Hi All
I am leaving for southern France this September 2023. Can’t wait!
I will travelling from Nice to Avignon by train (TGV). When I go to book my train ticket, I notice the direct ticket . I’m hoping for ( which appears in their summer schedule) is not available in Sept. Is that because I’m trying to book too far in advance (3 months) or is it because the schedule changes at the end of summer? Ricks Steve’s suggest I should book 3 months in advance for reserved tickets in a TGV train so I’m wondering if I should just book the one change train stop in Marseille ticket.
Thank you so much in advance. I travel solo and this site has helped me calm travel nerves!
Posted by
Corvallis OR
7092 posts
Which non-stop are you trying for? On what date? I see non-stops on random dates in Sept but limited to only a couple of times per day - at least on the days I looked at. For example on Sept 12, I see direct trains at 2:40, 4:57 and 5:27 pm. Other days had direct trains at different times. So, it might just be the particular train you're looking for. Schedules do change from summer to off season.
Posted by
OP
20 posts
Thank you, yes I notice that too but there’s a 10:54 available during the summer months (direct to Avignon) and that is ideal as I plan to rent a car once I arrive in Avignon and I prefer not to drive after sunset.
So I’m just wondering if that direct train would become available if I held off booking for a bit.
Thank you!!!
Posted by
Washington DC
27506 posts
To prevent possible confusion when you actually take the train: What you're looking for is a direct train with no connection, not a non-stop.
Posted by
OP
20 posts
Thank you!
I edited and reposted as direct.
My Sept travel date is September 19th, leaving Nice to Avignon.
Posted by
Wengen
2222 posts
You book months in advance to secure the best discounts. You do not need to book months in advance though in order to secure a seat. Trains do not sell out months in advance, and often this confuses people when they run in to issues by trying to be the first by a margin of several months that tries to book a certain train...
Just wait a bit. It is only June. French people book their trains, hours or days in advance, not weeks or months...
Posted by
L'Occitanie, France
10408 posts
Yes and no Wengen. We do book as early as we know our plans in France, and seats on TGVs do sell out, especially that Nice to Paris run. Personal experience several times trying to get a reserved seat as far as Marseille to get home from a family visit near Nice. If I miss the TGV seat, I have to take a local, and those can be hot, crowded, disagreeable. In March, I used BlaBlaCar because all the TGV seats were sold out.
Yes, the OP could book now, whether a direct or with a change in Marseille. It's not a high-traffic period, so not terribly urgent.
It's different from Switzerland,and I know you don't think highly of SNCF.