Ouigo Classic Train: SNCF’s Low-Cost Service
This page is translated from the original post "Ouigo Train Classique : le service low-cost de la SNCF" in French.
- 13/04/2022 15:00
More affordable prices but slower trains: SNCF launches a new option to travel at lower costs.
The SNCF introduced its new low-cost Ouigo Train Classique on April 11. Pink Corail trains now operate on the Nantes-Paris-Nantes and Lyon-Paris-Lyon routes.
The main appeal of this new service is financial. Specifically, an adult will pay between €10 and €30 for a ticket depending on the route and date chosen. For children under 12, Ouigo Train Classique has set a fixed fare of €5, regardless of the route or date. The baggage option is free until the end of the year, after which it will cost €5. Travelers can change their tickets, but it will cost €10. Cancellations are not allowed.
Pink Corail trains
However, be aware that these competitive prices come with some trade-offs. The trains used are not TGVs but refurbished Corail trains. Travel times inevitably increase: expect between 4 hours 45 minutes and 5 hours 15 minutes for a Paris-Lyon trip, compared to about 2 hours on TGV. For Paris-Nantes, the journey lasts between 3 hours 30 minutes and 4 hours 15 minutes.
By way of comparison, a driver takes 4 hours 30 minutes to drive from Paris to Lyon. For Paris-Nantes, the driving time is approximately 3 hours 40 minutes.
Currently, Ouigo Train Classique offers 2 round trips daily on the Paris-Nantes route and 1 round trip daily on the Paris-Lyon route. The service will expand from mid-May with 5 additional round trips on both routes.
Ongoing trial phase for the Ouigo service
In Paris, trains heading to Lyon depart from Bercy station. They stop at Villeneuve Saint-Georges (starting mid-May), Melun, Dijon Ville, Chalon-sur-Saône, Mâcon Ville, and Lyon Perrache.
The Paris-Nantes line departs from Austerlitz station. Two routes are available:
- Juvisy, Massy Palaiseau, Versailles Chantiers, Chartres, Le Mans, Angers Saint Laud, Nantes
- Juvisy, Les Aubrais, Blois Chambord, Saint Pierre des Corps, Saumur, Angers Saint Laud, Nantes
The SNCF has a two-year period to assess the viability and profitability of this new service. If successful, new destinations may be added.
Read also: Trenitalia enhances its train service between Paris and Lyon
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