The Trick Rick Steves Uses To Buy Affordable Train Tickets In France
By Mina Elwell
VACATIONS
Travel expert Rick Steves has a lot of advice for how to save money on train tickets in France, including booking early, choosing a discount train line, and getting a rail pass.
Although a rail pass isn't cheap, taking the train whenever you want can help your budget. You can even sleep on overnight trains, saving you the price of a hotel room.
To see if a rail pass is worth the money, list all the locations you want to visit, find the price of tickets between them, and see if the total is higher than the price of a pass.
Buying tickets well in advance can also save you a lot of money. You can get up to half off on tickets from SNCF if you buy them 2 to 4 months before your trip.
Choosing the right time for your train trip, like a Wednesday afternoon instead of a Monday morning, can also save you money, since off-peak trips tend to be cheaper in France.
Steves has also recommended that budget travelers check out OUIGO trains. While they can't take you everywhere, you can find tickets that cost the equivalent of less than $11.