Using Eurail Global Pass in Paris to save time money in June 2024

The short answer, is no you don't get any of that. It is a train pass for use on trains.

In France any higher speed train requires an expensive pass holder reservation fee for each change of train, every leg gets a charge, (included at no charge as part of the ticket for a normal ticket) and those reservations are rationed.

Generally Eurail passes are a bad deal in France.

If you go to the Eurail company webpage and look at what deals are included in Paris, you see that only a small discount at some hostels, 10% off some Disneyland Paris tickets, and a discount off luggage storage at one company (Stasher) are included.

Except for RER, no buses, trams or Métro is included.

Best place for specific answers is the people who sold it to you.

Have you already bought the passes?

Where else will you be on the train in France?

Hi thank you very much for your prompt and helpful reply. My husband and I would be visiting Germany (Cologne, Berlin, Munich, Frankfurt), Luxembourg, Brussels (Ghent and Bruges too), Amsterdam from 29 May 2024 to 14 June 2024 before we tour Paris for 6 days from 14 to 19 June 2024. May we ask how we could put our Eurail Global Pass (22 Days' Continuous for Senior Citizens) to best use to save cost and time in these countries before visiting Paris please? For our 6 days in Paris, what passes should we get to save time and cost to visit tourist hotspots like Notre Dame Cathedral, Musée d’Orsay, Sacré-Cœur Basilica, Sainte-Chapelle, Eiffel Tower, Pantheon, Arc de Triomphe, Palace of Versailles – CHATEAUX DE VERSAILLES, Mont Saint-Michel, The Lourve, Amboise Castle and Chenonceau Castle from our hotel at Gare Du Nord please?Thanks.

Regarding the RER: In theory the part of the RER operated by SNCF is included. In practice this is a problem, as you cannot use the Eurail Pass to open the gates to the platform...

Thank you, Nigel and some else who replied about the RER gate not opening which means I cannot use my Eurail Global Pass for taking RER C to Versailles?

I thought of getting the 4-day Paris Museum Pass to travel to
Day 1: Louvre Museum (2.9 km away and walk 39 mins from our hotel near Gare Du Nord), Sainte-Chapelle (short walk of 0.9 km and 13 mins from Louvre Museum), Arc de Triomphe (metro ride is 6.2 km and takes 25 mins), Pantheon (6.2 km away from Arc de Triomphe and takes 22 mins by metro)
Day 2: Notre Dame Cathedral (walk from hotel at Gare Du Nord to Notre Dame Cathedral which is 3.4 km and takes 46 mins), Sacré-Coeur Basilica (metro ride is 5.7 km and takes 24 mins from Notre Dame Cathedral)
Day 3: Palace Versailles (Take RER C to CHATEAUX DE VERSAILLES which is 27.3 km and takes 1 hour 12 mins)
Day 4: Eiffel Tower ( Take metro our hotel at Gare Du Nord to Eiffel Tower which is 6.3 km and takes 24 mins.)
What transport pass and museum pass should I get in Paris to save time and cost please?

on the SNCF sections of the RER I used to use another type of pass (staff pass) where I could collect a Contremarque de Passage from a staffed ticket window which I could use to operate the exit gate.

As WengenK says it is only some parts of the RER which are SNCF operated - the rest being RATP where passes are definitely not accepted. Probably best to treat it as all not accepted.

Also, are you aware of the Olympics in Paris this summer? I heard a recent podcast from Join Us In France, the https://joinusinfrance.com/episode/paris-olympics-2024-navigating-the-city-of-light4-olympics/ episode where Annie said that the price of single t+ tickets for Métro and bus will be rising just for the summer from just over 1€ to 4€ approximately. Everything in Paris is getting much more expensive and complicated because of the Olympics, including road closures. I'd suggest being prepared.

regarding travel by train in Belgium - too bad that you will be in the middle of your continuous days when you are in Belgium. For seniors who travel after the rush hour, round trip tickets are absolutely dirt cheap, and the same price for anywhere in the country.

