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SNCF launches flash sale of 450,000 TGV tickets at 45% off
Offer marks 45 years since the first TGV and runs until Thursday, for travel in October and November
SNCF is selling 450,000 TGV tickets at a 45% discount to mark the 45th anniversary of their first commercial high-speed train. The flash sale begins today (Tuesday October 6) and ends on Thursday (October 8).
The first TGV entered commercial service between Paris and Lyon on September 27 1981, and the rail operator has built the sale around the number 45.
Where and when you can travel
The discount applies to first and second class. Tickets for the Paris-Lyon route are valid for journeys between 16 October and 30 November 2026.
For all other destinations in France and Europe, the travel window is shorter, running from 2 to 30 November. This offer excludes the All Saints' (Toussaint) school holidays unlike the Paris-Lyon dates.
It covers TGV Inoui services across mainland France and to Spain, Italy, Luxembourg and Belgium, as well as TGV Lyria trains to Geneva. It also applies to TGV Inoui and ICE services run jointly with Deutsche Bahn to Frankfurt, Stuttgart, Mannheim and Karlsruhe in Germany.
Ouigo, the low-cost service, is not included.
Prizes on board
From 12 October to 15 November, passengers on some TGV Inoui and Ouigo trains will also be able to enter competitions. Prizes include 20,000 Ouigo vouchers, two trips for two people in first class on a TGV Inoui worth €1,000 each, and 10 smartwatches.
Three billion passengers since 1981
SNCF says more than three billion passengers have travelled by TGV in 45 years. When it launched, it changed the face of rail travel and tourism in France, cutting the Paris-Lyon journey to 2h40 (later reduced to about two hours).
A second-class single from Paris to Lyon cost 160 francs in 1981, equal to almost €69 in today's money once inflation is taken into account. That is within the range of current fares of around €50 to €110, depending on the departure date. The price rose to 200 francs in 1983 and 236 francs in 1987.
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