We will be making our first trip to France. I have purchased train tickets for Paris to Tours. The confirmation states that the tickets must be obtained from an automatic ticket machine at the station; however, the foreign credit card with magnetic strip will not work. Am I right to assume that there will be a ticket window where we will be able to pick up the tickets?
Posted by
Corvallis OR
7033 posts
Yes, all of the train stations in Paris have manned ticket windows, just be sure you bring the cc that you used to purchase the tickets. I had no problems doing this. Also, I recommend getting to the station a while before your scheduled train in case there is a line for tickets.
Posted by
OP
Seal Beach
7 posts
Thank you. I was sure that would be the case, but wanted to make sure. I shall rest easy now!
Posted by
Elk Grove, CA, USA
6898 posts
Janet, the answer is Yes. We have steadily advised on this website to pick up your tickets at any staffed SNCF train station. Also, bring with you the credit card that you used to purchase the tickets. The SNCF website asks you to bring this credit card. However, it's really for use in the ticket machines to identify you. Since you can't use the ticket machines, you need to work with a train agent at the window. Still, the agent may ask you for the credit card for ID but in most cases, your passport should work fine.
Posted by
17 posts
I will be buying a RT TGV ticket from Paris to Strasbourg. At Charles De Gaulle airport there are two areas to buy/pickup tickets. One is international and the other is travel within France. Does it matter which one you go to? The international area always had a much shorter line.
Posted by
2081 posts
Janet,
you shoudnt have any problems. I think its cool being able to buy tickets from across the world and using the kisoks there to retrieve them.
i only had 1 issue so far on any of my travels in the last 2 years and that was trying to p/u a ticket last year at some smaller town. for some reason i think the kisok wasnt using the same system or something. i had to go up to the window and the clerk had to print up tickets. But i had my ticket information already printed so it wasnt an issue for the clerk.
also, something you may not know since i didnt. your train/platform may not be posted on the reader board if you get there too early. I found (in my limited travels) that they will usually post train/platform approximately 15 minutes out and no sooner.
happy trails.
Posted by
Toledo, Ohio, US
11613 posts
Annainaspen, it depends on how picky the agent wants to be, or if their computer access is limited to one or the other. I always went to the appropriate line and got through quickly enough.
Posted by
17 posts
Thanks Zoe. That's what I figured. I stood in the international line to buy my ticket to Disneyland last year and did not realize there was international and internal line. He was very nice and sold us the tickets anyway. I think it was because we apologized and went to go stand in the other line.
Posted by
Green Bay
20089 posts
It may be best to use a station that has multiple windows. Some times, the agent's magstrip reader isn't working (and they don't know because everyone else is using P&C). So its good if there is more than one agent working so their terminal is probably working too.