“ Annie said that the price of single t+ tickets for Métro and bus will be rising just for the summer from just over 1€ to 4€ approximately. ”

It seems that Annie is misrepresenting the facts a bit. Right now a single t+ ticket costs €2,15. Bought in a carnet of 10 it costs €17,35 so €1,73 a piece. That’s a bit more than just over €1.
During the Olympics a single ticket will indeed cost €4. At that time a special Passe Paris will be available which allows one to travel on all modes of transport in the entire region of Paris and surrounding areas. This pass starts at €16 for 1 day, but the price per day decreases as you add more days. A pass for 4 days for example costs €52 and one for 7 days €70
See here for details https://www.iledefrance-mobilites.fr/actualites/passe-paris-2024-transport-jo

Joyce; please be aware that even with the museum pass, you need to book a time slot for the Louvre, Saints-Chapelle, Versailles, the Eiffel Tower etc etc.

I may have misquoted and am remembering what I paid for tickets, a few years ago

The increased ticket costs for the metro and RER are in effect from July 20 through September 8, and therefore will not affect Joyce and her husband.

Given your travel plans, Joyce, I’m not sure the Eurail Senior pass is the best choice for you. Are you able to return it (even with a penalty)?

Secondly:
Unfortunately, your Paris dates of June 14-19 are from Friday through Wednesday, so the Navigo Semaine (a weekly pass that runs Sunday through Saturday) won’t work for you either.

I think you’re going to have to buy a card called a Navigo Easy (which costs 2 euros)
Then load metro tickets onto it.

Each of you has to have your own individual Navigo Easy (you can’t share a card).

Also, if I remember correctly, you can NOT load an RER ticket onto the Navigo Easy. So the day you go to Versailles, you will have to buy a point-to-point return ticket from your “home” metro station to Versailles Chateau. You can buy this at a machine or from an agent.

If you do plan on taking a day trip to Chateau de Chenonceau, it is possible (but will be a long day - be sure to buy your chateau tickets online ahead of time to be sure not to be held out), but please note that travel is on the national railways SNCF. Presumably if you do have the Eurail pass, it would be good for that trip on the TER (local train). However, if you take a journey that takes you first on the high-speed TGV to St-Pierre-des-Corps and then BACK to Chenonceaux, you will have to make sure that pass holder reservations are available on that leg.

My husband and I would be visiting Germany (Cologne, Berlin, Munich, Frankfurt), Luxembourg, Brussels (Ghent and Bruges too), Amsterdam from 29 May 2024 to 14 June 2024 before we tour Paris for 6 days from 14 to 19 June 2024.

What is the order for these? Specifically, what is the last stop before Paris? If coming from Luxembourg, you will arrive at Paris Est, if from Brussels, Paris Nord. You will need to buy seat reservations for either of these, that is unless you want to take the better part of a day using local trains with lots of changes. Nord and Est are walking distance of each other.

Mont Saint-Michel, The Lourve, Amboise Castle and Chenonceau Castle?

Paris Austerlitz to Amboise (2 hr) to Chenonceau (1 hr) to Paris Austerlitz (3 hr) can be done in a day with a Eurail Pass.

Mont St Michel: Paris Montparnasse to St Malo and return can only be done in a day with seat reservations each way on a TGV

PS Amsterdam to Brussels use the ICD train that does not require seat reservations, unlike the Eurostar, which does.

