Ouigo from 13 December: Nancy, Colmar, Mulhouse, Tarentaise

1. Nancy: the low-cost TGV returns to the city of Art Nouveau

Nancy and Champagne-Ardenne TGV: from 13 December 2026

From €19 (Paris–Strasbourg, one way) From 13 December 2026 One return trip a day Winter 2026-2027

The Métropole du Grand Nancy announces the return of the Ouigo TGV « from December 2026 » and a service with one daily return trip Paris–Strasbourg, stopping at Nancy and Champagne-Ardenne TGV (Métropole du Grand Nancy). The calendar comes from Ouigo’s official winter sales page: Nancy and Champagne-Ardenne TGV are served « from 13 December 2026 » (Ouigo).

The number of trains is still debated. The press mentions a third daily return trip Paris–Strasbourg serving Metz, Nancy and Champagne-Ardenne TGV, with no TGV INOUI cut. The media outlet InfoRadar, on the other hand, writes that two TGV INOUI services are being replaced. None of the sources we read publishes a timetable, and the official text does not settle the question. A written question filed at the French National Assembly on 16 June 2026 had already asked the government to confirm the announced reopening.

The headline fare of « from €19 » needs a careful reading: it applies to the Paris–Strasbourg line, which passes through Nancy, for a one-way ticket on a selection of trains, while seats last. It does not guarantee a fare to Nancy on every date.

Highlights

• Nancy-Ville station sits at the entrance to the centre, about ten minutes on foot from the heart of the city (tourist office estimate).
• Several Art Nouveau façades are a short walk from the station, including the Brasserie Excelsior and the Chambre de commerce on rue Victor-Poirel.
• Place Stanislas, a UNESCO-listed site, is within walking distance and houses the Musée des Beaux-Arts, home to the Daum collection.

Pixidia tip: no timetable for the Nancy service had been published when this article was written. Before booking, check the exact time on ouigo.com or SNCF Connect, and remember that the museums also have opening hours to check on site.

If you arrive by train without knowing the city, a guided tour is the simplest way to link the Art Nouveau façades scattered between the station and the centre, without planning the route yourself.

Art Nouveau visit to Nancy From €15 per adult (based on 2 adults) · ★ 4.8 (44 reviews)

Book your Art Nouveau tour

2. Colmar and Mulhouse: no direct Ouigo from Paris, a Strasbourg–Marseille line

Colmar and Mulhouse, served from 13 December

Strasbourg–Marseille line About 6 h (press) From 13 December 2026 Christmas markets in December

Ouigo’s official page announces that Colmar and Mulhouse will be served « from 13 December 2026 ». Specialist media add that this is a direct Strasbourg–Marseille service, without passing through Paris, with one return trip a day and stops announced at Colmar, Mulhouse, Belfort-Montbéliard, Besançon, Dijon, Lyon Part-Dieu, Avignon and Aix-en-Provence (Ulysse, France 3 Régions).

No direct Ouigo service between Paris and Colmar or Mulhouse is announced. According to the press, the Strasbourg–Marseille line takes around six hours: it mainly serves journeys between Alsace and the south of France. Detailed timetables are not published in the sources we consulted and still need checking on the Ouigo website.

For context, Colmar station handled a little under 5 million passengers in 2024 (Wikipedia EN). The city’s Christmas markets run from 23 November to 29 December 2026, and the gourmet market, with its big wheel, continues until 3 January 2027 according to consistent sources. Confirm the 2026 opening hours with the tourist office.

Highlights

• The Strasbourg–Marseille line serves both towns without going through Paris, according to the regional press.
• Colmar’s historic centre, a protected old quarter with half-timbered façades, is best explored on foot.
• Mulhouse hosts a Christmas market on Place de la Réunion, with free entry.

Pixidia tip: for a departure from Paris, compare the route via Strasbourg with TGV INOUI on SNCF Connect, because Ouigo timetables are not published in our sources. For Mulhouse, the Christmas market dates conflict between agendas: check them with the city before building an itinerary around them.

To widen your market programme, the Christmas markets in Europe 2026 guide covers other cities.

