Travel pass for 49 euros in France: Who can use it and how

TER trains in France (gettyimages.com)

This summer, France is set to launch a €49 pass for train travel, as the government has struck a deal with the regions, according to reports by euronews.travel.

Who can use cheap tickets and which routes will it cover?

The €49 monthly pass for almost all types of transportation is highly popular in Germany, known as the Deutschlandticket. France is launching its own budget pass this summer.

Last week, French Transport Minister Patris Vergriet announced that a deal had been reached with all regions. The pass will cost €49 per month, and in July and August, it will be available to approximately 700,000 people aged under 27.

The pass will allow unlimited travel on TER and Intercity trains, but it cannot be used on TGV high-speed trains.

Pass will be a one-year experiment

The cost of the €49 pass program is estimated at €15 million. The government proposes to finance 80% of it. Some mayors criticized the project for its lack of details in the plans.

“In six months, the initial announcement of a French-style Deutschlandticket has now been translated into a €49 subscription for two months, on a network outside the Ile-de-France region, and only for young people,” regional representatives said.

Photo: Youth will be able to travel across most of France (gettyimages.com)

The most populous Île-de-France region has been excluded from the routes. To travel across France, young people in the Île-de-France region will have to buy an additional ticket costing up to €16 within the Île-de-France region.

Initially, the pass will be a one-year experiment, but it could be extended and expanded in the future.

Available routes

Despite criticism of the plan, the summer pass will make large parts of the country accessible to young people. TER trains connect local stations in France’s regions and serve around 1.1 million passengers per day.

Among the popular routes are Bordeaux – Arcachon (with a fare of about €13) and Marseille – Toulon (€14). Passengers who regularly make such trips can save hundreds of euros with the new pass. A trip from Lyon to Marseille takes less than 4 hours, but it often costs more than the price of the new €49 ticket.