Blog
A family camping holiday without a car is possible, and the train can even work out cheaper than the car if you use the right discounts. The SNCF’s Carte Avantage Family is the key tool for parents: a discount for adults, a larger one for children, and capped fares on the main lines.
How the card works, what it costs, when it pays off and how to combine train and camping: here is our guide to working out your savings before you leave.
| Information | At a glance |
|---|---|
| Price | €49 a year |
| For whom? | One parent travelling with one to three children aged 4 to 11 |
| Adult discount | 30% for the cardholder and one accompanying adult |
| Child discount | 60% for up to three children aged 4 to 11 |
| Trains covered | TGV INOUI and Intercités, excluding OUIGO |
| Bonus | Capped fares in second class depending on journey length |
The card, sold for €49 for one year, is personal and aimed at parents travelling with young children. Under the current conditions, it entitles you to:
Children under 4 travel free if they do not occupy a seat. Conditions change regularly, so check them on SNCF Connect before buying the card.
The card pays for itself as soon as the discounts obtained exceed its €49 price. For a family, this threshold is often reached on the first round trip. Here is a simple example, using purely indicative prices: for a journey where an adult ticket costs €60 and a child ticket also costs €60, a family of two adults and two children would pay €240 without a discount. With the card, the adults would pay €42 each and the children €24 each, a total of €132: €108 saved on a single trip, more than twice the price of the card.
The method is always the same: compare the total price of your tickets with and without the card, across all the journeys planned for the year. Summer holidays, long weekends and school holidays are usually enough to make it pay off.
Many campsites can be reached by train, with a station nearby and then a bus, taxi or shuttle, sometimes provided by the campsite itself. A few tips for a car-free stay:
To find low-cost accommodation, see our selection of budget campsites across France.
For a family with young children who takes the train at least once a year, the Carte Avantage Family is almost always worth it. Work it out on your actual journeys, compare with OUIGO and the car, and choose a campsite that is easy to reach from the station.
€49 for one year, under the conditions in force in 2026. Check the price on SNCF Connect when you buy.
30% for the cardholder and one accompanying adult, and 60% for one to three children aged 4 to 11, on TGV INOUI and Intercités.
No, OUIGO trains are excluded. Still, always compare with their fares, which are sometimes lower on certain routes.
As soon as the discounts obtained exceed €49. For a family with two children, this is often the case on the first round trip.
TER trains are subject to regional fares, which offer their own family discounts depending on the region.
Yes, by choosing a campsite close to a station or served by a bus, and opting for rental accommodation to travel light.
Campsites marked “Partner” are Aimer Camper members and are shown first. All results match your search.
