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 don’t wear a mask, you are subject to a €135 fine.
  • bring your ticket, your railcard or pass, and an ID.
  • bring your vaccine pass. If you cannot present a vaccine pass, you are subject to a €135 fine.

Combine your vaccine pass and your ticket in a single QR code

Learn more

Staying safe together

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

  • Aboard TGV and Intercités trains, catering service is suspended 3-23 January 2022.

  • 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

Keeping you safe on our overnight trains

In response to the Covid-19 pandemic, we’re taking special care to protect you aboard our overnight trains:

  • trains are cleaned every day with the appropriate cleaning products
  • we’re practicing social distancing by allowing space between occupied couchettes.

Please remember that you are required to wear a mask throughout your journey. In addition, occupancy of couchette compartments is limited to 4 passengers (down from the usual 6 in 2nd-class coaches) with pillows placed at opposite ends to maximize the distance between passengers. In coaches with reclining seats, only one in 2 seats is occupied.

We disinfect each train between journeys, and areas of your train that are in contact with passengers’ hands are disinfected regularly during your journey.

Public health measures in the station and during boarding

To keep you safe, we’ve adapted our 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.
  • During boarding, SNCF employees and law enforcement officers will verify that each passenger has a vaccine pass as required.
  • 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: © Bertrand Jacquot

Exchanges and refunds

TGV INOUI and INTERCITÉS 

Ticket exchanges and refunds are free up to 3 days (inclusive) before your departure date. If you exchange your ticket for a higher fare, you must pay the difference. Exchanges and refunds made less than 3 days before departure are subject to a fee. For TGV INOUI, the fee is €15. For INTERCITÉS requiring booking, the fee is 40% of the ticket price or €12, whichever is lower.

These terms apply to TGV INOUI, INTERCITÉS, and international TGV service: TGV France-Italie, DB/SNCF partnership, TGV Luxembourg, TGV Freiburg, Renfe/SNCF partnership and TGV trains between Brussels and French cities other than Paris.

For travel between France and Switzerland with TGV Lyria, exchanges are free until your train departs.

Access the latest information on exchanges and refunds