Is the train cheaper in France than in our European neighbours?

As the French prepare to leave for the summer holidays, as the railway opens up a little more to competition with the Spanish Renfe, and as the level of frequentation of the lines promises to be a new record, the price train tickets once again raises criticism.

Asked about this on France Info on Thursday, the Minister of Transport, Clément Beaune, said that trains were on average cheaper in France than in neighboring countries. The CEO of the SNCF, Jean-Pierre Farandou, for his part indicated on Friday on France Inter that it was “really possible to find tickets at moderate prices”. If many French people turn pale when buying their tickets on SNCF Connect, it is nevertheless true, according to data from the Transport Regulatory Authority (ART) for 2021.

For 100 kilometers, according to ART, the SNCF thus received an average of 8 euros excluding tax per passenger in 2021, reductions included, for journeys in trains approved by the State or the regions, i.e. TER, Intercités and Transilians. This rate is similar to that charged in Belgium. In Germany, these tickets cost an average of 11.26 euros for 100 kilometers, and more than 16 euros in the Netherlands.

Only Spanish and Italian trains cost less in this case than French trains.

This advantage is explained by the high rate of subsidy enjoyed by these lines in France: excluding TGV, rail obtains 75% of subsidies, against less than 70% in the rest of European countries.

For freely organized trains, i.e. TGV inOui, Ouigo, Lyria, Eurostar and Thalys in France, the statement remains true. The French railway even has the lowest prices, just after Spain. But in detail, it is the Ouigo tickets, whose service and comfort are of lower quality, which lower the average French price. According to the CEO of the SNCF, Jean-Pierre Farandou, they represent one in four places in the TGV.

Excluding Ouigo, the price excluding taxes in 2019 of a TGV trip was thus rather around 10.80 euros, and 16.40 euros excluding taxes for international TGVs.

Finally, if one wants to evaluate the price of a train ticket according to purchasing power, the statement still holds. By dividing the average price of a train ticket by the median salary of each of the countries and multiplying the result by 100, we obtain a ratio, which gives the weight represented by the price of a ticket on the median budget in the country concerned. The French ratio is respectively 0.4 (for contracted trains) and 0.49 (for freely organized trains), which makes it one of the lowest.

Only Belgians have a better ratio between their median salary and the price of a train ticket, with 0.35.

But this Belgian advantage only applies in Belgium for contracted trains. For freely organized trains, the purchasing power of Belgians collapses, with a ratio of 1.06. Italy and France retain the best positions.

To take advantage of this advantage, you still need to know how to “play with commercial instruments”, admitted Jean-Pierre Farandou. The CEO of SNCF therefore recommends that travelers on a low budget book their journeys well in advance, give priority to Ouigos, and obtain a discount card, such as the Carte Avantage, adopted by 4.5 million French this year.