Covid-19: Travel with confidence

In response to the Covid-19 pandemic and French government directives, we’re taking special measures to keep you safe in our stations and aboard our trains. Here’s everything you need to know.

Updated on

5-minute read

Planning your travel

When you travel you must: 

  • wear a mask throughout your journey. If you do not wear a mask, you are subject to a €135 fine.
  • bring your ticket, your railcard or pass, and an ID.
  • have an exemption certificate (attestation de déplacement dérogatoire) in areas that require one.

To use your ticket, you must comply with the French government’s travel directives.

To learn more, please visit the Interior Ministry website

Planning your journey at an SNCF ticket window or sales office

Hours at SNCF ticket windows and sales offices may vary due to the unprecedented conditions created by Covid-19. If you need to get information, plan or change a journey, or exchange tickets, please use:

  • the Assistant SNCF app and/or the OUI.sncf app and website
  • the self-service machines near the entrance to your station

If you need to plan an upcoming journey, please make an appointment with one of our advisers as required by public health guidelines.

Make an appointment on line

Staying safe together

It’s up to all of us to follow public health guidelines, so that everyone can travel with confidence.

  • All adults and all children ages 11 and older must wear a mask in our stations and aboard our trains. Law enforcement and Railway Security officers will check for compliance at the entrances to major stations, and if you do not wear a mask, you are subject to a €135 fine.
  • You may purchase masks and hand sanitizer from vending machines and in-station shops. You’ll also find hand sanitizer in nearly 200 dispensers installed in 120 stations.
  • The SNCF employees on hand during your journey will wear masks to protect everyone.
  • The Ministry for Solidarity and Health also recommends downloading the TousAntiCovid app and using it to protect yourself and the people around you.
Photo credits: © Maxime Huriez / SNCF

Public health measures in the station and during boarding

To keep you safe, we’ve adopted new in-station crowd flow measures and modified our boarding procedures. Here’s what’s new:

  • Law enforcement and Railway Security officers are now positioned at station entrances to ensure that everyone wears a mask in stations and aboard trains.
  • In large stations, inbound and outbound foot traffic are kept separate.
  • New floor markings promote social distancing in waiting areas, under the main departures and arrivals boards, at self-service machines, on escalators and on platforms, and we’ve installed queue management solutions in front of sales areas and shops.
  • Posters and loudspeaker announcements remind everyone to practice social distancing.
  • We’ve stepped up cleaning and disinfecting procedures in stations and aboard trains.
Photo credits: © Maxime Huriez / SNCF

Ticket sales

To avoid having to wait in the station, please buy your tickets remotely whenever you can, using the Assistant SNCF app and/or the OUI.sncf app and website.

Assistant SNCF

Access the full range of transport options—train, car with driver, metro, bus and more—all the way to your final destination.  Let us take care of your journey, from booking to boarding.

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Exchanges and refunds

For detailed information on terms for exchanges and refunds, please visit the OUI.sncf website.

Access the latest information on exchanges and refunds

1 For OUIGO trains, free exchanges and refunds are available until 90 minutes before departure.