Jan 27, 2015, 6:43 pm
Last edit by: JDiver
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As RESARAIL and many European rail systems have adopted revenue management techniques, fares can resemble airline fares: when they are first released (often 90 days out), there are cheaper advanced purchase prices with restrictions. Closer in, lower fare buckets are taken up, and walk-up fares can be very high.
You can save by purchasing in advance, and there are breaks for people traveling together, seniors (60 and over,) etc. Seats go on sale usually 90 days prior to travel. The cheaper the ticket, the more restrictions - including refundability, ability to change seats, etc. The cheapest, "Prem" are - well, the cheapest, and very restricted, non-refundable tickets; Loisir (leisure) fares are changeable, even the day of departure (though day of departure changes cost EUR 10 and after departure there is no remaining value) and full-fare are fully changeable. Yup, Revenue Management systems! But you can save big money using the tgv-europe site and using the discounts (there is a sidebar with a click on line called "modify other criteria" to click on for adding the ages, number of travellers, etc.)
It is fairly easy to book French rail (SNCF or Société Nationale des Chemins de Fer) TGV and Thalys (high speed rail) tickets online and print them out, just as you would an airline ticket - but your ticket is also your pass to board. And you can elect your seats (site61 helps you with diagrams, photos, etc.) whilst you book after selecting the itinerary and before buying, including upstairs, downstairs, 2 or 4 side by side, facing, etc whatever is offered, in many cases. Seamless. But continue reading...
The Man in Seat Sixty-One has a "Beginner's Guide to Train Travel in France" - if you are a beginner or merely want to know more, this is your place to start (but read here too, because you will gain some context and other members will undoubtedly add tips and tricks).
You may be able to save with a pass, but then again, if you are only going to do say, two long trips in two days and a couple of short trips on TER regional rail on a couple of others, you may find a rail pass is significantly costlier than discounted fares for the routes you will be traveling. seat61.com has a good take on this, and of course you can review the different passes on the SNCF websites.
Rail Europe is merely a SNCF symbiote, a cluster of subsidiaries that charge you a fee to book on the Resarail system, and fail to offer many of the discount opportunities SNCF offers you directly; SNCF tries to boot you to Rail Europe so it pays its way. E.g. if you go to the SNCF site and select "USA" as your country, it will most likely try to boot you to Rail Europe. You probably do not need the "convenience" of paying much more - and paying a fee to do that!
I sometimes use Rail Europe to check schedules, then book on TGV-Europe (the main SNCF site in English). Other useful booking sites for several Europe rail systems are Capitaine Train and LOCO2 (see links below); they are generally easier to use, and LOCO2 offers apps for iOS and Android.
You can use the referral link on site61, or you can go to the SNCF website and state you are in "Canada" (may still try to "guide" you, but I have been successful with this,) or, say, "Afghanistan" and book on. I have done this and used my US credit card, then merely printing the resultant tickets to a PDF document for future use. ("Mexico" seems to cause "technical failure" messages, and perhaps there are others.)
Beware of popups asking if you wish to be referred to "our local website" and select to click "Continue onto tgv-europe.com"
Link to SNCF / TGV-Europe English site preset with "Country = Canada"
Link to SNCF tickets and reservations (English - TGV, Thalys, Eurostar)
Link to SNCF / Voyages SNCF (French)
Link to SNCF / TGV-Europe (English)
Link to SNCF After-Sales Purchase (English)
Link to SNCF subsidiaries Rail Europe in several countries (including US, Canada, etc. - higher fares shown)
Link to Eurostar ("Chunnel") London & Paris, Brussels, etc.
Link to seat61.com France page
Link to seat61.com how to avoid Rail Europe tricks and traps
Link to LOCO2 (UK) online rail booking service
Link to Capitaine Train (France) online rail booking service (iOS and Android apps available)
Please feel free to add your tips and links for booking rail in France.[/QUOTE]
icon (lower right corner).As RESARAIL and many European rail systems have adopted revenue management techniques, fares can resemble airline fares: when they are first released (often 90 days out), there are cheaper advanced purchase prices with restrictions. Closer in, lower fare buckets are taken up, and walk-up fares can be very high.
