Understand
Split tickets
Splitting a journey into two tickets can cost less than one end-to-end ticket. Here is how it works, when it pays off, and what you risk.
How it works
To go from A to C, changing trains at B, you can buy a single A → C ticket, or two tickets: A → B, then B → C. The two parts of the journey do not always have the same operator or the same fares, and the two tickets together sometimes cost less than the single one.
An example, with the official price ranges
Take Paris → Annecy, in 2nd class, without a discount card. The figures below are the minimum and maximum prices published by SNCF as open data. They are not the prices on a specific day.
| Ticket | Train | Price | Type of price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single ticket: Paris Gare de Lyon → Annecy | TGV INOUI | €25.50–124 | Official SNCF range |
| First ticket: Paris Gare de Lyon → Lyon Part-Dieu | OUIGO | €16–99 | Official SNCF range |
| Second ticket: Lyon Part-Dieu → Annecy | TER | ≈ | Estimate: SNCF no longer publishes TER fares as open data |
At its cheapest, the first ticket costs €16 instead of €25.50 for the whole journey. Splitting the journey at Lyon therefore pays off if the TER ticket costs less than €9.50, and only on days when both lowest prices are available. Otherwise, the single ticket remains the best choice.
When it pays off
- When one part of the journey is served by a low-cost train (OUIGO, for example) and the other is not.
- When you have time: the connection between two tickets must be generous.
- When your tickets are exchangeable, or cheap enough that you could accept losing one.
When it does not
- When the price difference is small: a few euros do not make up for the risk.
- When you must arrive at a precise time (an exam, a flight, an appointment).
- When it is the last train of the day: if you miss it, there is no other.
- When you travel with children, heavy luggage or someone who has difficulty getting around.
The risks
The connection is not guaranteed. Since 7 June 2023 (European Regulation 2021/782), tickets bought separately are separate contracts. If the first train is late and you miss the second, the operator does not have to put you on the next train, nor refund the second ticket.
With a single ticket, it is the opposite: the operator must get you to your destination. That is the guarantee you give up when you split the journey.
What one-go does
For now, one-go does not yet compare single and split tickets automatically. This page gives you the principle so you can do it yourself: search for the whole journey, then for each of its parts, and compare the prices on the operators' websites.
If you split your journey, allow at least 45 minutes for the connection, and read the risks above again.
one-go does not sell tickets. The exact price is checked on each operator's website, at the time of purchase.