New Pass rules on SNCF Trains

The government is considering extending the Pass until next summer.

This is the standard email that has always gone out. Many people have reported boarding with no problem but is has always been that whether you are allowed to board a train with a CDC card is up to the person checking. Additionally, it says that the Pass could be spot checked at any time (subtext would be that it could also not be checked at all or checked multiple times). Sometimes it's checked at boarding, while other time it's not checked at all. The CDC card has never been official.

I know this doesn't give you an answer one way or another, but the decision is yours to see if your CDC card is accepted or to take a test as assurance.

“The validity of the health pass is checked by flashing the QR code via the TousAntiCovid application or by visual verification for supporting documents without a QR code.”

This info on their site appears that the CDC card will be sufficient. Personally, I might take a covid test if not being able to board would be a huge interruption in your trip.

Well Jojo Rabbit, if you are going to Paris, and want to visit the Louvre, you have to hope you get the pass. Otherwise you wil have to pay about $75 for two tests above the cost of visiting the Louvre. They are not accepting the CDC card.

If I don't get my pass, and I'm told I have to take a test every 48 hours, I'll just leave France. There are plenty of countries that aren't treating their visitors this way.

When I first applied for my pass, it stated that passes were being processed on an average of 19 days. Now it's up to 25 days. And considering some passes get done in one day, I'll be many will get their passes when they return from their trips or not at all.

If the French government really wanted to encourage tourism, they would set up centers where people who could not get the pass online, could show up and get it.

You can't just walk in and get a test. You have to make an appointment. And who knows how long that could take depending on where you are.

JoJoRabbit......without a pass, it is up to the individual owner of the establishment whether or not to allow you in. Every place you mentioned requires the pass.

JoJoRabbit......without a pass, it is up to the individual owner of the establishment whether or not to allow you in. Every place you mentioned requires the pass.

I would like to hear what people who have been there recently are experiencing with this, if a CDC card suffices. I understand there is the law, and then there is what is actually done, and I fully understand that it may be required at the Louvre and other large public venues I have no intention of visiting, but i am curious what others have found at cafes, etc., especially in Paris.

“If the French government really wanted to encourage tourism, they would set up centers where people who could not get the pass online, could show up and get it.”

Absolutely right. The government implements a system but doesn’t hire
enough people to process applications in a timely, logical way. So incredibly aggravating.

It is not true that you need an appointment to get a COVID test; there are tents all over Paris where you can walk up and get the test. Free for locals; 29 for tourists. We got the pass in 12 days; people are reporting that CDC cards are working most places.

janettravels....do those "tents" get you a pass sanitaire or just give results.

And for a two week trip, I would have to get 5 tests at $33 each (I converted from Euros.) Why should I have to pay $165 to get the pass when others are getting it for free. That's fair?

I can't take the chance of being turned away from the TGV, and losing my ticket, because the French government can't get their act together. I know the pass is no needed for TER trains but I can't get a response from SNCF as to whether or not they will still honor my CDC card alone. Especially since the rules changed today.

It's very simple. I change trains in Paris from a TER to a TGV. I have plans for more TGV trains over the next two weeks. If I am not allowed on my TGV train because I don't have the pass, I will head to the airport and leave France. I will lose the TVG ticket, and the cost of that night's hotel, but it is more the principle with me. I'm not asking for special privilege. Just to be treated like any other person visting their country.

Some of you may think I'm crazy but I don't like being taken advantage of. And France is not that important that I must visit it.

Frank, were you or someone you know denied entry to the Louvre with only a CDC card? There are a very large number of reports of the Louvre accepting a CDC card and I have not previously seen any post by anyone denied entry for only having a CDC card, despite the words on the Louvre website.

The rules are constantly changing. Today some rules got stricter.

Here is the information from the Louvre's website:

https://www.louvre.fr/en/visit/covid-19-advice-for-visitors

@JoJoRabbit, I was in Paris from September 21st to September 27th. I was not asked for a pass at any retail establishment that I entered and I went to quite a few. Some of them requested that I use their hand sanitizer before entering but that was it. I'm not even sure if passes are required for retail establishments and if that is the case not having one would obviously not matter. I was asked for my pass at La Madeleine, the Bastille Opera House, and the Orsay. At La Madeleine the people ahead of me had CDC cards and the person checking for passes did not know what they were but it took all of about a minute for a colleague to explain what they are to her and she let the people in. For restaurants, about 70% of the places I went to asked for the pass. On a couple of occasions, I saw Americans without passes and they showed their CDC cards and there was no problem. Of course, this is from two weeks ago and things could change.

"...extending the pass until next summer." Good, If that turns out to be true, I'll gladly know what to expect come next summer when I get back to France.

