Confusion regarding booking train tickets on SNCF connect

It will probably be because the SNCF website adjusts to the time zone you are in, rather than showing French time.
So in Hawaii you are 9 (or 10?) hours different.
So you need to press the earlier trains button at the top, to get the morning trains French time.

Hello,

If you give us the exact day you want to travel, we can be of more help. Also, some train websites are easier than others. When I want to keep it simple, I often use the Trainline website.

Trainline is kind of like Booking.com is for hotels, but for trains. They will list all the options on their website and then charge you a couple of dollars extra to book through them.
This can be especially helpful in countries where there are more than one train company option for the route.

If you want more information on trains, look at The Man in Seat 61 website. He explains the different options really well.

I hope this helps.

Also, sometimes on the Trainline website it will say, only 2 left, etc. Usually that means 2 left at that price.

Chiming in to also add that I was recently trying to exchange tickets for a different day and the option wasn’t showing on the app, and I emailed their customer service and they solved it for me promptly and helpfullly - if you end up needing to contact them: [email protected]

Hi
Yes the time thing is frustrating...I have same problem booking from Canada
HOWEVER😉...as "man in seat 61" recommendations are to go to "dbahn" for the most comprehensive train schedules in all Euro countries...I do, but have been doing ALL my train planning on Deutsche Bahn ( dbahn)...and then use results to buy on SNCF, or whichever train company suits me time & price wise. SUPER easy to see where connections are & add stopovers or select different options. It's been at least 25 years of dbahn train planning for me...almost a PRO😉😅 TIP: Always compare 2nd & first class... I've paid less in first class, than 2nd, since the sale prices are gone quickly...sometimes it's much cheaper. Also compare splitting the ticket...instead of one long distance, split it somewhere at connection point, & but ongoing trip separate
SNCF just sent me notice they are making it easier now to book trains on Swiss & German trains...getting ready to test it in the fall. Paris; Annecy;Torino; ...Dolomites & up into Germany.

Hi everyone,
Thank you for all your responses. So if I am understanding your advice, it sounds like the easiest thing would be to go to Trainline and book from that website instead of SNCF?

I will also check out that other website you recommend to try and understand what is going on. I was so frustrated with their website last night that I bought bus tickets instead, which takes us straight from Chamonix to Annecy in less time and requires to train changes.

That said, Sunny, I still need to buy tickets going from Annecy to Paris on 8/26. I'm going to look up the closest train station to our hotel now.

Thank you

Adding on....the closest train station to our hotel is Gare Saint Lazare and the second closest is Gare Montparnesse.

"Adding on....the closest train station to our hotel is Gare Saint Lazare and the second closest is Gare Montparnesse."

You don't have a choice of train stations. The train from that part of the country will arrive at Gare de Lyon whether you have a direct train or change in Geneva or Lyon. Just put in Paris "all stations" and it will figure it out. Then you can either take the Metro, a bus or a taxi to your hotel. (BTW, in looking at the schedule for tomorrow I see a 9:23A departure time for the train direct from Annecy to Paris taking 3h51m.)

I usually just keep moving the "departure time" back until it's the evening before the date I actually want to depart. So if I want to leave at 9A, there is a 9 hour time difference between my time zone (Pacific) and Paris so I usually set it to 11P the day before. For you, I'd probably try 6 or 7 P the night before and see if that gets you the results you need.

It is very frustrating so DON'T get in a hurry and if you feel you are burning out, stop what you are doing and look the next day.

So I have been on the SNCF website for a while and have been trying to book 3 tickets from Annecy to Gare de Lyon in Paris (easier than trying to get closer to the hotel) and even though I select departure on 8/26 it automatically pushes me to 8/27 with no option to change back to 8/26. Whether there is a time difference between Hawaii and France, this doesn't make sense to me that the website would not adjust to French time.

Any thoughts/suggestions. This is the most user-unfriendly website I've ever used.

Hello,

Quick answer is Yes, I book on Trainline. Because I am willing to pay a couple dollars to not be frustrated. 🙂

I select departure on 8/26 and it automatically pushes me to 8/27.

According to this principle, by selecting the 25th you should see the trains for the 26th, and see the following ones by clicking on "Display the next journeys", right?

As Pam says, on Trainline, I see a direct train on August 26th, leaving Annecy at 9:24 a.m. and arriving at Paris Gare de Lyon at 1:14 in the afternoon. For 3 adults, first class comes to $230.30

Now, one quirk on my computer, when I go to choose my own seats, I have to change my display Scale size (from 150% to 100%) in order to see the options.

Hi Sunny and Pam,
Thank you for putting in so much time to help me. I went to trainline thinking this would be a slam dunk but when I try to book a train from Annecy to Paris on 8/26 only bus times show up even though I keep clicking on the train icon. Not sure why this is happening.

Since I am not having any luck with trainline, perhaps I will book with SNCF and hope for the best but first, Hawaii is 12 hours behind France. So if I am understanding your explanations correctly, a train from Annecy leaving at 7:19 p.m. and arriving in Gare de Lyon at 11:13 p.m., means that we will actually leave at 7:19 a.m. and arrive at Gare de Lyon at 11:13 a.m. on the 26th? I'd rather leave later on the 26th but so far, this is the latest (earliest) time they give me.

Or does anyone have the name of a travel agent I can call/pay to do this for me?

Ok, I don't know why you are having issues with that website. Here is the link

https://www.thetrainline.com/en-us

Then, you type in From: Annecy and it will probably auto fill to To: Paris Gare de Lyon

Then, where it says Out: go to August 26 and scroll down to something like 8:00 a.m. in the Leaving At box.

Then, add the correct number and age group of travelers.

Then click Find Cheap tickets.

Scroll down to the schedule highlighted in Purple as the one they recommend. It will show 2nd class at $190.09 or first class for $230.30

We recommend this journey based on price and duration.
9:24 AM
1:14 PM
3h 50m, 0 changes

$230.30
Limited

On 26 August the first direct train from Annecy to Paris (as opposed to ones where you have to connect somewhere) is at 0924 arrive Paris Gare de Lyon (TGV 6964). Currently first class is 63 Euro and 2nd class 52 Euro on that train.
The next direct is at 1229 arrive 1616 (TGV 6972), then 1529 arrive 1914 (TGV 6978), then 1919 arrive 2313.(TGV 6986).

So see how those trains are presenting on your computer.

On each train the first to second class price difference is minimal.

It will show 2nd class at $190.09 or first class for $230.30.

On SNCF Connect, the direct Annecy-Paris train at 9:24 AM on September 26th costs €52 in second class and €63 in first class. These tickets can be modified free of charge up to 7 days before departure.

The €197 fare is the one that can be modified up to 30 minutes before departure.

I am currently in the US, looked on sncf-connect.com for travel from Annecy to Paris on 26 August, and found a big choice of train options from 52€. It can be done.

Don't try to guess time zone differences. Book the date/times you want, just as you would if you were in France.

Thank you all so so soooooo much! Success finally. I tried Trainline again (I realized I had typed in the wrong Annecy station and that's why it was showing me only buses) and was able to get a direct train from Annecy to Paris. I don't know what I would have done without your help. Thank you again!

You are welcome. So glad we were able to help!