You can save by purchasing in advance, and there are breaks for people traveling together, seniors (60 and over,) etc. Seats go on sale usually 90 days prior to travel. The cheaper the ticket, the more restrictions - including refundability, ability to change seats, etc. The cheapest, "Prem" are - well, the cheapest, and very restricted, non-refundable tickets; Loisir (leisure) fares are changeable, even the day of departure (though day of departure changes cost EUR 10 and after departure there is no remaining value) and full-fare are fully changeable. Yup, Revenue Management systems! But you can save big money using the tgv-europe site and using the discounts (there is a sidebar with a click on line called "modify other criteria" to click on for adding the ages, number of travellers, etc.)
It is fairly easy to book French rail (SNCF or Société Nationale des Chemins de Fer) TGV and Thalys (high speed rail) tickets online and print them out, just as you would an airline ticket - but your ticket is also your pass to board. And you can elect your seats (site61 helps you with diagrams, photos, etc.) whilst you book after selecting the itinerary and before buying, including upstairs, downstairs, 2 or 4 side by side, facing, etc whatever is offered, in many cases. Seamless. But continue reading...
The Man in Seat Sixty-One has a "Beginner's Guide to Train Travel in France" - if you are a beginner or merely want to know more, this is your place to start (but read here too, because you will gain some context and other members will undoubtedly add tips and tricks).
You may be able to save with a pass, but then again, if you are only going to do say, two long trips in two days and a couple of short trips on TER regional rail on a couple of others, you may find a rail pass is significantly costlier than discounted fares for the routes you will be traveling. seat61.com has a good take on this, and of course you can review the different passes on the SNCF websites.
Rail Europe is merely a SNCF symbiote, a cluster of subsidiaries that charge you a fee to book on the Resarail system, and fail to offer many of the discount opportunities SNCF offers you directly; SNCF tries to boot you to Rail Europe so it pays its way. E.g. if you go to the SNCF site and select "USA" as your country, it will most likely try to boot you to Rail Europe. You probably do not need the "convenience" of paying much more - and paying a fee to do that!
I sometimes use Rail Europe to check schedules, then book on TGV-Europe (the main SNCF site in English). Other useful booking sites for several Europe rail systems are Capitaine Train and LOCO2 (see links below); they are generally easier to use, and LOCO2 offers apps for iOS and Android.
You can use the referral link on site61, or you can go to the SNCF website and state you are in "Canada" (may still try to "guide" you, but I have been successful with this,) or, say, "Afghanistan" and book on. I have done this and used my US credit card, then merely printing the resultant tickets to a PDF document for future use. ("Mexico" seems to cause "technical failure" messages, and perhaps there are others.)
Beware of popups asking if you wish to be referred to "our local website" and select to click "Continue onto tgv-europe.com"
Link to SNCF / TGV-Europe English site preset with "Country = Canada"
Link to SNCF tickets and reservations (English - TGV, Thalys, Eurostar)
Link to SNCF / Voyages SNCF (French)
Link to SNCF / TGV-Europe (English)
Link to SNCF After-Sales Purchase (English)
Link to SNCF subsidiaries Rail Europe in several countries (including US, Canada, etc. - higher fares shown)
Link to Eurostar ("Chunnel") London & Paris, Brussels, etc.
Link to seat61.com France page
Link to seat61.com how to avoid Rail Europe tricks and traps
Link to LOCO2 (UK) online rail booking service
Link to Capitaine Train (France) online rail booking service (iOS and Android apps available)
Please feel free to add your tips and links for booking rail in France.[/QUOTE]
French rail - SNCF - TGV - trains - Rail Europe - online ticket and purchasing
Jun 3, 2012, 4:11 am
#16
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: BER
Programs: Hilton Gold, BA Gold
Posts: 15,757
I've got about 14 mins to connect at Bordeaux St Jean, from the TGV to the Intercités. Will this be enough time do you think?
Arriving at 14:53pm, on the TGV #9802 direct from Brussels. Then leaving on the Intercités #4665 at 15:08pm to Toulouse.
Any tips/advice for making this connection smoother? I know there's probably no lifts, but I'm young and fit and can carry my bag if need be (even if it is 25kgs!
). I just think trying to find out the right platform will be the thing slowing me down a lot. Is there a train timetable-board on every platform like in Italy, for example, with all the numbers and times, listing the various departing platforms?
Arriving at 14:53pm, on the TGV #9802 direct from Brussels. Then leaving on the Intercités #4665 at 15:08pm to Toulouse.
Any tips/advice for making this connection smoother? I know there's probably no lifts, but I'm young and fit and can carry my bag if need be (even if it is 25kgs!
). I just think trying to find out the right platform will be the thing slowing me down a lot. Is there a train timetable-board on every platform like in Italy, for example, with all the numbers and times, listing the various departing platforms?
