'Cheaper Than SNCF, With Top-Tier Service': Trenitalia's Paris–Marseille Debut Is Right on Track
The Italian rail competitor to France's SNCF now connects Paris with Avignon, Aix-en-Provence, and Marseille. With summer holidays approaching, the operator offers fares from €27 and promises quality onboard service. We joined its maiden voyage.
If there were ever a clear image of the opening up of rail transport competition, this would be it: on the same platform, an SNCF Ouigo train facing a Frecciarossa, Trenitalia's high-speed train. Just nine minutes apart, on Sunday June 15th, shortly before 6 a.m. at the Paris-Lyon station, both trains are preparing to speed off at 300 km/h toward the same destination: Marseille.
A small revolution for travelers. With the end of SNCF's monopoly on the Paris–Marseille route, travelers now have a choice between two operators for their journey. The Italian company, already operating on the Paris-Lyon-Milan route since late 2021, now offers four daily round trips on the Mediterranean line, with stops at Lyon Saint-Exupéry, Avignon TGV, and Aix-en-Provence TGV stations. By comparison, SNCF offers 16 round trips daily with its TGV inOui and Ouigo services.
Slashed prices and complimentary snacks
"This isn't just any journey. You are the first passengers on our very first train to Marseille," announces the train manager at the 5:54 a.m…
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