HOLIDAYMAKERS can get cheap travel in Europe throughout September, thanks to big discounts being offered on train tickets.
Both domestic and international route prices are being slashed, making rail trips an affordable way to get around and catch the last of the sun before autumn arrives.
The discounts are being made available by French national rail operator SNCF, who are laying on a whole month of discounts for passengers.
Labelled it the ‘traincroyables’ promotion, a selection of different deals will be on sale until September 30, providing plenty of chances for people to get their hands on the cheap tickets.
A series of different promotions will be running at a time for a few days each, before the next offer takes over in its place.
These deals include things like capped ticket prices on high-speed journeys and even cut-price fares on international destinations, from as little as £24.
What’s more, the deals have been made available to everybody, with passengers just needing to log on to the SNCF website to get involved.
However, a limited amount are being sold on a first come, first served basis, so passengers need to be quick off the mark to ensure they can claim their cheap travel.
The first of the offers will is a €80 (£67.40) discount on the Carte Liberté, or Freedom Card, which will be available at €299 (£251) for all passengers.
The card is popular with frequent travellers in France and offers flexible tickets, fixed prices on most routes and big discounts on first class and business class tickets.
The card could be a worthwhile investment for anyone interested in exploring more than one part of France during the month and are on sale now, having launched on August 26.
However, low cost high-speed trains are also set for a discount, so anyone wanting to book those tickets should wait until September 4 and 5, when the next offer is added.
There will be 200,000 cheap tickets on the country’s OuiGo services available for €19 (£16).
From September 10 to 13 a total of 30,000 tickets for trips between Normandy and Paris will be made available for €12 (£10).
That will make it easy for passengers to explore either the capital, or the popular holiday region, with both reachable from the UK without the need for a flight.
For anyone in France looking to explore further afield by train, International TGV tickets are set to go on sale from September 18 until September 29, with tickets starting at €39 (£33).
Sun Travel's journalists have taken their fare share of train journeys on their travels and here they share their most memorable rail experiences.
Davos to Geneva, Switzerland
“After a ski holiday in Davos, I took the scenic train back to Geneva Airport. The snow-covered mountains and tiny alpine villages that we passed were so beautiful that it felt like a moving picture was playing beyond the glass.” – Caroline McGuire
Tokyo to Kyoto by Shinkansen
“Nothing quite beats the Shinkansen bullet train, one of the fastest in the world. It hardly feels like you’re whizzing along at speed until you look outside and see the trees a green blur. Make sure to book seat D or E too – as you’ll have the best view of Mount Fuji along the way.” Kara Godfrey
London to Paris by Eurostar
“Those who have never travelled on the Eurostar may wonder what’s so special about a seemingly ordinary train that takes you across the channel. You won’t have to waste a moment and can tick off all the top attractions from the Louvre to the Champs-Élysées which are both less than five kilometres from the Gare du Nord.” – Sophie Swietochowski
Glasgow to Fort William by Scotrail
“From mountain landscapes and serene lochs to the wistful moors, I spent my three-hour journey from Glasgow to Fort William gazing out the window. Sit on the left-hand side of the train for the best views overlooking Loch Lomond.” – Hope Brotherton
Beijing to Ulaanbatar
“The Trans-Mongolian Express is truly a train journey like no other. It starts amid the chaos of central Beijing before the city’s high-rises give way to crumbling ancient villages and eventually the vast vacant plains of Mongolia, via the Gobi desert. The deep orange sunset seen in the middle of the desert is among the best I’ve witnessed anywhere.” – Ryan Gray
They will be available to buy on routes to Spain, Italy, Germany, and Switzerland, making it very affordable to get travel beyond France when buying tickets during those dates.
They aren’t the most affordable international tickets, however, with tickets from Southern French stations, including Montpellier, Nîmes and Valence, to Spain available from €29 (£24) one-way.
More domestic routes, including the TGV InOui trains, and Intercités routes, will be put on sale between September 23 and 27.
Those with tickets will start from €29 (£24) and €19 (£16) respectively.
Throughout the promotional period, regional tickets on local TER trains will be made available for as little as €2 (£1.70) in some places.
That includes 5,000 tickets on journeys in the Hauts-de-France region, which includes places north of Paris, up to Calais.
Other discounted routes are being made available on trips to places including the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes area, Burgundy, Brittany and Aquitaine.
Anyone wanting to know which deals are available and when can visit the SNCF discounts page.
Meanwhile, this new train route connects seaside towns throughout Italy.
And this train route lets you visit three European countries, with tickets from as little as £7.