Jun 25, 2012, 1:54 pm
#17
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: LAX
Programs: UA/WN
Posts: 38
Have a stupid question about French rail...I bought a ticket to Paris from Frankfurt airport station, connecting in Karlsruhe to TGV train to Gare De L'est. My ticket is all on Deutsch Bahn Ticket paper...will that cause any problem? Or will I just present my German ticket in Karlsruhe and be allowed onto the train? First time taking an international train like this.
Jun 25, 2012, 1:56 pm
#18
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: BER
Programs: Hilton Gold, BA Gold
Posts: 15,757
Have a stupid question about French rail...I bought a ticket to Paris from Frankfurt airport station, connecting in Karlsruhe to TGV train to Gare De L'est. My ticket is all on Deutsch Bahn Ticket paper...will that cause any problem? Or will I just present my German ticket in Karlsruhe and be allowed onto the train? First time taking an international train like this.
the TGV between Germany and France have german and french staff onboard.
(german) online tickets require the credit card, you used for booking - be aware of this!!
Jun 26, 2012, 10:49 pm
#19
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: LAX
Programs: UA/WN
Posts: 38
no problem, ticket good for the whole trip. just make sure you take the seat you booked on the TGV (should be written on the ticket) and all will be fine.
the TGV between Germany and France have german and french staff onboard.
(german) online tickets require the credit card, you used for booking - be aware of this!!
the TGV between Germany and France have german and french staff onboard.
(german) online tickets require the credit card, you used for booking - be aware of this!!
Mar 10, 2013, 2:41 pm
#20
Moderator: American AAdvantage
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2000
Location: NorCal - SMF area
Programs: AA LT Plat; HH LT Diamond, Maître-plongeur des Muccis
Posts: 62,948
It's amazing how relatively easy it is to use rail tickets in (at least Western) Europe.
Just a note to state Citi no longer allows the use of Virtual Account numbers for some of their cards, making it a nonstarter for some of us to use that card with the extra protections.
Just a note to state Citi no longer allows the use of Virtual Account numbers for some of their cards, making it a nonstarter for some of us to use that card with the extra protections.
Last edited by JDiver; Apr 7, 2013 at 4:35 pm Reason: clarify
Mar 21, 2013, 3:07 am
#21
Join Date: May 2006
Location: PMD
Programs: UA*G, NW, AA-G. WR-P, HH-G, IHG-S, ALL. TT-GE.
Posts: 2,907
I recently purchased TGV tickets (Basel -Paris/Paris-Geneva) on the Swiss SBB website. In the past, the SBB office in Brig would send me paper tickets via post. However, I am very happy to report that the TGV tickets are immediately available for download and can be printed from my computer. 
Last two Piccolo seats on Paris-Geneva. On TGV-Europe.com (set to "other Europe") I tried all 4 cards (2 credit, 2 debit), encountering Verified by Visa every time, yet they all fail. Finally tried PayPal, which initially went through (+4% conversion premium), but TGV-Europe.com immediately rejected (e-mail from PayPal indicating reversal). Two days later, card activity listed 4 transactions: (1) PayPal TGV Europe, (2) FX fee, (3) PayPal TGV Europe reverse, (4) FX fee refund. I suspect the rejection/cancellation occurred when SNCF detected through PayPal it was a US customer.
So I went over to SBB.com and succeeded on the 2nd card (needed to do Verified too). However, the e-tickets need to be printed on A4, not something readily available in the US. SBB emphasizes the printed PDF cannot be "scaled", and a casual non-scaled printout (on US 8.5"x11") would have the top chopped off.
I happen to have someone flying into the US to bring some A4 paper, otherwise I'd have to do some manual cutting of 11"x17". Rail Europe US, however, gives you e-ticket PDFs ready to print on 8.5"x11" paper.
Last edited by HkCaGu; Mar 21, 2013 at 11:26 am Reason: added suspicion of rejection
Mar 31, 2013, 8:47 pm
#22
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Tampa, FL
Posts: 239
I just tried to book a ticket on the French SNCF site using my US Capital One Visa. The transaction was declined so I called C1 and they said the transaction never got as far as their system. Problem is SNCF use 'verified by visa' and C1 don't so it was being thrown out by 'verified by visa' before it got to C1. I re-did the booking using Amex and it went thru OK.
