The Pass Calculator

Pass or tickets? Let's do the maths.

Add your journeys and we'll compare every France and Global Pass size, plus the seat reservation fees nobody mentions, against ordinary SNCF tickets. We'll even tell you which days to spend the pass on.

1

Who's travelling?

2

When are you booking tickets?

SNCF prices rise as trains fill up, which is where a pass earns its keep.

3

Your journeys

Tick "same day" for journeys taken on one travel day — a pass covers unlimited trains within a day. Know the real fare? Type it in and the verdict updates.

How the maths works

No black box

Real ticket estimates

Each route uses typical 2nd-class SNCF fares for early and last-minute booking, researched in September 2026. Type in a real fare and we'll use that instead.

Reservation fees included

A pass doesn't include seats on TGV, Ouigo or most Intercités trains. We add a typical pass-holder reservation fee to every journey that needs one.

Smart day-picking

We try every pass size and spend it on the travel days where it saves most, so cheap regional hops stay as ordinary tickets. Then we pick the cheapest plan, which is sometimes no pass at all.

An estimate, not a quote. SNCF pricing is dynamic and pass prices change by season, so always confirm live prices before you buy. The calculator covers 2nd class only, and it doesn't include SNCF discount cards (the Carte Avantage) or Ouigo's extra luggage fees.