3. Tarentaise: Ouigo from 17 December, five stations until 29 March

Grenoble, Albertville, Moûtiers, Aime-la-Plagne and Bourg-Saint-Maurice

17 December 2026 to 29 March 2027 Paradiski domain open from 12 December Five stations served December to March

Ouigo’s official page gives the Tarentaise service as « from 17 December 2026 to 29 March 2027 inclusive » for five stations: Grenoble, Albertville, Moûtiers, Aime-la-Plagne and Bourg-Saint-Maurice (Ouigo). The Bourg-Saint-Maurice station page specifies that the Paris and Lyon lines run « every day from December to March only » (Ouigo, Bourg-Saint-Maurice station).

So 13 December does not apply to the valley. The Paradiski domain opens on 12 December, five days before the first Ouigo train. In the meantime, the way in is by TGV INOUI, night train or car. The end date, 29 March 2027, is the one on the official page; a third-party site gives 28 March, which should not be relied on.

Winter 2026-2027 timetables for these services are not published in our sources. The last timetable we read dates from the 2021-2022 season. An Ouigo page from the 2025 season cites a 36-minute Moûtiers–Bourg-Saint-Maurice journey and tickets « from €10 »: that is last year’s data, to be checked before any planning.

Highlights

• Bourg-Saint-Maurice gives access to the Paradiski domain, with Les Arcs, La Plagne and Peisey-Vallandry.
• Moûtiers is the gateway to the Courchevel, Méribel and Val Thorens valleys via the Altibus lines.
• From Albertville, Hauteluce, Les Saisies, Beaufort and Flumet are the resorts cited by Ouigo (blog page, commercial source).

Pixidia tip: no Ouigo Tarentaise fare is published in the official sources. One aggregator mentions « from €19 » for the season, but that figure is not confirmed: check it on ouigo.com or SNCF Connect once you have picked your date.

4. Paris to the Tarentaise: four ways to get there

Four options get you to the valley from Paris. The table below compares them on the data available. Durations come from third-party sites or journey planners, not official timetables: they give an order of magnitude.

The night train does not include the transfer between the station and the resort: you will need a shuttle, a taxi, or the funicular for Les Arcs. The car gives you freedom over timings, but winter Saturday traffic is heavy, especially between the A432 and the Saint-Quentin-Fallavier toll. To go further on night trains, the overview of new night train routes covers the European options.

5. Budget: what a trip really costs

The price shown on a ticket does not tell the whole story. The table separates what is official, what comes from the press and what still needs checking. Euro amounts include VAT.

Three tips follow from these items. First, buy the extra bag online when you book: at the counter, oversized luggage costs more. Next, if you travel with skis, the bag option is mandatory: one purchase covers both the bag and the skis. Finally, book early: according to the press, the lowest fares go as soon as sales open.

The ski pass is chosen separately from the train. The 2026-2027 season passes are on sale, with a discount of up to 40% announced for early purchase of 6- to 8-day passes, a condition not detailed in our sources. To widen the rail trip, the complete Interrail 2026 guide covers passes and routes across Europe.

6. The debate: a cheaper train, but at what cost to others?

The return of Ouigo is not unanimous. The Fédération nationale des associations d’usagers des transports (FNAUT), the national federation of transport user associations, challenges the way the network is developing. Its statement of 13 February 2026, picked up by TourMaG, relies on data from the Autorité de régulation des transports, the French transport regulator: between 2017 and 2024, Ouigo seats rose by 185% while TGV INOUI seats fell by around 13%. The FNAUT adds that the average Ouigo fare rose by 75%, against 8% for INOUI. These absolute values (€19.80, then €34.70) come from a press report, not from the text read directly. The FNAUT is a user federation that defends a point of view: its figures are quoted as its own.

SNCF replies through Alain Krakovitch, director of TGV and Intercités: according to him, 80% of the price increase comes from the wider offer (large Paris stations, longer lines), not from a rise at constant scope. Ouigo is on average 30% cheaper than TGV INOUI, a claim drawn from quotes published on LinkedIn and picked up by TourMaG. The sociologist Dominique Memmi, quoted in the press, describes the service as a « third class that does not say its name ».

