Can My Children Travel Alone?

For whatever reason, would you like to know if it is possible for your minor child to travel alone?

Indeed, this is a question that may arise, especially since travel conditions may differ depending on the companies...

Let's shed light on this question without further delay!

At SNCF and on board trains of its various brands, the conditions for minors travelling alone may vary slightly. Discover them below, as well as SNCF's dedicated support services.

The OUIGO company is very strict regarding the travel of unaccompanied minors. Indeed, the low-cost train company does not accept children under 12 years old at the time of travel, to travel alone. These children will therefore be obligatorily accompanied by an adult to travel.

Furthermore, the SNCF's Junior & Cie accompaniment service is not available for OUIGO TGVs.

First of all, you should know that minor children under 12 years old cannot travel alone by train. They must be obligatorily accompanied by an adult. This is a safety measure.

This is why SNCF has implemented the Junior & Cie SNCF accompaniment service. This service, available only for travel on TGV inOui, offers you the accompaniment of your child aged 4 to 14 by an accredited facilitator. They will be part of a group of several children to be well supported and for their journey to go as smoothly and quickly as possible.

The facilitator will take charge of the entire journey, register your child and will only let them leave with the person designated as responsible for picking up your child, with an identity document, of course.

As with all trains, your children under 12 years of age will not be able to travel alone on TER and must be accompanied obligatorily.

Children aged 12 and over must therefore be provided with the necessary documents, as indicated below.

Within Intercités trains, the same rule of travel for minor children applies.

For children aged 11 and under, it will be impossible for them to travel alone. These children must be accompanied on board Intercités trains.

Older children will be able to travel alone if they have the necessary documents to prove their age, identity and travel pass.

With Lyria, you will have the opportunity to enjoy the SNCF accompaniment service: Junior & Cie!

Please note, however, that this service is only accessible during school holiday periods and for the following routes:

• TGV Lyria Paris Geneva (and vice versa),

• TGV Lyria Paris Basel (and vice versa).

Of course, this service is available for all accompaniment of children aged 4 to 14 years old.

Otherwise, travelers aged 12 or older can travel alone on board Lyria trains.

For those aged 11 and under, they must be obligatorily accompanied by an adult.

Since the merger of Thalys with Eurostar, Eurostar rules apply for children travelling alone.

Children under 12 years old cannot travel alone: they must be accompanied by a person aged 16 or over. 12-15 year-olds can travel alone, only on trains departing between 6am and 5pm, with Eurostar's "unaccompanied minor" form, completed and signed at the station by a parent or guardian.

Please note: on direct trains to the Netherlands (Amsterdam, Rotterdam), children under 16 cannot travel alone.

With Eurostar, the travel conditions of railway transport companies in France apply, namely:

• Children under 12 years old must be obligatorily accompanied by an adult.

• Minor children aged 12 and over can travel alone if they have the necessary documents.

Furthermore, as stated on the Government website, for the travel of a child on Eurostar, they must:

• be provided with an identity card as well as an authorization to leave the territory or a valid passport.

• Upon arrival of the Eurostar train at London station, the child must be picked up by the person whose contact details have been communicated beforehand during the British authorities' inspection.

If your child, necessarily aged 12 and over to travel alone, is about to leave, remember to provide them with:

• Their valid travel document, which you can book on Tictactrip at an advantageous price!

• A valid identity card or passport to prove their age and identity.

• A parental exit authorization (AST) depending on the destination of the journey, in the format of the CERFA document downloadable HERE,

• a photocopy of the identity document of one of their parents,

• a visa,

• and a vaccination certificate.