The single ticket for French plane and train journeys
Travelling from a French city to an international destination can mean navigating between a train ticket, a flight booking and a potentially stressful connection at the airport.
But there is an option that lets you book the whole journey on a single ticket and it is now being expanded to include Ouigo trains – a low-cost train brand launched by the French rail operator SNCF.
Air France and the French rail operator SNCF have been combining their networks for more than 30 years, allowing passengers to travel by train to Paris airports before continuing their journey by air.
The service, known as “Train + Air”, has traditionally focused on high-speed TGV trains. But the two companies announced recently that this combined ticket would be extended to selected Ouigo services serving the Paris-Charles de Gaulle airport.
READ MORE: Ouigo: Everything you need to know about France’s low-cost trains
How does it work?
Imagine you live in Marseille and are flying from Paris to New York – rather than booking a train from Marseille to Paris separately from your flight, you can search for the entire journey through Air France.
The train to Charles de Gaulle is included in the same booking as your flight, effectively making the train journey part of your connection. The advantage is that you have greater protection if something goes wrong.
It’s no secret that trains can be delayed, and flights can be missed, but under the “Train + Air” arrangement, passengers whose journey is disrupted can be rebooked onto the next available departure at no additional cost. If you book the train and flight separately, by contrast, you could be left paying for a new ticket if a delay causes you to miss your flight.
More trains are being added but service stays limited
The partnership between Air France and SNCF is not new. But the addition of Ouigo trains means the scheme is potentially accessible to more passengers looking for a cheaper rail option.
Ouigo is SNCF’s low-cost high-speed train service and serves more than 70 destinations in France and elsewhere in Europe. However, only Ouigo trains that stop at Paris-Charles de Gaulle are eligible for this “Train + Air” service.
In reality, relatively few trains actually serve Paris-Charles de Gaulle airport. According to SNCF, the “Train + Air” offer currently covers 27 French stations connected with the airport.
Passengers travelling from cities including Lyon, Bordeaux and Strasbourg can therefore benefit from the service, while travellers in many other parts of France will still need to book their train and flight separately.
Although the service stays limited, according to Air France, the “Train + Air” service has been growing rapidly. Passenger numbers increased by 43 percent in the first quarter of 2026 compared with the same period the previous year. The airline expects the addition of lower-cost Ouigo services to make the option even more attractive.
