Hello Friends,
Can I buy a ticket the same day from Gare st. Lazare to Trouville and definitely get a seat on the train? My flight arrives At CDG @ 9 am on a weekday. I will take the taxi to Gare St. Lazare. I just don't know if I must buy a ticket for a certain train time? Because I am not certain when I would get to the station. I want to get a direct train to trouville. Can you please advise me. Also, the knees are somewhat compromised so I am looking for the best method of arriving at the train station, purchasing and getting positioned the best I can to catch the train. Any other pointers will be super helpful. Traveling light, of course!!!!
Thanking you in advance for your replies. I appreciate it tremendously. I really depend and value this community. It makes all the diffrence in having a stress free wonderful travel experience
Posted by
Florida (previously California)
3691 posts
If by direct, you mean not having to make a change, you may have to change your plans. Most trains to Trouville from Paris in the middle of the day (when you will be traveling) require you to make a connection. When I went to Trouville in 2015, the train that left at around 9 AM (the one we took) was direct and there was a direct train at around 3:45. If you arrive at CDG at 9 AM, you should comfortably be able to make the 1:43 PM train from Gare St. Lazare but that train requires a connection to get to Trouville. I suggest the 1:43 because the usual advice that I see (and give) is to allow 4 hours between ETA for your flight and the departure time for a train leaving from Paris. I like buying my ticket ahead of time because (I) it allows me to avoid having to validate/compost the ticket (not a big deal to do but I like not having to do it), (ii) I like having my ticket when I get to the train station, and (iii) I hate waiting in line and every time I have had to buy a ticket at the train station, it has taken me longer than I planned for (if I plan a 10 minute wait in line, it takes 15, if I plan 15, it takes 20, etc.).
As to whether you can wait to buy the ticket until the date of travel, that really depends on when you are traveling. I hope that a person who has taken this train often can chime in on the odds of the train selling out. The train I took in 2015 was full but Paris was in the middle of a major heat wave at the time and I was told that a lot of Parisians were going to Normandy to escape the heat.
If your knees are compromised, I suggest taking for 50€ for up to four people from CDG to the train station. Mass transit will require maybe more walking than you want to do.
Posted by
L'Occitanie, France
10188 posts
Also, since these aren't TGV trains, but Intercity trains, seats aren't automatically reserved. You can pay extra to reserve a seat, though.
Posted by
OP
new jersey
149 posts
Brilliant information !! Thank you so much. I am following your sage advice. I will purchase a ticket for the 1:43 train. Such valuable info regarding the train changes. Much appreciated to you both