Booking ahead and last-minute offers are ways to enjoy cheap ecomobile travel with the SNCF!

True story. On 12 April 2008, a customer checked the price on voyages-sncf.com for two people, Paris to St Malo travelling out on Friday 18 April, and returning on Sunday 20. The SNCF fare came to €298.90. He then compared the price with Friday-to-Sunday car hire (unlimited mileage) - €125. After adding the tolls and petrol (€57 one-way, €114 in total), The cost by car was €239. Our customer came to the conclusion that train travel for 2 was more expensive than a car journey, and the difference for 4 would be even bigger.

Book ahead!The SNCF has a simple answer. You booked your ticket 6 days before travel. Couldn't you book a bit further ahead? If you bought the tickets a month before travel, the price for to fully refundable, exchangeable tickets would only be €231. Which is cheaper than going by car. Let's not forget three other exclusive advantages. The train journey by TGV takes less than an hour from Paris to St Malo. The environmental impact is 16 times lower CO2 emissions if you travel by train than if you go by car (10kg instead of 162kg). And let's not forget that train travel is safer.

What about you? Try to book your tickets several weeks in advance (up to 3 months ahead for TGV journeys). The booking can always be altered or cancelled free of charge up till the day before departure. Check out our last-minute offers at www.voyages-sncf.com as well.

Train, plane or car? Compare the price, journey time and CO2 emissions for your next trip.

Use our "Eco-comparateur" service (new window)