The words “train”, “fare” and “bargain” can rarely be uttered within the same breath in the UK, but in mainland Europe, flash sales and seasonal discounts are common among regional train operators, even during the peak summer months.
From sunny beachfront towns to medieval fairytale-esque villages, make your way around some of Europe’s most popular summer destinations more affordably, and sustainably, with these discounted rail ticket offers.
France
With the second-biggest high-speed network in Europe, just behind Spain, France’s fast-train offering is enviable. Its intercity TGV (train à grande vitesse) network runs from Calais and Paris to all corners of the country, and beyond.
TGV Inoui is currently offering 500,000 tickets from €29 (a discount of up to 50 per cent cheaper than non-sale tickets), with first-class upgrades for only €1. Tickets can be booked at sncf-connect.com until Thursday 28 June, for travel until the end of August.
Destinations covered by these high-speed trains include many of France’s most beautiful and culturally rich cities and towns, such as the wine-producing region of Bordeaux, or Nantes, the historic capital of Brittany recognised for its imposing Château des ducs de Bretagne and the half-timbered houses in its maze-like medieval old town.
You could also reach Lyon, where you can enjoy a beer or something stronger at one of the buzzy péniche bars along the bank of the Rhône, or Strasbourg, home to the gothic masterpiece that is Strasbourg Cathedral.
Discounted tickets to the port city of La Rochelle, or Rennes for those wishing to visit the grand cathedral or take in works by master artists such as Rubens and Picasso at Museum of Fine Arts are also available.
We found fares from Paris to Nice, springboard for the French Riviera, available for €35 in August – a journey of just under six hours by which time you can be sipping a chilled class of rosé and soaking up the Mediterranean flavour of this seductive port city.
Regional rail operator liO is offering “AvantagiO” fares of €1 on five of its lines across the warm and sunny Occitanie region of south-western France. With its notably varied landscape, the region offers everything from cave systems and waterfalls, to Roman imperial feats such as the Pont du Gard aqueduct or the Nimes Arena.
Tickets can be purchased at ter.sncf.com and are released in limited numbers. They are available no longer than 10 days prior to the date of travel and must be used on specified trains.
The fares are available on the following five lines. We found them readily available on services next week:
- Nîmes – Le Grau du Roi
- Carcassonne – Quillan
- Perpignan – Villefranche-Vernet-les-Bains
- Marvejols – La-Bastide-St-Laurent-les-Bains
- Béziers – Bédarieux – St-Chély-d’Apcher
In northern France, discounted fares are available, starting from €2 on the regional Hauts de France TER network. For example, you can travel from Calais to France’s largest fishing port town, Boulogne-sur-Mer, where you’ll find a charming, rugged coastline ideal for long relaxed sunset walks, street art, antique shops, art studios, and of course plenty of fresh seafood.
Longer journeys cost between €5 and €10, for example Paris to Arras or Lille to Rouen. Visitors heading to the En Nord Beat Festival taking place from 28-30 June in Parc Legrand Grubbe, Bailleul, can make use of the cheaper tickets, for example €2 from Lille. Tickets can be purchased at ter.sncf.com.
Also on offer, is a discounted rate of €10 per adult and €1 per child for journeys from Paris to the Northern French town of Lille. Flemish Renaissance architecture is proudly on display in locations such as the Vielle Bourse, the old stock exchange. Its frescoed inner courtyard houses a second-hand book market, and on some summer evenings you’ll find tango dancing here too. Tickets from ter.sncf.com.
There are also specific offers for rail travel across Brittany, including €5 travel on the first Saturday of the month, or round trips with a discount of up to 50 per cent every Saturday. This discount can be combined with free travel for children under 12, ideal for family trips to the region’s beaches and pink-hued granite coast dotted with traditional lighthouses, or its medieval villages. Tickets can be booked at ter.sncf.com.
Those attending Brittany’s major festivals such as Astropolis in Brest or La Route du Rock in St Malo can purchase an €18 return ticket from any station in Brittany. Tickets can be booked at ter.sncf.com.
Spain
State rail operator Renfe is offering new “superprecios” fares, for travel across the country from as little as €7 between 22 July and 8 September. Tickets must be booked via renfe.com before 1 July.
The discounted-fare campaign is to encourage more people to travel across Spain by train and reduce car emissions during the busier summer months. Routes covered include from Madrid the Andalucian delicacies of Seville, Granada and Almeria, from €18. From here, it’s easy to continue on to explore the Costa del Sol and Costa de la Luz.
Tickets from Madrid to Malaga or Huelva are available from €24, to Cadiz from €34. Routes between Madrid and Zaragoza, Pamplona, Logroño and Burgos will be available from €15.
Visitors can also travel from the Spanish capital to Valencia with tickets from €14, less than the cost of the city’ iconic paella dish. As well as hearty helpings of the much-loved rice dish, visitors to Valencia can also stroll through the colourful Mercado Central where stalls teem with fresh produce, or learn more about the city’s history by touring its impressive cathedrals and churches.
From €18, travellers departing from Madrid can also explore the ancient Catalonian city of Leida, as well as Barcelona’s unique art, Catalan modernist architecture and sandy beaches.
Italy
TrenItalia’s FrecciaFAMILY offer allows children under the age of 15 to travel for free on Italy’s high-speed Frecce trains with accompanying adults, while adults enjoy a 50 per cent discount. Destinations include Salerno (near the Amalfi coast), Venice, Puglia and the wallet-friendly beaches of Calabria.
There are three Frecce networks in Italy:
- Frecciarossa – connecting Turin-Milan-Bologna-Rome-Naples-Salerno on the high speed line at speeds of up to 360km/h.
- Frecciargento – connecting Rome to Venice, Verona, Bari/Lecce, Lamezia Terme/Reggio Calabria at speeds of up to to 250km/h.
- Frecciabianca – connecting Milan to Venice, Udine and Trieste; Genoa and Rome; and down to Bari and Lecce in Puglia, at speeds of 200 km/h.
The offer is available for family groups from two to five people, including at least one adult and one child under the age of 15. Tickets can be booked at trenitalia.com.