Regional trains in France (TER)

Alsace Grand Est TER train in France, Transportation in Alsace, train in Alsace, public transport in Alsace

Regional trains in France are designated as TER (Transport express régional). All regional and local trains operated by SNCF Mobilités (the French national railway company) are TER trains, except in Île-de-France, where the Transilien brand is used, and in Corsica, where trains are managed by Chemins de fer de la Corse (CFC). However, TER trains organized by neighboring regions serve Parisian stations.

TER Regional Trains in France

TER services are largely subsidized by French taxpayers. On average, 72% of the cost is covered by the state and regional councils, while travelers pay only about 28% of the cost. This cost tends to increase over time because regional councils steadily increase the number of services.

The low profitability of the TER system is primarily due to how services are used by the traveling population: commuter transport in the morning and evening, but significant periods of the day trains run half-empty. Additionally, the number of passengers is not very high; there are, on average, only about 66 passengers per train.

There are also several tourist routes operated by regional TER trains:

Tourist Trains in France:

Chemins de fer de Corse (Corsican trains): trains run from Bastia and L’Île-Rousse to Ajaccio.
Train des Merveilles (Train of Wonders): trains travel through the hills of Nice between the metropolis and Tende.
Saint-Gervais — Vallorcine Route (Mont Blanc Express)
Cerdagne Route / Train Jaune (Yellow Train): trains run from Villefranche-de-Conflent to Latour-de-Carol-Enveitg (near the borders of Andorra and Spain).
Autorail Espérance (Hope Railcar): a gastronomic train between Bergerac and Sarlat.
Chemin de fer du Blanc-Argent: runs between Valençay and Salbris.
Train des Alpes (Alps Train): trains run between Marseille and Briançon (Intervilles trains), as well as between Gap and Grenoble.
Ligne des Hirondelles (Swallows’ Line): between Dole and Saint-Claude.
Ligne de la Côte Bleue (Blue Coast Line): suburban trains from Marseille to Miramas or Avignon TGV through the Blue Coast bays.

Travel time in TER

Typically high-speed TGV trains are significanlty faster than TER. Nevertheless TER can be comparable if not making intermediate stops. You often can feel how fast are TER trains. Considering the difference in price tickets for TGV and TER, sometimes is is worth to loose few minutes and save twice more than being the fastest.

Tickets for Regional Trains in France

Usually tickets for TER trains are like 50% cheaper than for TGV. You can buy tickets for regional trains in France either at the station (at the ticket office or machine) or online on the official website / in app on your mobile phone.

Prices may vary significantly depending on the time and train occupancy, so it’s better to buy tickets in advance, at least a month before. At the same time, regular short distance trains have constant price. Thus, if you miss your train or arrived earlier, you are allowed to use another train (but with the same ticket price!!!).

Seat reservations on TER trains are not required: you just take any available seat. In high-speed TGV and Intercité trains, seat reservations are mandatory!

IMPORTANT: Tickets must be validated before boarding at the special yellow machines located at the stations!

Comfort of Regional Trains in France

If you plan to travel by regional trains in France, it can generally be a very affordable and quick option, and often quite comfortable (though it depends on what you compare it with). Personally, I had to stand in the train just once.

Regarding seat comfort and service… Well, it varies. For example, on a train along the French Riviera from Nice, there was only one open toilet in the whole train (but without water!), and it wasn’t particularly clean, with the door jammed, causing a poor tourist to knock and ask for help. Not the best experience.

Also low-floor train are not widely spread. For example, in so much loved Alsace mainly represented by high-floor trains. So if you are travelling with kids it can be a small disaster.

Another disadvantage that in some trains smell is not so nice. So cleanless of trains can be under question.

But at the same time you might be lucky and travel in a very good train with comfortable seats getting completely different impression.

Luggage storage

As for luggage, things are not very great either: after terrorist attacks, all left-luggage facilities were removed from stations. In some cities some small shops near the train station decided to provide storage service for a fee, but this only can be used during working hours of this shop. Means, actually, no storage service on Sundays!

Access

And not all stations are equipped with escalators and elevators (even in well-known cities on the French Riviera, you’ll have to walk briskly up and down rather narrow stairs with your suitcase or a stroller).

France is working on making accessible environment for people, so situation is changing and getting better. Many station are reorganized to have barrier-free access from the street and platforms are equipped with an elevator.

Main problem currently remains high-floor TER trains, but people often are ready to help you to get in and out with a stroller.

Useful links:

TER trains in France by regions:

Grand Est (Alsace, Lorraine, Champagne):

Occitaine (Midi-Pyrenees, Langedoc-Rousillon)

Auvergne – Rhone-Alpes

On the map below, BUS routes are marked in green, and train routes are only blue.

Provence – Cote d’Azur – Alpes Maritimes

Regional trains in Provence and Cote d’Azur are not very common: you can take a train along the coast, but you’ll have to go inland by bus. All the most beautiful villages of the Luberon are only so-so accessible by bus, only in high season and only a couple of buses a day. But in other cases, the train can turn out to be a much more convenient alternative to other transport: it is not particularly expensive and it does not need to stand in traffic jams, which in the high season can be everywhere along the coast (especially from Saint-Raphael to Saint-Tropez – there even in September the road is clogged).