What trains exactly are unvaccinated people in France banned from?

[capitalconnect]

In the news a couple weeks ago they were saying about how France is now banning unvaccinated people from going on any trains. But then another article was saying it was only long distance trains or high speed trains. So i am just wondering what exact trains are unvaccinated people banned from. I just can not seem to find a clear answer.

Over in France there are so many categories of SNCF trains:

• EUROSTAR
• EUROTUNNEL
• IDTGV
• INOUI
• INTERCITIES
• IZY
• LYRIA
• OUIGO
• RER
• TEOZ
• TER
• TGV
• THALYS
• TRANSILLIEN

So does anyone know which ones of these are banning unvaccinated passengers and which ones are not?

Then to make things even more complicating i believe that SNCB/NMBS/NGBE and RENFE and Trenitalia and Deutsche Bahn and RZD all run trains in France as well so what is the policy with these ones?

Also considering local and long distance trains share stations and even share the same platforms how exactly are they enforcing this? Are they employing people to stand by every set of doors on the train? Or are they doing it some other way?

I am not planning to travel to France at the moment but am simply curious? Does anyone know? Has anyone been there recently and can report on how things are being done?

 

[eastdyke]

From SNCF.

Covid-19: Travel with confidence

In response to the Covid-19 pandemic and French government directives, we’re taking special measures to keep you safe in our stations and aboard our trains.

www.sncf.com

Extract:

Which trains require a health pass?​

Since Monday 9 August, you must have a health pass to board any TGV INOUI, INTERCITÉS or OUIGO train to destinations in France, or any long-distance international train departing from France. These new requirements do not apply to RER or Transilien commuter trains, or TER regional trains operating in France.

 

[biko]

So does anyone know which ones of these are banning unvaccinated passengers and which ones are not?

It's not a ban on unvaccinated passengers: it is required to present a so-called 'pass sanitaire', which can either be a proof of vaccination or a negative test result of at most 48 hours before showing it.

Then to make things even more complicating i believe that SNCB/NMBS/NGBE and RENFE and Trenitalia and Deutsche Bahn and RZD all run trains in France as well so what is the policy with these ones?

With respect to Thalys and Eurostar, you need a 'pass sanitaire' in any case because they cannot be used for journeys wholly within France and for entering France, Belgium or the UK one needs to present at least some kind of vaccination proof or test result.

Deutsche Bahn runs local cross-border trains if I remember correctly. These are probably seen as TER so don't require a 'pass sanitaire' as long as they are used domestically. ICE trains are equivalent to TGV, so passengers will need one.

The SNCB/NMBS/NGBE local services are classed as TER in France so don't require a pass.

Don't know enough about the others, but it seems clear as long as it is a long-distance train (basically always with mandatory reservations in France) a pass is needed, otherwise not.

Also considering local and long distance trains share stations and even share the same platforms how exactly are they enforcing this? Are they employing people to stand by every set of doors on the train? Or are they doing it some other way?

Has anyone been there recently and can report on how things are being done?

I can report next week about Thalys! I know that Thalys always has had people at every door for ticket checks, so probably their job has been expanded with checking the passes.

 

[XAM2175]

• EUROTUNNEL
• IDTGV
• LYRIA
• TEOZ

• Eurotunnel/Le Shuttle is not an SNCF service. They operate vehicle shuttles between the two Channel Tunnel terminals only. They are not counted as a long-distance operator for the purposes of the pass sanitaire, but passengers must comply with the relevant regulations for crossing between the UK and France.
• iDTGV ceased operating at the end of 2017.
• TGV Lyria is a co-operation between SNCF and SBB for services between France and Switzerland. The pass sanitaire is required as they are long-distance international services.
• Téoz branded services ceased operating at the end of 2011.

 

[30907]

RENFE and Trenitalia run local trains one stop over the border, so not relevant.
RENFE also run a couple of high speed AVE services which count as "long-distance international" (as do ICE/Thalys).

 

[TRAX]

It's not a ban on unvaccinated passengers: it is required to present a so-called 'pass sanitaire', which can either be a proof of vaccination or a negative test result of at most 48 hours before showing it.

It’s 72 hours now.

