnasse and Massy stations in Paris do not currently have tickets for purchase available for the weekends of Ascension (May 18 – May 21) and Pentecost (May 26 – May 29).

These two stations primarily serve the regions of Brittany, Normandy, the Loire and Nouvelle-Aquitaine.

International routes covered

Tickets for international train travel are also available with destinations including Luxembourg, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Spain, Switzerland, and Italy all included.

Some routes, such as TGV services to Italy and Spain, already have tickets available for up to the next six months.

Eurostar services to England have tickets available to purchase up to the end of November 2023.

What about the impact of strikes?

Currently, it is unknown whether rail routes during the spring holidays will be disrupted by strike action. However, during the current wave of strikes, SNCF workers have been heavily involved, with 46% of rail workers joining the demonstrations on January 19.

Additional strike action on January 31 as well as the weekend of February 7 – February 8 has been scheduled by rail union workers, as well as calls for a potentially renewable strike in mid-February. It is unclear whether further strike action will be taken after these dates.

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