Rules haven't changed since the implementation of the Pass but the number of cases has decreased 75%. Now, 85% of the over 12 population is fully vaccinated, and we are living normal lives, albeit masked.

We've heard many reports of the CDC card being accepted. It's not official, and no rules have changed since the implementation, except in a few departments where some rules are being lifted due to the improved health situation.

I would be frustrated too waiting with uncertainty to receive a document we were told is required, even if others use the CDC card. Those of us living here all have stories about dealing with tangled bureaucracy, antiquated IT, and then after pulling our hair out, finding a way to get around it, such as the way travelers are using the CDC card. We just sort of keep on going despite the frustration. This is a side tourists don't see usually. Bienvenue.

To answer Jojo: I can't answer. I have a pass, as does everyone I know. So we've never tested the CDC card. I'm in the south, not Paris.

Frank, as Bets writes, the rules haven't changed. The Louvre has long said a health pass is required. What do you think changed today?

According to a vast number of posts here, on tripadvisor and on flyertalk, the Louvre accepts the CDC card. I've yet to see a reliable report to the contrary. The number of reports from anywhere in France of places not accepting the CDC card are minimal.

Things may change at any moment and there are no guarantees that there won't be a problem. However, as of the moment there is no reason to be unduly concerned about using a CDC card. If for some odd reason a place demands a health pass, you can get tested at a large number of places, with quick results, and have an official health pass good for three days.

I'm not going to the Louvre but the rules for them is in writing--only the Pass Sanitaire. It's like people who come here asking about whether or not their carry on will be allowed. Some people say they always get their carry on okayed even though the rules say no. But that doesn't guarantee you will get yours on. I've been knows to go over the speed limit and never got a ticket. That doesn't mean if you do it you won't get a ticket.

I'm not worried about restaurants. My problem is with the trains. I have several TGV train trips planned. If I am denied entry, chances are I will miss my train and have to take a later one. So, I lose the fare on that train, then I have to pay to get a Pass by taking a test and it's only good for three days. And then I have to buy another ticket on a different TGV train. That could come out to a few hundred Euro.

My trip was for two weeks. Why should I have to pay for a test every three days when others are getting their pass for free? It's not like I was late. I applied weeks ago and have heard nothing. Others, with arrival dates after mine, are getting their passes in one day or less. It's not my fault that I can't get the pass when I followed all the rules. And I refuse to be extorted into paying for numerous Covid tests just for the privilege of visiting France.

The problem I have is it's not a fair system. Anecdotal evidence of who may or may not accept the CDC card is irrelevant. Unless it is in writing, no one has to approve it. And the French railroads keep it ambiguous by saying all you need is a "green pass" proving vaccination. But there is no clarification as to what constitutes a "green pass."

My trip is to mostly smaller towns. Reports on other travel boards are reporting that the CDC card is not being accepted in many small towns. I don't want to have to arrive to be told no you can't sit in a restaurant, or the one sight I wanted to visit won't let me in because I don't have a pass. Granted, this too is anecdotal, but it is more negative than positive.

I tried sending an email to SNCF about whether or not I can use the CDC card on TGV trains but I keep getting an error message saying their mailbox is full. I also tried sending their Facebook page a message but it will be at least until Monday before I hear anything if at all.

I now have a back up plan in case I don't get the Pass in time and i'm denied entry onto the TGV. I also plan, next week, to resubmit my application daily, during French business hours, hoping I get lucky.

When I travel, I show respect to people and the country I am visiting. All I ask is that the country show me the same respect as a visitor. France is the only country in Europe forcing their non-EU visitors such as Americans, Canadians, Japanese, to jump through hoops.

Before I booked my trip to France, I had bad feelings about this portion of my entire trip. First, one of my day tours was canceled even after it was confirmed. Now, trouble with the pass. Perhaps it's a sign telling me to limit my time in France.

On va voir and thank you for letting me vent.

My trip is three months long. I am used to long trips and changing plans on the fly. France was supposed to be two weeks of the trip, maybe three. If I need to cut that to three days, so be it. I'll manage it and I'll survive. Most countries in Europe are much more welcoming. I've been to France a few times and if it doesn't work out now, so be it. More time in Italy.

Then go ahead and reschedule/replan your trip for peace of mind! This country is not famous for administrative efficiency and no amount of complaining will change things... Thankfully France will not go away, and there are plenty of other places you can visit with less perceived hassle.
Plus I am pretty sure you can get most of your money back if you cancel your TGV ticket, as cancellation conditions have been eased a lot in the current period (unless it is a Ouigo).

"Thankfully France will not go away" Yes. You got it. What's the expression , "C'est un endroit."

Fred, this is a perfect opportunity for a Gallic shrug!

Yes, the "proverbial Gallic shrug. " I had that done to me on my first trip to Paris in a post office by an older woman employee in 1973. Bravo !