 

[capitalconnect]

Thank you very much for all the replies. That answers my questions. Well at least they have not extended it to RER and TER and Transilien trains as that would have been chaos trying to enforce it on those. Can i also ask what is the policy on French trains in other countries? Like for example is there any restrictions on using TGV trains entirely within Germany or other similar journeys where you stay outside of France but are using an SNCF high speed or long distance train? I can not seem to find the answer to this online?

 

[XAM2175]

Can i also ask what is the policy on French trains in other countries? Like for example is there any restrictions on using TGV trains entirely within Germany or other similar journeys where you stay outside of France but are using an SNCF high speed or long distance train?

I can't imagine this accounts for a large number of people, but it would be sensible to assume that the pass obligation exists.

Testing it now, SBB's journey planner shows this warning for a TGV service even though the planned journey is entirely within Switzerland:

Travel advice:​

Passengers travelling on French long-distance services (e.g. TGV, Thalys, Intercités) are required to carry a vaccination certificate (e.g. Swiss Covid certificate), a negative Covid test (antigen or PCR) or proof of recovery from Covid.. Among others, the Swiss Covid certificate, the French "Pass sanitaire" or other compatible digital Covid certificates of the EU are recognised.
Travellers without such proof may be refused from travelling in France.
No proof is required for journeys on regional and suburban services (TER, RER, Léman Express).

Further information​

• SBB CFF FFS - Corona international

 

[biko]

Within Switzerland it's not needed. The TGVs are treated as any other domestic train, so Swiss rules apply. The quote does confirm this: it says that passengers without proof may be refused from travelling in France, so not in Switzerland.

 

[capitalconnect]

I can't imagine this accounts for a large number of people, but it would be sensible to assume that the pass obligation exists.

Testing it now, SBB's journey planner shows this warning for a TGV service even though the planned journey is entirely within Switzerland:

I would have thought large amounts of people would use the TGV services to get between places like from Karlsruhe to Stuttgart to Munich and from Mannheim to Saarbrucken to Frankfurt etc as it is a fast service. If the French passes are required that sounds like it must cause a lot of chaos as i doubt many Germans would have these.

Within Switzerland it's not needed. The TGVs are treated as any other domestic train, so Swiss rules apply. The quote does confirm this: it says that passengers without proof may be refused from travelling in France, so not in Switzerland.

That makes sense. Good to hear it is not required within Switzerland only. Although i wonder how they enforce it on journeys starting in Switzerland as people travelling domestically and to France will both be boarding.

 

[DanielB]

If the French passes are required that sounds like it must cause a lot of chaos as i doubt many Germans would have these.

Within the EU the digital COVID certificate of each country should be useable anywhere. That QR-code contains your data of vaccination (or of testing), so that required timings are different shouldn't be a problem. (To make it easy the maximum age of a test differs from country to country, the same is the case with the required waiting time after full vaccination to get a green tick mark)

 

[Austriantrain]

I would have thought large amounts of people would use the TGV services to get between places like from Karlsruhe to Stuttgart to Munich and from Mannheim to Saarbrucken to Frankfurt etc as it is a fast service. If the French passes are required that sounds like it must cause a lot of chaos as i doubt many Germans would have these.

They aren’t required. Cross-border TGV/ICE trains are DB trains within Germany, so can be used according to German rules (outside of Covid, this means: no compulsory reservation).

 

[dutchflyer]

Those very few FRench trainsets are-as in CH or in fact about any other EUR country where they may run-considered by century old INternational train rulings as run by the relevant state train company. In DE they are just nicely organised in and not any faster as the many more ICE trains over the same route.
Being now in FR on my 1st InterRail day I can confirm that f.e. the NoMaD trains Paris-Caen Cherbourg are now considered TER and hence no checks. A local longer distance single 3 car TER diesel set Caen-Tours was packed to the gills and many standing-the final big ´end the holidays´weekend coming up.

 

[Cdd89]

With respect to Thalys and Eurostar, you need a 'pass sanitaire' in any case because they cannot be used for journeys wholly within France and for entering France, Belgium or the UK one needs to present at least some kind of vaccination proof or test result.

You don’t need to be vaccinated to enter the U.K., and you need to be tested either way.
That said, when I used Eurostar from Paris to London a couple of weeks ago, the French (departure) border control asked to see my pass sanitaire. I’m not sure why but assumed it was related to the requirements on rail travel.

