Mike Jacoubowsky

OK, before reading through the stuff below the dashed lines, I think I've figured out how the SNCF Senior+ card works. Please let me know if this is correct-

1. Book your ticket on trainline or the SNCF site. Select "over 60" and for loyalty card, select "Senior+"
2. Before travel, buy the Senior+ card. Timing doesn't matter, as long as it's before your trip. If you buy on-line, the "date" you want would be your first date of travel.
3. When traveling, have your Senior+ card handy to verify you qualify for the ticket you've purchased.

Et voila! What's still not clear is whether you can have the card mailed to you, or, if it has to be picked up at the station, if it can be collected from an automated machine or you have to stand in line. You do need to have a passport-type photo to apply to it.

Sorry if I've made something something very simple to be more confusing than it really is. If I've got things right, you can ignore the stuff below. --Mike--

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When you apply for an SNCF Senior+ discount card (60 euros, good for one year), it asks for a start date. What do you use? The first date you'd be traveling, or the first day you'd be purchasing a ticket?

Also some confusion looking at various sites regarding activation of the Senior+ card. Apparently you have to go to a ticket counter to have a photo added to it? But there's also references to being able to collect it at a machine and add it yourself. The relevant SNCF document can be found here. In it you'll find this-I'd be using the train immediately after landing in France (CDG) and would not look forward to having to wait in line if possible.

Thanks for any info!

WorldLux

Yes

Yes. You can order your Senior+ card along with your ticket. The discount cards are essentially printed on ticket paper. Whenever I had to renew an SNCF card, I set the date just before travel (usually a day before). You can get a plastic booklet to put your card in at the train station.

The plastic cover looks like this


and does the job of protecting your card rather well.

Yes.

They always sent it to me. It looks like a ticket with a different layout. You have to put a passport-type photo on it and put a transparent SNCF sticker over the picture.

As indicated above: the first day of travel if you want to maximize usage.


Q: Have you looked at if the card will be any use to you, i.e. that you'll travel a lot in France and if you'll book more last-minute trips/flexible tickets. If you stick to Prems tickets on TGV (discounted, inflexible tickets), you might not get that much out of your card.

Mike Jacoubowsky

Thanks for your patience with my questions. For this trip, the card will pay for itself because there's little flexibility in when I can travel and the cheaper fares, for the most part, are gone. I ran the numbers and it comes out about 40 euros ahead, without factoring in any discounts for local trips (TER). CDG-Grenoble, Grenoble-Marseille, Marseille-Grenoble and Grenoble-CDG at a minimum.

Also, the discounts skew most-heavily to 1st class, which is how I'll travel this trip (it will be easier to get work done on the train being able to select a "solo" seat, plus I'll have two suitcases and there's a bit less congestion for luggage in 1st class than 2nd).

It's always possible I may be able to use it for more than one trip this upcoming year as well.

One last thing. If I have them mail me the card, I'll have no need to go to a ticket counter at all? And they'll mail it to the US? There's plenty of time; I don't arrive until 17 July. Thanks again-

WorldLux

I'm not sure about the passes. The one I ordered for myself arrived the very next morning. I ordered in the afternoon and arrived by 8 am the next morning (so very quick even by domestic delivery standards). IIRC they do not sent cards abroad and in that case, you'll have to select a ticket office to retrieve them.