France bans short-haul domestic flights

12 comments
  1. **Journeys that are possible in two-and-a-half hours by train will be closed to domestic flights. The ban will affect travel between Paris and cities such as Nantes, Lyon and Bordeaux.**
    France has banned domestic flights for journeys possible in less than two-and-a-half hours by train, under a government decree published Tuesday, May 23. The change will mostly rule out air trips between Paris and regional hubs such as Nantes, Lyon and Bordeaux, with connecting flights unaffected, though critics have noted that the cutoff point is shy of the roughly three hours it takes to travel from Paris to the Mediterranean port city Marseille by high-speed rail.
    The law does specify that train services on the same route must be frequent, timely and well-connected enough to meet the needs of passengers who would otherwise travel by air – and able to absorb the increase in passenger numbers. People making such trips should be able to make outbound and return train journeys on the same day, having spent eight hours at their destination.

    **Read the full article here:** [**https://www.lemonde.fr/en/france/article/2023/05/23/france-s-short-haul-flight-ban-comes-into-force_6027699_7.html**](https://www.lemonde.fr/en/france/article/2023/05/23/france-s-short-haul-flight-ban-comes-into-force_6027699_7.html)

  2. Finally, the TGV’s slowness in PACA is playing dividends!

    In principle I don’t actually have an issue with this, but in reality it gives SNCF a monopoly and means that they can hike fares and ripoff consumers.

  3. Cool. Now apply it to rich people too. OR heavily and appropriately tax/penalize any domestic flights they make then you get a “good job” Mr. Macron

  4. I love this idea in theory, but realistically it will just mean people choosing to fly through Heathrow, Amsterdam, or Frankfurt instead of CDG to get to those cities.

    If you’re already in Paris though, its senseless to take a flight to Lyon. Between getting to the airport early and the commute time, you’re basically at the train duration already.

  5. Not doable in Germany (all trips a single ICE ride):

    Stuttgart -> Berlin: 5h 32min

    München -> Berlin: 4h 34min

    Frankfurt -> München: 3h 23min

    Frankfurt -> Hamburg: 4h 22min

    Munchen -> Hamburg: 6h 40min

Leave a Reply