A new railway operator arrives in France

It is the Spanish railway operator Renfe that is arriving to compete with SNCF on the rails of France. An attractive fare will accompany the company’s debut.

The opening to competition on the French rails continues to bring new foreign companies. This summer, Renfe makes its appearance on the tracks, allowing connections between France and Spain.

A France-Spain Connection

The trains of the Spanish firm will initially operate in the south of France, with two routes: Madrid-Barcelona-Marseille, as well as Barcelona-Lyon. There will be stops in the cities of Gérone, Figueres, Perpignan, Béziers, Narbonne, Avignon, and Aix-en-Provence.

Attractive Prices

Tickets will be available from 9 euros to cross the border by train. It will cost about 19 euros from the Southeast of the country to reach our Spanish neighbors. Tickets will be more expensive departing from Marseille or Lyon, with prices around 29 euros.

This is not the only railway operator to enter France

As early as December 2021, another railway operator appeared on the French rails. It was Trenitalia, an Italian company. It operates mainly on the Paris-Lyon-Turin-Milan route. The company welcomed 1,000,000 passengers during its first year of operation on French soil.

A Lower Ticket Price

The arrival of the Italian company has led to a decrease in ticket prices on the Lyon-Paris route. According to Trainline, prices dropped by 8% in the last quarter compared to the same period last year.

Even better, for the Paris-Milan route, the ticket price has decreased by 17%. Today, a ticket for traveling from Paris to Milan on July 22 with the SNCF will cost at least €149, compared to €135 with the Italian company.

Also read: Train: 60,000 Interrail passes offered for traveling in France and Germany