We will be going from San Sebastian to Lourdes, then on to Paris. I'm wondering if I have to buy a ticket for the TGV in Lourdes far in advance for this train We will be traveling at the end of May/ first week of June.
Posted by
London, United Kingdom
4684 posts
You will not "have" to buy a ticket from Lourdes to Paris before going, but it is a good idea. Trains in France very rarely "sell out", but it will be significantly cheaper if you buy a "Prems" ticket online in advance. These go on sale 92 days before the travel date, and can be bought from the SNCF online. There are limited numbers of these, and for popular journey times they can sell out fast, so calculate the day they will go on sale and go online that day. Sometimes US credit cards may have problems with the official SNCF site, if so try www.capitainetrain.com, a reliable private reseller that doesn't charge a mark-up.
Prems tickets are strictly limited to a specific train. If you miss that train, you will have to buy a new ticket at the maximum fare, which can be well over 100 euro.
Also, note that trains from Lourdes to Paris are not TGV, but Corail trains. These are not as rapid as TGVs, as they run entirely over older routes first built in the nineteenth century, but are still fast and comfortable (think 90-120 mph, rather than 180).
Posted by
London, United Kingdom
4684 posts
Sorry, I was out of date. There are now TGV services between Lourdes and Paris.