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South-west France offers €10-per-day unlimited rail travel

Check out France's beautiful south-west this summer with a €10-per-day unlimited rail pass, created by local authorities to help people explore the region.

South-west France offers €10-per-day unlimited rail travel
Albi, south-west France. (Photo by Lionel BONAVENTURE / AFP)

Occitanie, in south-west France, has created a €10 per day rail pass that allows travellers and holidaymakers unlimited travel on local trains the length and breadth of the region.

The pass is valid on local TER services run by the Occitanie region and allows travel on 19 rail lines to all of the region’s 150 stations.

The Occitanie Rail Tour Pass offers unlimited rail travel for between two and six consecutive days from Lourdes to Nîmes, Perpignan to Rodez – and all points in the region in between.

The pass will be valid on all 19 liO rail lines, from all 150 stations in all 13 départements across the region. It cannot be used on the high-speed TGV trains or on Intercité or night train routes.

Additionally, the region’s liO buses can take passengers to parts of the region the train can’t reach for an additional €2 per trip.

The rail pass is intended to open up a region that stretches from the Pyrenees and Mediterranean in the south to the Massif Central in the north, taking in towns and cities including Toulouse, Montpellier, Auch, Lourdes, Albi, Perpignan, Rodez, Narbonne and Nîmes.

The Occitanie region in south-west France. Map: Wikicommons

The region is part of the historic area of Languedoc and is famous for well-preserved Medieval castles, beautiful coastlines, hearty cooking including traditional dishes like cassoulet and some Catalan influences from its neighbour Spain.

READ ALSO The best regional food and drink specialities in south-west France

The rail pass is available to buy now and tickets can be bought for dates until the end of July – although the offer could be extended. Buy here.

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TRAVEL NEWS

France’s SNCF to offer high-speed passenger links in Italy

French national rail operator SNCF said on Wednesday it planned to offer high-speed passenger services in neighbouring Italy from 2026, competing with rival Trenitalia on its home turf.

France's SNCF to offer high-speed passenger links in Italy

“Italy is a natural market for high speed, with 56 million passengers per year,” said Alain Krakovitch, head of intercity TGV (high-speed train) services at SNCF Voyageurs.

“But it’s a market that’s yet to mature, with many passengers still to bring in.”

SNCF plans eventually to offer nine daily return services between Turin, Milan, Rome and Naples, as well as four Turin-Venice trains.

The French heavyweight moved into Spain with intercity services in 2021, and has seen Trenitalia itself look to pick up business in France on the profitable Paris-Lyon line.

SNCF hopes to claim 15 percent of the Italian high-speed market within a decade, or 10 million passengers per year.

In Spain, it has built its passenger base to 20 percent with its low-cost Ouigo service.

European business already accounts for one-third of SNCF’s annual high-speed revenues, or €3 billion.

The publicly owned firm is also responding to explosive demand for rail travel at home in France.

READ MORE: MAP: Where high-speed trains can take you in France

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