Hi thanks to all who have replied. Yes, Kim, I can still return my Eurail Pass without penalty. May I confirm that it will be dirt cheap anywhere in Germany, Luxembourg, Belgium, The Netherlands and France for me to travel as senior citizens please? Also someone mentioned this plus the fact that we would not be travelling during rush hours. May I ask how to avoid rush hours which will be from what time to what time on weekdays and weekends please? We've booked some hotels that are unrefundable and some that are cancellable without penalty in the five countries. Unfortunately the hotel near Gare Du Nord in Paris in unrefundable if cancelled. May I consult if we should get the 4-day Paris Museum Pass and do the necessary timed entry bookings with the 9 or 10 digits of the PMP for Louvre, Versailles etc and get the 10 trips Metro Bus Train pass for our 6 days in Paris please? Thanks loads, all/

Again, where are you flying into and what is the order of the cities you want to visit?
German trains are not necessarily "dirt cheap" as it looks like you will have all long distance trains. They are dirt cheap if you commit to nonrefundable train specific tickets and buy them now. If you have a solid itinerary with hotels booked, this is not a problem in my experience.

Here is info on Senior travel in Belgium. Valid after rush hour (9 am M-F)
https://www.belgiantrain.be/en/tickets-and-railcards/senior-ticket

What I was speaking of in Belgium is the Senior Ticket.

From the official source:

Senior Ticket Exclusively for passengers over 65. A same-day, return
journey on any route throughout the Belgian rail network. Only € 8,30!

During the week, you should leave after 9 a.m.. No timetable
restrictions at weekends.

Nobody said you have to actually return, so the fare really same price one-way or round-trip (but not the airport).

there are lots of ways to save money on German trains but the only way to help you do that is know the itinerary - in order.

all public transportation in Luxembourg - bus, tram, train - is completely free for everybody.

Apologies, I am slow in processing the info that has come in. May I confirm, Nigel, that it is only Belgium that ‘For seniors who travel after the rush hour, round trip tickets are absolutely dirt cheap, and the same price for anywhere in the country.’
And for Kim, may I confirm that my Eurail Global 22 Days Continuous Global Pass is not worth the money and I am paying more for this pass than for point-to-point tickets that I have not bought at the moment even if I travel from Germany (from Frankfurt Airport to Cologne to Berlin to Munich to Dachau to Munich to Frankfurt)
to Luxembourg (visit those attractions recommended online for two days)
to Brussels (to Ghent and Bruges and visit those attractions recommended online for four days))
to The Netherlands ((visit those attractions recommended online or two days) and
to France (visit those attractions recommended online for six days). Seat reservation from Amsterdam to France costs a whopping USD 37 per pax. It seems seat reservations are costly.
Kim, may I confirm that the cheapest would be for us to buy a Navigo Easy each (which costs 2 euros each) and load metro tickets onto it. I also note your ‘Also, if I remember correctly, you can NOT load an RER ticket onto the Navigo Easy. So the day you go to Versailles, you will have to buy a point-to-point return ticket from your “home” metro station to Versailles Chateau. You can buy this at a machine or from an agent.’
A day trip to Chateau de Chenonceau as I hear from you will be a lot of travelling to and fro. May I ask if there is any other attractions you would recommend instead?
Sam, the order is from Frankfurt Airport to Cologne on 29 May 2024 and from Frankfurt to Luxembourg on 6 June 2024, from Luxembourg to Brussels on 8 June 2024, from Brussels to Amsterdam on 12 June 2024 and from Amsterdam to Paris on 14 June 2024.

Hi Nigel

Thanks loads for your prompt response. I've just read your "What I was speaking of in Belgium is the Senior Ticket.

From the official source:

Senior Ticket Exclusively for passengers over 65. A same-day, return
journey on any route throughout the Belgian rail network. Only € 8,30!

During the week, you should leave after 9 a.m.. No timetable
restrictions at weekends.'

I am turned 65 years old in September 2024 but my husband has already turned 65 years in March 2024. I qualify for the Eurail Global Senior but will I quality for this Senior Ticket Exclusively for passengers over 65 please? If not, what will I be paying please with the Eurail Global Senior please? Thanks.