Apr 2, 2013, 5:57 pm
#23
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: LAX
Posts: 588
I just tried to book a ticket on the French SNCF site using my US Capital One Visa. The transaction was declined so I called C1 and they said the transaction never got as far as their system. Problem is SNCF use 'verified by visa' and C1 don't so it was being thrown out by 'verified by visa' before it got to C1. I re-did the booking using Amex and it went thru OK.
On another night, I purchase Thalys tickets for June from tgv-europe.com and saved the 9 euro admin fee that thalys.com would've charged me. For those in the market for Thalys tickets, you may save yourself a few euros by comparing with tgv-europe before buying on thalys.com.
In light of HkCaGu's comment above regarding scaling of PDF print-at-home tickets, I was just wondering if your printed-at-home tickets were scaled on normal American 8.5x11 paper, or if you printed at full-scale?
Last edited by kdoughboy; Apr 2, 2013 at 6:08 pm
Apr 3, 2013, 7:53 pm
#24
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Texas
Programs: UA, AA, DL, BA, Marriott, Hilton, Accor, Hyatt
Posts: 1,290
I have a similar problem with a ticket I just purchased. To be on the safe side, I just ordered a pack of A4 paper from Amazon for $7. Not sure I want to take the risk, plus I can use that paper for future travel as well...
Apr 3, 2013, 11:18 pm
#25
Join Date: May 2006
Location: PMD
Programs: UA*G, NW, AA-G. WR-P, HH-G, IHG-S, ALL. TT-GE.
Posts: 2,907
If you have a chopping block you can always chop out a piece of 11x17 or Legal (8.5x14) to A4. You can also feed a piece of Legal and configure your printer accordingly. (Legal is larger than A4 on both dimensions, so at 100%, everything will fit.)
Apr 4, 2013, 12:55 pm
#26
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: LAX
Posts: 588
I tried printing my tickets at 100% on regular 8.5x11 paper, and it only chopped off the very edge of the ticket, which contains no useful information. It's barely perceptible. Wondering if there's even an issue here.
Apr 4, 2013, 10:06 pm
#27
Join Date: May 2006
Location: PMD
Programs: UA*G, NW, AA-G. WR-P, HH-G, IHG-S, ALL. TT-GE.
Posts: 2,907
Finally tried printing my SBB tickets after the new cartridge arrived--on both Letter and A4. Somehow it worked--the top remains the top and the bottom ad doesn't even reach the Letter's bottom. I set my PDF viewer to "choose paper source by PDF page size and it comes out to be 7.91" x 10.87"--able to fit either Letter or A4 at 100%.
Jul 31, 2013, 2:43 pm
#28
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: CHS
Programs: DL Diamond, WN A-List, Marriott Platinum Elite, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 685
Sorry to revive a dead thread, just stumbled across it....
This isn't necessarily for the guys in this thread (presumably all experts) but I put together a short post after pricing out tickets a few weeks ago for a trip to France on the price difference between RailEurope and Voyages-SNCF.com...hopefully it will prevent some from unnecessary expense!
It's really shocking just how much can be saved (anywhere from 20-40% off!) by using Voyages-SNCF.com...
If interested full post can be accessed here: Weekend Blitz - Booking French Train (RailEurope vs SNCF): "This equals a discount of $79.95 – $64.70 = $15.25 saved, nearly 20% off by using Voyages-SNCF.com. And, you’re booking directly with the company, skipping the middleman so, in theory, any changes or refunds should be much easier. If you take into account that the ticket I actually booked was the 37.30 eur ($48.50 US) rate, then the savings were more like $79.95 – $48.50 = $31.45 off, a savings of almost 40%."
VS
For the exact same ticket!
This isn't necessarily for the guys in this thread (presumably all experts) but I put together a short post after pricing out tickets a few weeks ago for a trip to France on the price difference between RailEurope and Voyages-SNCF.com...hopefully it will prevent some from unnecessary expense!
It's really shocking just how much can be saved (anywhere from 20-40% off!) by using Voyages-SNCF.com...
If interested full post can be accessed here: Weekend Blitz - Booking French Train (RailEurope vs SNCF): "This equals a discount of $79.95 – $64.70 = $15.25 saved, nearly 20% off by using Voyages-SNCF.com. And, you’re booking directly with the company, skipping the middleman so, in theory, any changes or refunds should be much easier. If you take into account that the ticket I actually booked was the 37.30 eur ($48.50 US) rate, then the savings were more like $79.95 – $48.50 = $31.45 off, a savings of almost 40%."
VS
For the exact same ticket!
quick question