On the traveller side, review aggregators give scores around 4.5 out of 5, with strengths in the design and the price. The negative reviews, which are more detailed, concern cancelled trains, refused refunds and comfort: one traveller describes a train that is « old and dirty ». These reviews come from commercial sites and should be read as a trend, not as a measurement.

For a reader looking for a ticket, these arguments matter less than three questions: how much does the full trip cost, what do you have to pay on top, and what alternative exists if the train is cancelled? The answers are in the sections above and in the FAQ.

7. From Bourg-Saint-Maurice station to the resorts

Les Arcs, Peisey-Vallandry and Moûtiers: the last kilometres

Funicular, about 7 min Free shuttles at Les Arcs Taxi or bus to Arc 1800 to 2000 Altibus lines from Moûtiers

From Bourg-Saint-Maurice station, the funicular reaches Arc 1600 in about seven minutes, with a departure roughly every twenty minutes and timings coordinated with the trains (Snowcarbon). The resort’s free shuttles then connect Arc 1600, Arc 1800, Arc 1950 and Arc 2000 every twenty to thirty minutes (Les Arcs). Buses and taxis serve Arc 1800, Arc 1950 and Arc 2000 directly, without going through the funicular.

From Moûtiers, Altibus lines connect the valleys: S64 to Méribel, S65 to Courchevel, S63 to Les Menuires and Val Thorens, S66 to Champagny and Pralognan, S62 to Valmorel and S61 to Doucy. The published timetables date from the 2025-2026 season (S64 from 21 November 2025 to 3 May 2026, S65 from 6 December 2025 to 19 April 2026). The 2026-2027 timetables are not published in our sources and must be checked on altibus.com. A private taxi remains an option: Kiwitaxi advertises routes from Moûtiers station to Courchevel, Val Thorens, Méribel and Les Belleville, but we did not obtain prices.

In Méribel, the Méribus resort shuttles run from 5 December 2026 to 18 April 2027, according to the commune’s website.

Pixidia tip: funicular and shuttle frequencies differ, and timings change with the season. Check the timetable for the day before you set off. If your train arrives late at Bourg-Saint-Maurice, a taxi or a direct bus to the resort can save you a wait.

8. A Christmas market weekend in Colmar, step by step

The following plan assumes you arrive late afternoon in Colmar on the Strasbourg–Marseille line, with no confirmed timetable at this stage. Times will be set once the date is fixed.

• Arrival and evening: drop your bags and locate Place de la Gare, then walk to the centre. The old town and its half-timbered façades light up at the end of the day.
• Next morning: start at the Koïfhus, a craft market (potters, glassblowers, jewellers) that holds up well in cold weather, then move on to the markets in the centre.
• Afternoon: the Musée Unterlinden and its Isenheim Altarpiece by Matthias Grünewald make a good fallback if the weather turns. Check the winter opening hours on site.
• End of the day: stroll through Petite Venise, where the children’s market runs along the Lauch, before dinner on tarte flambée or bredele (Alsatian Christmas biscuits).

The next day, Mulhouse can be reached by train from Colmar: check on SNCF Connect. Its Christmas market dates conflict between agendas, so it is best not to build the programme around them. 13 December, the first day of the service to the East, falls on a Sunday: a good day for a weekend return, to book early because the cheapest tickets go first.

9. Practical information before you book

• Check the exact time on ouigo.com or SNCF Connect: no timetable for Nancy, Colmar, Mulhouse, the Strasbourg–Marseille line or the Tarentaise is published in our sources.
• Luggage: the second cabin bag or the oversized item is included in the Plus offer. In the base offer, an XL suitcase costs €5 per journey.
• Skis: bag required, two metres maximum, one pair per traveller, with the extra luggage option.
• Ticket: non-refundable, and a change is paid. The change fee is set out in the conditions of your ticket.
• Alsace markets: Colmar from 23 November to 29 December 2026, with the gourmet market until 3 January 2027; Mulhouse, dates to confirm with the city.

Winter opening hours for the museums in Nancy and Mulhouse, as well as the Cité de l’Automobile, are not confirmed in our sources. Check their websites before planning a visit on 25 December or 1 January.