The start of 2026 is marked by a major disruption for tourism professionals using rail. SNCF's "Group Travel" booking portal is currently unavailable, forcing travel agencies and tour operators to use alternative procedures to process their requests. This situation has been confirmed by SNCF itself and widely reported in the trade press.
Summary
A group portal is temporarily unavailable
On its official website, SNCF Voyageurs indicates that its group travel booking service is "temporarily closed" and is now directing professionals to a contact form. No specific restoration date has been announced at this time. This unavailability prevents any bookings or modifications via the usual tool used by B2B agencies.
Without an automated platform, professionals must contend with uncertain delays, a lack of immediate pricing visibility, and manual file management. This represents a significant operational constraint, particularly for those involved in school, association, and organized group tourism.
A situation related to a change of service provider
SNCF explains that this interruption follows the end of a technical contract which expired on December 31, 2025. As no new system could be deployed in time, access to the group platform has been suspended.
According to the trade press, this contract concerned the management of group travel distribution and involved the company Travel Planet. However, SNCF has not publicly disclosed the detailed terms of this relationship or the exact reasons for the lack of a seamless transition on January 1st.
Group members face significant uncertainty
For travel agencies and tour operators, this situation greatly complicates train travel planning. Groups are often organized several months, or even a year, in advance, whereas bookings now have to be processed without guaranteed delivery times or quick confirmation.
SNCF maintains it is working on a more automated solution. According to discussions reported in the trade press with representatives of the distribution sector, an upgrade to the tool is in preparation, although no specific date has been announced.
OUIGO groups: a precedent that remains relevant
This new difficulty arises in an already tense context. Group ticket sales on OUIGO have been unavailable since 2025, as indicated by SNCF on its information pages. Since then, no equivalent tool has been reinstated, forcing professionals to circumvent the limitations of the public system.
For industry players, these successive interruptions reinforce the feeling of instability in B2B rail distribution and raise questions about the reliability of the tools made available to professionals.
Key takeaways
SNCF's group booking portal is currently closed and replaced by a manual system. This situation is due to the end of a technical contract on December 31, 2025. No official date for its resumption of service has been announced. According to the specialized press, this suspension is significantly impacting the business of group travel operators and reigniting the debate on SNCF's B2B distribution strategy.
Update
Article updated on January 6, 2026, based on public information provided by SNCF Voyageurs and information reported by the specialized press.
Sources
https://www.sncf-voyageurs.com/fr/voyages-en-groupe/
https://www.sncf-voyageurs.com/en/contact-us/questions-and-answers/group-travel-faq/
➡️ Discover our AI tool “Bullshit Alert” to stay informed and avoid being ripped off:
https://infostourisme.com/alertebullshit
📘 Also check out our practical pages for tourism professionals: https://infostourisme.com/page_pratique/
📩 Send your press releases to: contact@infostourisme.com
