I am trying to determine which of the two train discount cards on the SCNF provides the best bang for our buck, the Max Senior for 79Euros/ month or the Carte Advantage Senior TGV for 49 Euros/year. We will travel exclusively on the train for 3 weeks starting in August 26th and ending September 17th. We have 4 long trips planned, Paris to Lyon, Lyon to Arles, Arles to Cassis, and Geneva back to Paris. Which card is the best for our trip? Thanks, Tom
Posted by
NY
1 posts
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Posted by
Paris
7458 posts
The Max is not intended for visitors, but for people who make regular trips and are very flexible with times. Ticket allocations for Max fares are very limited.
The Avantage Senior is probably most beneficial...but not necessarily. There are three things to check:
- check if it gives any discount on Lyon to Arles (by regional train, the best way) and Arles to Cassis
- check Trenitalia fares for Paris to Lyon, often better than SNCF even with discounts
- check the actual discount on Geneva to Paris
Posted by
L'Occitanie, France
11082 posts
Some of your travel is on local trains, Arles to Cassis and Lyon to Arles. Cards aren't recognized on those trains.
I have the discount card, so I've researched the prices for you using August 28th as the date.
Paris-Lyon: is 38 euros for the 10:00 train with a card. You need to check the price without the card.
Lyon-Arles on local trains at 10:00 is 40.20.
Geneva-Paris TGV Lyria 8:29 train is 34.30 euros with a card, and 39 euros without a card bought now.
You can use a senior card for Avignon TGV station to Marseille, but you have to take a separate local train from Avignon Center to Avignon TGV outside the city. The savings is about 5-10 euros. You still need to change trains again in Marseille to get to Arles on a local train.
Based on the research I have done, you will not save enough to amortize the 49 euros card.