Survival Guide - Discover France: Experience the Best of France - page 794

SNCF FARES & DISCOUNTS
Full-fare tickets can be quite expensive. Fortunately, a dizzying array of discounts are avail-
able and station staff are very good about helping travellers find the very best fare. But first,
the basics:
• » 1st-class travel, where available, costs 20% to 30% extra.
• » Ticket prices for some trains, including most TGVs, are pricier during peak periods.
• » The further in advance you reserve, the lower the fares.
• » Children under four travel for free (€8.50 to any destination if they need a seat).
• » Children aged four to 11 travel for half price.
Discount Tickets
The SNCF's most heavily discounted tickets are known as Prem's . They can be booked on
the internet, by phone, at ticket windows and from ticket machines a maximum of 90 days
and a minimum of 14 days before your travel date. Once you buy a Prem's ticket, it's use it or
lose it - getting your money back or changing the time is not allowed.
Bons Plans fares, a grab bag of really cheap options on a changing array of routes and
dates, are advertised on www.voyages-sncf.com under the title 'Dernière Minute' (last
minute).
In an effort to make train travel both affordable and hip for the iPod generation, the SNCF's
youthful subsidiary iDTGV ( www.idtgv.com ) sells tickets (online only) for as little as €19 for
advance-purchase TGV travel between about 30 cities.
On regional trains, discount fares requiring neither a discount card nor advance purchase:
Loisir Week-End rates Good for return travel that includes a Saturday night at your
destination or involves travel on a Saturday or Sunday.
Découverte fares Available for low-demand 'blue-period' trains to people aged 12
to 25, seniors and the adult travel companions of children under 12.
Mini-Groupe tickets In some regions, these bring big savings for three to six
people travelling together, provided you spend a Saturday night at your destination.
Certain French régions (eg Basse Normandie and Alsace) offer great deals on intraregional
TER transport for day trips or weekend travel.