I have purchased TGV tickets for specific dates and times with assigned seats. It would seem that any additional reservations would not be needed. Is this correct?
Posted by
Corvallis OR
7161 posts
You are correct.
Posted by
Basel, Switzerland
8889 posts
Correct. If the ticket lists seat numbers on it, that is all you need.
A lot of people are confused about "reservations" because so many sites say you need to get them. That is only if you have a pass. If you buy a normal ticket, like 95%+ of people do, that includes everything.
Do you need to buy a "reservation" as an extra after you buy a plane ticket? Of course not, exactly the same.
Posted by
OP
2 posts
Thanks very much.
Posted by
English but living in Melbourne, Australia
432 posts
Just a hint on finding your seat on the TGV. Note your coach number and then, as you are waiting on the platform, look for the board that shows where on the platform that coach will be when your train comes in. The positions along the platform are usually indicated by letters in the second half of the alphabet, say T to Z. You can then make your way to that point ahead of time and have no panic about finding the coach with the right number.
Posted by
San Francisco Bay Area
5697 posts
However, as I learned while trying to get on a train in Austria which only had a 2-minute stop, you CAN get on the train in another car and then walk through to the car where you have a reserved seat -- which beats having the train pull out while you are walking alongside looking for "your" car.
EDIT: This was at a tiny station in the countryside (Zemmering) -- bigger city stations have the electronic signs mentioned below.
Posted by
Windsor, Ontario, Canada
4088 posts
Possibly you are not familiar with the main train stations. They have a big central hall, with a huge sign showing all the trains and their boarding platforms, and throngs of passengers staring intently at the always-changing information. The final destinations are shown so you will need to know that. Your "quai" will be posted about 20 minutes before departure. Proceed briskly to the platform, look at the diagram of the train composition and go to the general area of your car. When the train pulls in you simply get on board. Being near the front of the crowd will give you a better chance at stowing your luggage.
One other thing: You may see some passengers inserting tickets into a metal box at the entrance to the platform. It stamps date, time, etc., on over-the-counter tickets. Don't worry about it. Your advance ticket has date, time, seat encoded so it can't be used any other way. An attendant will scan the ticket after departure.
The blog parisbytrain.com describes the major Paris stations, illustrated with photos. It's reassuring.