Hi we are travelling to France from Australia was wondering if it is cheaper to book train travel ahead of time through rail Europe or wait till we arrive. Paris to Beaurgous and then on too Lyon.
Thanks
Posted by
San Antonio TX, United States
2393 posts
Book ahead directly on the French rail site. There are limited reduced fares so book as soon as you can
Posted by
Paris
10201 posts
Cheaper to book ahead, but not through Rail Europe, it's too expensive.
If you have problems with the official French rail site, another great option is Captain Train, which sells the same tickets at no mark-up (and is easier to navigate and which takes foreign cards more easily).
Posted by
London, United Kingdom
4684 posts
French tickets usually go on sale around 90 days before travel date. Ticket sales for June and July may sometimes be delayed due to the change of rail timetables every year in mid-June.
Posted by
Rick Steves' Europe
16895 posts
FYI, Rail Europe sellls most of France's advance-discount ticket categories but the early-booking Prems rate and "budget car" iDTGV are two exceptions that they don't offer. (At least that's the case for their USA branch.)
France's fast-train schedules are less likely to be delayed for summer than service in some other countries (Spain, Italy, Eastern Europe). This year, some summer TGV tickets went on sale in (I think) January and the rest by the end of March.
Posted by
Myrtle Beach, USA
12313 posts
With trains the trade off to booking ahead is much cheaper vs. lost flexibility. The cheapest fares are also the least flexible (think airline tickets). As long as you're sure you won't miss the train, you can save a bunch booking ahead. If you end up missing the train, expect your old tickets to be worthless (there is still value in some cases, but don't bank on it).