France will launch a €49 rail pass after the success of the ‘Deutschlandticket’

France is set to launch a low-cost rail pass next summer.

The new €49 pass will offer passengers unlimited travel on TER regional services and intercity trains.

It follows on the success of Germany’s popular €49 public transport ticket.

Transport minister Clément Beaune revealed details of the plan earlier this week.

“It will be simple. French people – irrespective of their age – can buy this pass and have unlimited travel on an intercity or TER for a flat, inexpensive price,” he told France 2.

“The ideal is to have something a little like what the Germans and other European countries have … to encourage train use.”

With the pass set to launch next summer, here’s everything you need to know.

Pass-holders will pay a monthly €49 subscription fee for unlimited travel on TER regional trains and intercity trains.

TER trains connect local destinations within French regions and serve around 1.1 million passengers per day.

Popular TER routes include Bordeaux to Arcachon (which costs around €15) and Marseille to Toulon (€17). Commuters who make these journeys regularly could save hundreds of euros with a pass.

As the name suggests, Intercity trains run between French cities. They serve longer distance routes than TER trains, but are slower than TGV high speed trains.

Popular routes include Paris to Toulouse and Bordeaux to Nice.

If you book on the day, an intercity train ticket between Paris and Tolouse would set you back €94 - nearly double the planned price of the public transport pass - though tickets are less exorbitant if you book further in advance.

The pass will also cover local bus, metro, and tram travel, “if possible,” Beaune said. The full details have not yet been finalised.

The plan imitates the successful ‘Deutschlandticket’