Overview

SNCF Voyageurs is France’s national rail operator, running TGV INOUI high-speed services in France and to selected European destinations, TER regional trains, and INTERCITÉS day and night services. This page covers TGV INOUI, INTERCITÉS and TER services. OUIGO, SNCF’s low-cost rail service, and TGV Lyria, the SNCF/SBB France–Switzerland service, are covered on their dedicated pages.

Luggage

TGV INOUI & Intercités

Passengers may bring 2 pieces of luggage (maximum 70 × 90 × 50 cm each) and 1 item of hand luggage (maximum 40 × 30 × 15 cm). Alternatively, passengers travelling with special luggage may bring 1 standard piece of luggage + 1 special item + 1 hand luggage item. Special items, such as a folded pushchair, folded scooter or musical instrument, must not exceed 90 × 130 × 50 cm. Passengers must be able to carry all their luggage themselves in one go.

Non-compliant or excess luggage may result in an additional charge of €50 minimum per item, up to €150. Luggage must not obstruct aisles, doors or other passengers.

TER (regional)

No size limit—bring your luggage onboard without restriction, provided you handle it yourself and don't obstruct others.

Labelling your bags is mandatory on all French trains—affix a label with the passenger's full name.

Bicycles

• TER: Free, assembled or folded, subject to seat availability. Rush-hour restrictions Mon–Fri 7–9am and 4:30–6:30pm.
• Intercités: Mandatory reservation. €10/bike/trip (most routes); €5 on Toulouse–Hendaye, Nantes–Lyon, Nantes–Bordeaux; free on Clermont–Béziers.
• TGV INOUI: Folding bikes as hand luggage (max 130×90cm folded) or disassembled in a case (same size) travel free, no reservation. Fully assembled bikes: €10/bike/journey. Tricycles, tandems and cargo bikes not allowed.
• TGV INOUI to Italy: Free if foldable/dismantled and bagged, max 1.30m × 0.90m, no reservation needed.

Car transport ("Auto/Train") is arranged directly with the operator, not through Rail Europe — see the Man in Seat 61's Motorail guide for details. Note this differs from Eurotunnel, where you stay with your car.

Station transfers

• Paris: allow at least 1 hour between the city's mainline stations. Gare du Nord → Gare de l'Est: 10-minute walk. → Gare de Lyon: RER D, ~7 min. → Gare d'Austerlitz: Metro 5, ~20 min. → Gare de Bercy: RER D + walk/Metro 14. → Gare Montparnasse: Metro 4, up to 30 min. → Gare Saint-Lazare: RER E, ~30 min.
• Lille: Lille Europe ↔ Lille Flandres is under 10 minutes on foot. Arrive 30 minutes early at Lille Europe for Eurostar connections.
• Lyon: allow 45–60 minutes. Part-Dieu ↔ Perrache: Tram T1 (~25–30 min). Part-Dieu ↔ Saint-Exupéry Airport: Rhônexpress tram (~30 min).

Boarding & check-in

• TGV INOUI: arrive 20 minutes early (strict 2-minute cutoff). Reservation mandatory. Major stations use automated e-ticket/QR gates; others check onboard. Photo ID required.
• Intercités (day & night): arrive 20 minutes early. Reservation mandatory with assigned seat/berth. Night trains include a complimentary kit (mask, earplugs, wipes) and a conductor wake-up call.
• TER: no fixed arrival requirement; reservations only needed on two specific Fluo routes; tickets checked onboard only.
• Boarding gates: be ready to board at least 2 minutes before departure.
• Assistance: pre-book via SNCF's dedicated accessibility form, or call 3212 / +33 (0)9 72 72 00 92 from abroad (8am–8pm French time), quoting your 6-letter booking reference. Stations offer elevators, mobile ramps, sound loops and Braille signage.

Reading your ticket & collection

Key fields on a French ticket: Dossier Voyage (PNR) — SNCF's own booking reference, sometimes needed for delay claims; the barcode (keep flat and clearly printed); journey summary (stations, times, seat/coach); the La Garantie Voyage™ on-time commitment for TGV/Intercités; and e-ticket terms covering printing, luggage labelling and ID.

Self-service collection: at any of 1,400 bright-yellow (or white, newer) SNCF machines nationwide — not just your departure station. Select the UK flag, then "File and Electronic ticket collection" → "Collection with a file reference number", enter your 6-character PNR and the lead passenger's surname exactly as on the confirmation email, then print.

Rolling stock note: TGV Duplex

TGV Duplex are SNCF's double-decker high-speed trains. The booking system flags when your selected train is a Duplex ("This is a double-decker (Duplex) train!"). You can indicate an upper/lower deck seating preference on the ticket details page, though it isn't guaranteed — this preference is often unavailable on combined Eurostar–TGV bookings from London (workaround: search the Paris-onward leg separately).

Night trains (Intercités de nuit)

SNCF's overnight network runs from Paris-Austerlitz to Toulouse, Tarbes, Albi, Aurillac, Cerbère, Latour-de-Carol-Enveitg, Nice and Briançon. Accommodation: 1st class couchettes (6-berth), 2nd class couchettes (4-berth), or reclining seats. Groups can privatize a cabin at a premium where available.
Live service note (carry over, don't hard-code as permanent): the Paris–Latour-de-Carol night service was suspended after a landslide near Foix in Feb 2026 — verify current status before publishing.

Refunds & claims

• Delay compensation: select "Train Delay," confirm eligible service (TGV INOUI, Intercités, TGV Lyria, ICE, Nightjet), create an SNCF login if needed, and then verify your PNR/surname. Delays over 60 minutes let you choose cash (bank details) or a voucher; 30–60 minute delays default to a voucher. You'll receive a claim reference "R" + 8 digits.
• Checking claim status: tout-oui.sncf.com → "Follow my request" → enter your "R" reference and the email used to submit.

Food & drinks on board

• TGV INOUI: Food and drinks are available to purchase onboard on many services. Depending on the train, passengers can visit the onboard bar or order selected items using SNCF's onboard services.
• Intercités: Catering facilities vary by train and route. Some services offer onboard refreshments, while others may have limited or no catering.
• TER: Food and drink services are generally not available onboard regional trains. We recommend purchasing refreshments before boarding.

Catering options can vary by route, train and time of travel, so onboard availability is not guaranteed.