SNCF Connect: one app, a thousand ways to travel this summer!
What if you gave this year's summer holidays a breath of fresh air! Closer to home, but just as inspiring.
At a time when the French are looking for nature, simplicity and local discoveries, SNCF Connect, the all-in-one sustainable mobility service, is the smart way - the essential platform - to organise and manage travel, find inspiration and encourage people to choose less carbon-intensive transport.
How does it work? By suggesting routes from over 40 operators; by offering practical and clever features (alerts, real-time traffic information, etc.); by inspiring travellers with travel ideas; and by offering SNCF Connect users the chance to discover accessible, less popular destinations that are still available at the last minute, via the 'Dare to improvise' operation.
ALTERNATIVE, LESS CARBON-INTENSIVE TRAVEL: A GROWING PRIORITY
81% of travellers think that sustainable tourism is important, and 74% of French people have chosen France for their summer holidays[1]. Fewer kilometres, more meaning: proximity, flexibility and environmental impact are now decisive criteria.
But where should we go? Which route should we take? Which mode of transport? These are just some of the questions that holidaymakers may ask; SNCF Connect has the answers.
On sncf-connect.com/article/agir, SNCF Connect offers a wealth of ideas for car-free getaways, combining several less carbon-intensive modes of transport with over 40 operators. From suggested routes to eco-friendly accommodation and good deals, the site is a precious mine of information for all those who want an alternative way to travel, with lesser-known places, micro-adventures or slow and economical getaways.
As an all-in-one platform for sustainable mobility, SNCF Connect is there to guide all their passengers' desires, just like 'dupe destinations', an expression used to designate more affordable and often more virtuous alternatives to ultra-popular destinations.
[1] Sources: Statista mai 2025, and Discurv pour GreenGo
EVEN AT THE LAST MINUTE: 'DARE TO IMPROVISE'
To explore France off the beaten track, SNCF Connect is running the 'Dare to improvise' campaign this summer (from 19 June to 19 August) to promote both well-known and lesser-known destinations all over France that are easily accessible via less carbon-intensive modes of transport (over 40 different transport operators are sold on SNCF Connect) to SNCF Connect customers.
It's a way of providing travellers with tips, ideas for low-carbon routes, etc. around 6 major themes:
- Nature & Discovery: to explore different regions that focus on preserving their natural heritage, such as Rodez;
- Villages et cités de caractère: to journey into the heart of picturesque villages like Aigremont in Occitania;
- History and heritage: to explore destinations with history going back millennia;
- Discovering the lakes: to try your hand at swimming far away from the coast;
- La Loire à Vélo: easy access by train or public transport to starting points for cycling routes along the banks of the Loire, from Orléans via Tours or Saint-Nazaire;
- Slow Travel: to take the time to discover areas that combine nature and heritage, such as the Cathar Country.
SNCF CONNECT TIPS AND TRICKS FOR A SUCCESSFUL SUMMER
In addition to providing a healthy dose of inspiration, SNCF Connect facilitates the complete organization of summer holidays, from the first to the last kilometre. As much more than a platform for selling train tickets or a transport aggregator, SNCF Connect lets you find the right route, book your journeys, combine your TER and public transport connections, find a car hire, a taxi or private hire vehicle, a car share, a long-distance bus or even accommodation (thanks to a partnership with ALL, Accor's reservation platform and loyalty programme), etc. And all in one place!
A few examples of practical features for this summer:
- You don't know where to go, but you're on a budget: the 'low price' alert for budget travel.
Once you find inspiration, simply go to the SNCF Connect website and/or app and log in to your customer account to create a 'low price' alert. This feature allows you to set up alerts for specific journeys, so that you'll be notified and/or sent an e-mail (depending on your choice) when tickets corresponding to your chosen journeys and budget are available for sale. All the alerts created can be viewed from the SNCF Connect account in the 'Available tickets alerts' section, then 'Low-price alerts'.
- You'd like to go to such and such a place, on such and such a day, at such and such a time, but the train you'd like to take is fully booked: use the 'full train' alert to be notified as soon as a seat becomes available.
If the desired train is fully booked, you can tick the 'Be notified if a ticket becomes available' option. The service is restricted to 30 people on the waiting list per train. If the option is not displayed, the limit may have been reached. As soon as a seat becomes available, this solution informs the passenger that it is possible to book and purchase a ticket. This feature gives passengers an average 50/50 chance of taking the train they want.
- You'd like to pay with digital holiday vouchers: Chèques vacances Connect
In partnership with the Agence Nationale pour les Chèques-Vacances (ANCV), SNCF Connect offers the possibility of paying for train tickets with Chèques-Vacances Connect, the digital version of Chèques-Vacances.
To find out more about all SNCF Connect features (urban mobility services in around sixty urban areas, route search from the first to the last kilometre, etc.) , a press kit is available: here.