 

[biko]

You don’t need to be vaccinated to enter the U.K., and you need to be tested either way.
That said, when I used Eurostar from Paris to London a couple of weeks ago, the French (departure) border control asked to see my pass sanitaire. I’m not sure why but assumed it was related to the requirements on rail travel.

Exactly, I was referring to the fact that all countries’ entry requirements are also valid as pass sanitaire, so it is a bit academic whether one is needed for those trains.

Has anyone been there recently and can report on how things are being done?

My experiences so far with Thalys are that the police checks the pass sanitaire at arrival at Paris-Nord but not very thorough, just a check of the QR-code, not the passport.

 

[TRAX]

My experiences so far with Thalys are that the police checks the pass sanitaire at arrival at Paris-Nord but not very thorough, just a check of the QR-code, not the passport.

It’s the Schengen zone, why would they check passports ?

 

[DanielB]

It’s the Schengen zone, why would they check passports ?

Passport checks are not border related, but just an identity-check to verify the QR-code is issued to the same person as the one who's showing it.

 

[capitalconnect]

Thank you for the further information. How odd that they check this pass when alighting in Paris. Considering the journey has finished it seems pointless to check whether someone has a health pass or not. Or maybe it is more a money making exercise where they are looking to dish out fines to people without this pass.

 

[Austriantrain]

Thank you for the further information. How odd that they check this pass when alighting in Paris. Considering the journey has finished it seems pointless to check whether someone has a health pass or not. Or maybe it is more a money making exercise where they are looking to dish out fines to people without this pass.

More likely that they will have them take a COVID test and have them self-quarantine. At least, that’s how it works in Austria if you don’t have a Green pass coming from a Country where it is required from.

 

[TRAX]

Passport checks are not border related, but just an identity-check to verify the QR-code is issued to the same person as the one who's showing it.

France doesn't check the identity of the code-owner, be it in restaurants or anywhere else.

 

[dutchflyer]

Short update after 3 days of Interrail Travel-in by now 11 different journeys 2 of which in TGV and now in the 2nd Hotel to stay:
TRAIN: in fact its quite easy- trains that NEED to be reserved= by now any long distance, have the Pass check-in theory All other trains are TER=local and without. In the 2 TGV rides I did, both far away from Paris on outer legs, there was no check on it-and in fact also no ticket check inside the trains too-rides of 1hr50 and 1 hr 45 mins. One of this started in Nantes and there were barriers for a special TGV platform-an ideal place to carry out a check like that, but none. You need a French style ticket with a longer QR-type barcode or Pr@H or fone/app to franchise the gates. Thus you cannot anymore sneekily slip in with just an InterRail and tell them you did not know you needed another 10 eur ticket for the Reservation.
(for those seeking out any other case: in the far north are a few shorter TER-GV trips from Lille to Calais/Dunkirk, unreserved, with a 2 eur surcharge only but with proper TGV stock on the fast line- I assume it is treated for ease as TER-local).
3 of those rides were single 3 car DMUs and packed to the gills-but much, much more as I am used to from NL nearly anyone held their mask, kept it up the proper way and also on platforms and in the station. Including the types that would not dream to do that in NL.
Also did 2 regional bus rides and quite different from NL or DE there were no large shields to protect drivers, normal ticket sale and no seats fenced of in the front. In fact except for a poster here and there nothing different from before covid!
Hotel: the 1st I stayed had a big poster telling you need that pass-san, but when I asked about it, they told me it was only for the restrt. In fact indeed many restrt-real ones, for sit-down, have a member of staff posted to inform and check prospective guests.

 

[big_rig]

My experience and that of some friends who have been over as well has been that passes aren’t checked on trains in France. I had mine ready on the TGV when having my ticket checked on board and the conductor specifically said he never checked any of them and to pop it away. Sit-down restaurants are the only place they’ve checked them in my experience but others may differ!

 

[TRAX]

My experience and that of some friends who have been over as well has been that passes aren’t checked on trains in France. I had mine ready on the TGV when having my ticket checked on board and the conductor specifically said he never checked any of them and to pop it away. Sit-down restaurants are the only place they’ve checked them in my experience but others may differ!

They're random checks.

 

[Jim the Jim]

No checks of any covid documentation at all on the TGV Lille to Brussels today (or on the Thalys train to Holland after).