Train Travel in England and France

Go to www.seat61.com and all of your questions will be clearly answered. Eurostar tickets, the trains to Paris, go on sale 6 months in advance of your travel date and will have skyrocketed if you wait until 12 days ahead to buy them. You can certainly get a rail pass through Steeves and wait until you arrive to make reservations. Most avoid French rail passes since point to point tickets are usually the wiser choice. If you plan to make reservations on TGV trains go to capitainetrain.com and book your ticket to Avignon 90 days in advance of travel. Advance ticket sales are much cheaper there as well and the cheaper tickets sell out quickly. Seat61.com is your friend.

Is SNCF the equivalent of Trenitalia in France?

Yes - they're the national company that operates the trains in France.

Are the TGV trains part of the same system or something completely different?

Part of the system - they are the fastest trains operated by SNCF. French trains have lots of names - Corrail, TER, Lunea, Teoz, and many more. Ignore them. The only things that matter are 1) is there is a mandatory reservation, and 2) does the price stays the same no matter when you buy them, or are there various price levels so the cheapest can sell out.

If the cheap seats can sell out, you want to buy the ticket as soon as you know your plans; last minute tickets on these routes can be very expensive. And if you are using a rail pass and the train has mandatory reservations, you similarly need to buy the reservation ASAP, as these are rationed; even if there are empty seats, once the pass-holder reservations are gone, you have to take another train, or pay full fare instead of using your pass. However, if you buy a point-to-point ticket for a train with mandatory reservations, the reservation is included. The ticket is then only good for that particular train; if you change your plans, you must exchange your ticket before boarding. If you're on an unreserved train, the ticket must be validated before travel; the ticket is good on any unreserved train on the route (no advance planning needed, which is great for daytrips when you don't know when you will be returning).

A quick way to see if the prices will go up on a particular route closer to travel is to look at prices for today or tomorrow, and compare them with prices 3 months out.

The cheapest tickets are called Prems (from premiers - "firsts"). These go fast, but are a real bargain, as long as you can accept non-refundable and non-changeable tickets. If you book when they first go on sale, you can often get first class for only a few euros more than second class! They are MUCH cheaper than a pass, so if they work for you, get them and forget the pass.

if I get a France rail pass, can I use it to take the TGV from Ashford, England to Paris?

That route is not a TGV. It's the Eurostar, which is a British-French-Belgian consortium. A French rail pass can get you a discount - again, if you act fast before the quota is gone for that train. But you may do better with an advance purchase ticket - compare prices before deciding. This train definitely goes WAY up in price closer to travel, as the cheaper seats sell out, so you really want to book this one as soon as you know your dates. Booking starts 180 days before travel.

As George said, the best place to start for more information is The Man In Seat 61's France page: http://www.seat61.com/France-trains.htm#.VUWCz5NzujA

And here's his Eurostar page: http://www.seat61.com/London-to-Paris-by-train.htm#.VUWEXJNzujA

If you're still thinking of buying a French rail pass, here's Rick's page on it. Read carefully the list of trains not covered, so you don't end up spending money on a pass you can't use: http://www.ricksteves.com/travel-tips/transportation/trains/france-rail-passes

wow, Harold really addressed all your questions quickly and comprehensively. Read carefully what he wrote; it's full of smart advice!! (George's remarks are also spot on. Just to say that their advice is well taken.)

Thanks for the compliment, Kim, and the confirmation that I got it right!

Neither BritRail passes nor France passes cover the international Eurostar train, but either one gives you a way to get a better rate on that train (other ways include booking as soon as possible, or being over 60 or under 26; all of these savings methods have limited seats available). You don't need a BritRail pass unless you have 3 or more days of train travel within Britain, separate from this.

The French system is analogous to the Italian system. Both operate several speeds of train, with faster trains requiring seat reservations, either in addition to a rail pass or built into a point-to-point ticket. Both offer advance-purchase discounts on faster trains. The main difference is that France is more restrictive of the number of rail pass travelers using their fast trains, so that pass holders must book further ahead; I'd recommend at least a month ahead for the Paris-Avignon route.

Another difference is that a typical tourist may cover longer distances in France than in Italy. Full fare for a 2nd class ticket from Paris to Avignon (4 hours) can be €102 (depends on departure time) and visitors make that trip frequently, whereas Venice to Naples is a similar distance and price, but most tourists don't plan to make that ride in one day.

Thank you all for your helpful advice. You have made it so much clearer for me!