Paris is just two hours and €45 from Bordeaux by TGV
SNCF opens its summer fares with cut-price offers on new west and south-west high-speed lines
TGV tickets go on sale this week with a Paris-Bordeaux trip on the new high-speed line for just €45 to those who get in early.
Sales open on Wednesday for the new TGV Ouest and TGV L’Océane services which start operating on July 2 and early ticket prices are much cheaper than expected – with Paris - Rennes or Nantes for €35, La Rochelle St Malo and Brest for €40, Quimper for €45, and Toulouse and the Basque coast for €49.
Cheaper prices and faster trains are on offer with the Bordeaux link being 1hr10min quicker than at present, Toulouse 1hr23min faster, Quimper 45min faster and Rennes 39min.
Advance sales for other lines also open on Wednesday and SNCF boss Guillaume Pepy has said he wants to make the TGV more attractive with lower prices to rival low-cost air travel and long-distance coaches by offering more comfort and Wifi.
The aim is to pull in an extra four million passengers on the new high-speed lines.
With the ending of the low-cost iDTGV service, the cheaper fares have been moved on to the full TGV service alongside the ultra-cheap Ouigo trains, which will be extended from the present Marne-la-Vallée/Lyon service to include Massy/Bordeaux, Bordeaux/Roissy, Tourcoing/Rennes, Rennes/Strasbourg and Massy/Nantes.
More cheap Prem’s tickets will also be available for advance buying, with prices at €20 or €25.
Like air travel, people who book at short notice will pay more but those who can book far in advance will benefit.
However, the introduction of the new advance fares comes as ordinary fares are announced for the Bordeaux and Rennes lines, with Bordeaux prices €10 higher than previously and Rennes €6.
