Traveling by train is only getting more convenient, and not just because there are so many new high-speed services, sleeper trains, and beautiful itineraries throughout Europe. Along with being more effective, rail travel is also dramatically decreasing in price.
France is the newest nation to offer travelers an exceptionally cheap monthly rail ticket, following the revival of Germany’s deutschlandticket and the announcement of Portugal’s incredibly affordable rail pass.
The French pass will cost only €49 (£42, $53), similar to the programs in Portugal and Germany. This looks like a fantastic deal because it includes unlimited travel on TER regional services, intercity trains, and potentially even local buses, metros, and trams!
After a number of short-haul flight routes in the nation were prohibited and Transport Minister Clément Beaune suggested a minimum flight price policy to the EU, France announced the creation of a travel pass.
According to research, an alarmingly small percentage of travelers take a significant majority of flights to and from Europe. The travel permit may be a significant step in lowering travel emissions, together with the new limitations on flying times and costs.
Authorities have praised the deutschlandticket as the “biggest public transportation reform in German history,” according to euronews. Additionally, according to VDV, a German transport association, the use of the pass between July and August 2023 resulted in a reduction of 1.8 million tonnes of carbon emissions.
The introduction of the travel pass should persuade frequent flyers to use the train in France as well. It’s scheduled to be on sale in the summer of 2024.
