https://feeds.thelocal.com/ Read the latest news and views from France in English en-us news@thelocal.com (TheLocal) webmaster@thelocal.com (TheLocal) TheLocal RSS Feed Travelling by train is one of the best ways to see France. Here - from railcards to sales - is how you can make it even better by cutting the cost of your ticket. https://www.thelocal.fr/20211029/how-to-find-cheap-train-tickets-in-france Fri, 29 Oct 2021 15:20:06 +0200 how-to-find-cheap-train-tickets-in-france There was both good news and bad for those who plan to travel or commute by train in France on Friday. https://www.thelocal.fr/20211216/latest-how-train-strikes-in-france-will-hit-rail-travel-on-friday Thu, 16 Dec 2021 19:03:18 +0100 latest-how-train-strikes-in-france-will-hit-rail-travel-on-friday Paris commuters are urged to avoid travelling into the capital by train in the run up to the weekend, with regular RER and regional Transilien services cut by third, on average, due to a two-day strike. https://www.thelocal.fr/20211216/commuters-in-paris-urged-to-avoid-trains-as-two-day-rail-strike-begins Thu, 16 Dec 2021 09:05:25 +0100 commuters-in-paris-urged-to-avoid-trains-as-two-day-rail-strike-begins A strike has hit regional rail services in France as members of two unions walk out as part of a pay dispute. https://www.thelocal.fr/20211117/sncf-staff-walkout-hits-regional-rail-services-in-france Wed, 17 Nov 2021 11:16:25 +0100 sncf-staff-walkout-hits-regional-rail-services-in-france France's train operator SNCF has announced that several high-speed TGV trains in the west of the country will be cancelled this weekend, as rail workers strike. https://www.thelocal.fr/20211021/train-strike-to-disrupt-travel-in-france-this-weekend Thu, 21 Oct 2021 19:09:24 +0200 train-strike-to-disrupt-travel-in-france-this-weekend French national train operator SNCF has announced it will no longer sell water in plastic bottles on its services, saying the move would reduce the waste from roughly two million drinks. https://www.thelocal.fr/20211015/french-trains-ditch-plastic-water-bottles Fri, 15 Oct 2021 13:36:38 +0200 french-trains-ditch-plastic-water-bottles You may think it’s early, but there’s less than three months to the holidays. https://www.thelocal.fr/20211006/sncf-opens-ticket-sales-for-christmas-rail-journeys-in-france Wed, 06 Oct 2021 15:50:03 +0200 sncf-opens-ticket-sales-for-christmas-rail-journeys-in-france An old and underfunded railway network directly is responsible for delays which are turning French people off train travel, according to a study from consumer group UFC-Que Choisir published on Tuesday. https://www.thelocal.fr/20211005/the-french-lose-340-million-minutes-per-year-due-to-avoidable-train-delays-says-consumer-group Tue, 05 Oct 2021 12:08:59 +0200 the-french-lose-340-million-minutes-per-year-due-to-avoidable-train-delays-says-consumer-group France's train operator SNCF has announced the expansion of its budget Ouigo services, while creating a new 'pink Ouigo' with a maximum price of €30 for any journey. https://www.thelocal.fr/20210924/france-to-expand-low-cost-ouigo-train-services Fri, 24 Sep 2021 17:52:31 +0200 france-to-expand-low-cost-ouigo-train-services France has undertaken its first tests of the hydrogen-powered trains which are set to replace diesel trains along several regional lines. Here's what you need to know about this "zero emission train". https://www.thelocal.fr/20210924/5-things-to-know-about-the-hydrogen-trains-coming-to-france Fri, 24 Sep 2021 12:23:23 +0200 5-things-to-know-about-the-hydrogen-trains-coming-to-france France's national rail operator SNCF has scrapped plans for a controversial renovation of Europe's busiest train station, Paris Gare du Nord, in the run-up to the 2024 Olympic Games. https://www.thelocal.fr/20210922/french-rail-operator-scraps-plans-to-revamp-paris-gare-du-nord-station Wed, 22 Sep 2021 11:46:02 +0200 french-rail-operator-scraps-plans-to-revamp-paris-gare-du-nord-station Since March 2020, travellers in France have been able to exchange or cancel train tickets up until the last minute without being charged. This policy has come to an end, French rail operator SNCF has announced. https://www.thelocal.fr/20210913/frances-sncf-ends-free-last-minute-refunds-on-train-tickets Mon, 13 Sep 2021 18:56:12 +0200 frances-sncf-ends-free-last-minute-refunds-on-train-tickets The French train operator SNCF has introduced a new travel pass aimed at workers in France who only go into the office two or three times a week, with passengers able to save 40 percent on travel. https://www.thelocal.fr/20210910/french-train-operator-sncf-launches-new-season-ticket-for-remote-workers Fri, 10 Sep 2021 17:03:50 +0200 french-train-operator-sncf-launches-new-season-ticket-for-remote-workers As France's health pass is set to be extended to bars, restaurants and long-distance train and bus travel from August 9th, what does it mean for people travelling around the country? Here’s what you need to know. https://www.thelocal.fr/20210729/what-are-the-rules-for-travelling-around-france-this-summer Thu, 29 Jul 2021 13:28:48 +0200 what-are-the-rules-for-travelling-around-france-this-summer As France lifted rules limiting travel for leisure and tourism purposes, national rail company SNCF released 5 million rail tickets for prices up to €39. https://www.thelocal.fr/20210503/5-million-train-tickets-for-under-e39-as-france-lifts-travel-restrictions Mon, 03 May 2021 18:58:52 +0200 5-million-train-tickets-for-under-e39-as-france-lifts-travel-restrictions Two months of transportation strikes at the end of 2019/start of 2020 caused widespread chaos in France, but a possible change in strike rules means that future disputes could be even more disruptive. Here's why. https://www.thelocal.fr/20210118/why-rail-strikes-in-france-could-cause-even-more-chaos-in-2021 Mon, 18 Jan 2021 10:38:59 +0100 why-rail-strikes-in-france-could-cause-even-more-chaos-in-2021 Daily connections between Geneva and the French capital will be reduced starting on Monday, September 28th. https://www.thelocal.fr/20200922/fewer-trains-circulating-between-switzerland-and-paris-from-september-28th Tue, 22 Sep 2020 12:00:55 +0200 fewer-trains-circulating-between-switzerland-and-paris-from-september-28th Europe's busiest train station, the bustling Gare du Nord in Paris, appeared set for a colossal facelift after regional authorities on Tuesday approved a divisive 600-million-euro ($678-million) overhaul. https://www.thelocal.fr/20200707/colossal-renovation-of-paris-gare-du-nord-gets-green-light Wed, 08 Jul 2020 01:20:36 +0200 colossal-renovation-of-paris-gare-du-nord-gets-green-light French rail services ground to a halt in parts of the country Sunday as workers walked off the job for a third day in a dispute over train staffing levels. https://www.thelocal.fr/20191020/french-trains-still-disrupted-on-sunday-by-wildcat-strike Sun, 20 Oct 2019 17:51:22 +0200 french-trains-still-disrupted-on-sunday-by-wildcat-strike If you are a regular user of French trains, you might have noticed that in addition to a mass of disgruntled passengers waiting to buy their tickets this week, there have also been people timing the queues. Here's a look at why. https://www.thelocal.fr/20190703/why-are-queues-being-timed-at-french-train-stations-this-week Wed, 03 Jul 2019 13:23:10 +0200 why-are-queues-being-timed-at-french-train-stations-this-week