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PUBLIC TRANSPORT

How will France’s version of the German €49-a-month train ticket work?

France is to get its own rail pass, modelled on Germany's famous €49 ticket - although some details are still TBC, here's what we know about how it will work.

Published: 13 September 2023 13:35 CEST
TER trains at Lille train station
TER trains at Lille train station. (Photo by Philippe Huguen / AFP)

France is slated to introduce a €49-a-month unlimited transport pass for people under the age of 27 this summer, according to an announcement in early April by France’s transport minister, Patrice Vergriete.

“This is excellent news for the 700,000 young people who will benefit from it during the summer period,” the minister of transport told the French press, noting the single subscription-rate rail ticket would be seasonal and available at some point this summer, with further details to be announced.

READ MORE: France on track to launch €49 rail pass this summer

Here’s what we know – and what we don’t – about the scheme.

When?

As of April, the French press reported it would come into effect during the summer of 2024.

The ‘Pass Rail’ is set to become available for purchase starting on June 15th, via SNCF-Connect. According to BFMTV, a government information website with additional details will be put online shortly.

The pass itself will, however, only be available during the summer period, between July and August.

How much?

In keeping with the German version, the French single ticket will cost €49 a month, but it will only be available to people under 27 years old.

Who pays?

For the plan to succeed, the government has needed to get the regions onside, as they have had the authority to set their own fees since 2017. 

In early March, the government announced that the state would cover 80 percent of its cost for the unlimited rail pass, estimated to be around €15 million. The rest would have to be covered by the regions, which caused controversy during negotiations for the initial experiment.

In contrast, in Germany, the scheme has been financed equally by the federal government and individual regions. It will cost the authorities there – and therefore taxpayers – €3 billion a year up to 2025.

Eventually the goal in France would also be for regions and the state to contribute 50/50 to the scheme, which could spell a rise in costs for travellers in other areas.

Where will the €49 ticket be valid?

Under the plan – and based on the German model – the new travel card will be valid on local and regional trains – Intercité and TER routes.

TGV and international services, however, will not be included.

As of April, it remained unclear whether city public transport (ie buses and trams) would be included.

One major change from the original announcement is translien trains in Île-de-France, the Paris region, will not be included in the 2024 version, but there are hopes they will be included in 2025 if the programme is renewed.

However, people will still be able to travel to and from the Paris region, but they will not be able to take local and regional Île-de-France trains using the pass.

There are other discount cards to choose from as well, including the SNCF Avantage card, purchased by 4.5 million French people for €49 annually, which offers a range of discounts depending on the region, holder, and date and time of travel. However, it is not accepted in the the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region.

How do you get one?

You can’t yet, but announcements are expected to roll out in the coming weeks to explain how to purchase the subscription.

Will there be further discounts for benefits recipients or young people?

Who knows? That will have to be part of the development of the Rail Pass – and probably part of the negotiations with the regions. Existing local and regional discounts could remain in place, for example. But, all that has to be confirmed.

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TRAVEL NEWS

Reader question: What will EES mean for foreigners living in Europe?

The EU's new Entry & Exit System (EES) of enhanced passport controls is due to come into force later this year, but among many questions that remain is the situation for non-EU nationals who live in the EU or Schengen zone.

Published: 27 April 2024 07:59 CEST
Reader question: What will EES mean for foreigners living in Europe?

Currently scheduled to start in autumn 2024 (unless it’s delayed again, which is not unlikely) the EU’s new Entry & Exit System is basically an enhanced passport check at external EU borders, including a facial scan and fingerprinting.

You can find a full explanation of the new system HERE.

Travellers crossing an external EU or Schengen border for the first time will be required to complete EES ‘pre-registration’ formalities including that facial scan and fingerprinting.

There are, however, several groups exempt from EES and one of them is non-EU nationals who have a residency permit or long-stay visa for an EU country.

So if you’re a foreigner living in the EU or Schengen zone, here’s what you need to know.

Exempt

One of the stated aims of EES is to tighten up enforcement of over-staying – IE, people who stay longer than 90 days in every 180 without a visa, or those who overstay the limits of their visa.

Obviously these limits do not apply to non-EU nationals who are resident in the EU or Schengen zone, which is why this group is exempt from EES checks. They will instead be required to show their passport and residency permit/visa when crossing a border, just as they do now.

In its explanations of how EES will work, the European Commission is clear – exempt groups include non-EU residents of the Bloc.

A Commission spokesman told The Local: “Non-EU citizens residing in the EU are not in the scope of the EES and will not be subject to pre-enrollment of data in the EES via self-service systems. The use of automation remains under the responsibility of the Member States and its availability in border crossing points is not mandatory.

“When crossing the borders, holders of EU residence permits should be able to present to the border authorities their valid travel documents and residence permits.”

How this will work

How this will work on the ground, however, is a lot less clear.

Most ports/airports/terminals have two passport queues – EU and non-EU. It remains unclear whether the non-EU queue will have a separate section for those who are exempt from EES.

It does seem clear that exempt groups will not be able to use the automated passport scanners – since those cannot scan additional documents like residency permits – but should instead use manned passport booths. However it is not clear whether these will be available at all airports/ports/terminals or how non-EU residents of the EU will be directed to those services.

There’s also the issue that individual border guards are not always clear on the processes and rules for non-EU residents of the EU – even under the current system it’s relatively commonly for EU residents to have their passports incorrectly stamped or be given incorrect information about passport stamping by border guards.

Brits in particular will remember the immediate post-Brexit period when the processes as described by the EU and national authorities frequently did not match what was happening on the ground.

The Local will continue to try and get answers on these questions. 

READ ALSO What will EES mean for dual nationals

What if I live in the EU but I don’t have a visa/residency permit?

For most non-EU citizens, having either a visa or a residency permit is obligatory in order to be legally resident.

However, there is one exception: UK citizens who were legally resident in the EU prior to the end of the Brexit transition period and who live in one of the “declaratory” countries where getting a post-Brexit residency card was optional, rather than compulsory. Declaratory countries include Germany and Italy.

Although it is legal for people in this situation to live in those countries without a residency permit, authorities already advise people to get one in order to avoid confusion/hassle/delays at the border. Although EES does not change any rules relating to residency or travel, it seems likely that it will be more hassle to travel without a residency card than it is now.

Our advice? Things are going to be chaotic enough, getting a residency permit seems likely to save you a considerable amount of hassle.

Delays 

Although residents of the EU do not need to complete EES formalities, they will be affected if the new system causes long queues or delays at the border.

Several countries have expressed worries about this, with the UK-France border a particular cause for concern.

READ ALSO Travellers could face ’14 hours queues’ at UK-France border

Where does it apply?

EES is about external EU/Schengen borders, so does not apply if you are travelling within the Schengen zone – eg taking the train from France to Germany or flying from Spain to Sweden.

Ireland and Cyprus, despite being in the EU, are not in the Schengen zone so will not be using EES, they will continue to stamp passports manually.

Norway, Switzerland and Iceland – countries that are in the Schengen zone but not in the EU – will be using EES.

The full list of countries using EES is: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.

Therefore a journey between any of the countries listed above will not be covered by EES.

However a journey in or out of any of those countries from a country not listed above will be covered by EES.

You can find our full Q&A on EES HERE.

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