Family railcard holders eligible for new €1 SNCF travel discount card

SNCF are offering their new Avantage card to some existing customers at a discount – bringing the cost of the card down to just €1.

The new Avantage card is a simplification of the old railcard system, and will combine cards for families, young people, seniors and weekend travellers under one system.

Read more: SNCF unveils price caps and new railcards for French train travel

The new card is available for €49 for from June 17, but holders of the old family card are now eligible for an exceptional discount.

Vouchers sent by post will give family card holders who bought their card before June 17, €48 off the new Avantage card meaning it will only cost €1.

Families (and other card holders) do not have to switch to the new Avantage card – old cards will be valid until their expiration date.

But getting a €1 card could mean significant savings.

The new card is valid for a year from purchase, so if an existing card expires within this time, the cardholder will essentially have access to the same advantages for the remaining time left on the new card for just €1.

The discount vouchers will be valid until September 5, meaning that cardholders can minimise the crossover time between having two valid cards.

The new Avantage card offers rail travellers a 30% reduction on ticket prices, with price caps at €39, €59 and €79 in second-class carriages depending on the length of the journey.

It also gives travellers the benefit of being able to exchange or get reimbursements for tickets up to three days before departure.

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