Dear all, thank you for going out of the way to help. I have one more question about the booking of train tickets or seat reservation using the Eurail Global Pass or point-to-point tickets (which do not require seat reservations). May I ask if I need to book a ticket (or reserve a seat) for myself using my handphone and my husband books another ticket (or reserve another seat) for himself using his handphone since we have different QR codes with different pass numbers although both our QR codes appear together on one piece of paper when printed? May I ask if this is the case, how to ensure that we sit next to each other on the train please? May I ask if we can still get dirt cheap tickets for the following train trips please:
1. Frankfurt Airport to Cologne
2. Cologne to Berlin
3. Berlin to Munich
4. Munich to Dachau (May I ask if we could use the S-bahn from Munich to Dachau please?
5. Dachau to Fussen
6. Fussen to Munich
7. Munich to Frankfurt
8. Frankfurt to Luxembourg
9. Luxembourg to Brussels (to Ghent and Bruges)
10. Brussels to Amsterdam
11. Amsterdam to Paris
12. Paris Gare Du Nord to Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport

I can still return the Eurail Global Pass as I have not activated either of them without penalty but If I do return this, could you advise how we could book all the above train tickets quickly and easily please? Thanks loads.

I would not do a "dirt cheap" ticket on your arrival day, as you cannot predict your plane will land on time, time to go through immigration, luggage delay. A walk up ticket for 2 is 179 EUR to Cologne.

I don't want to make you rebook all your hotels, but I think this a more efficient route.
1. Arrive and stay in Frankfurt
2 Frankfurt to Munich (57 EUR SSP). Dachau is a short S-Bahn and bus in less than 1 hour. This is a local network ticket.
3, Frankfurt to Fuessen can be done with a cheap Bayern Ticket (36 EUR r/t). If going to Neuschwantstein, get a reservation ahead of time.
4. Munich to Berlin.(96 EUR SSP)
5 Berlin to Cologne.(57 EUR SSP)
6. Cologne to Amsterdam (50 EUR SSP)
7 Amsterdam to Brussels (78 EUR Midflex)
8 Brussels to Luxembourg (35.50 EUR one 60-64, one 65+)
9. Luxembourg to Paris (224 EUR direct or 107 EUR with a connection)
10 Paris to CDG (local Paris ticket)

Note (XX EUR SSP) means price for 2 people Super Sparpreis, nonrefundable train specific tickets purchased now. These are typical for your date for morning departures on direct ICE train.

Just one note not related to your train issues, Notre Dame will not be open until mid December 2024

It's my experience that Eurail pass travel can provide both savings and convenience when traveling first class, and less so in standard (second) class. We didn't find the cost of seat reservations in France to be burdensome.

Bottom line: one needs to actually calculate leg-by-leg fares to know for certain whether the Eurail pass will be more or less expensive. For us, its convenience was sufficient to offset any price premium we might have paid (and I've not done the math).

You are right too, jphbucks. We didn't calculate but read online that the pass would be cheaper and a lot more convenient and less stressful should unforeseen circumstances occur, for example, not being able to board the train we have already booked bound for Cologne upon arrival at Frankfurt Airport because of flight delays etc. But time and cost are important considerations too, now that we have been enlightened that at least one of us can travel cheaply in Belgium, Luxembourg offers free public transport for both of us and Eurail Global Pass offers us no benefit in France so the Eurail Global Pass doesn't reduce cost for us in three out of the five countries we will be visiting. Sam has also worked out all the cheap tickets we could buy point to point in Germany. May we ask if Amsterdam offers any benefits for Eurail Global Pass holders (and we would stay there only for two days)? May I ask if a one-country Germany Eurail Pass will help us defray costs and be convenient for us in our travel in Germany only please? Most importantly, could someone / Sam enlighten me how to get the cost of point to point tickets easily and quickly like Sam please?

May I ask if I can book tickets or reserve seats for my husband and me using only my phone on interbahn.de or Eurail.com or whatever website please or must i book one ticket or reserve one seat for myself only on my phone and my husband does the same thing on his phone only. How then can we ensure that we sit together please?

May I ask why my reply to Carol and Sam is not published please? I replied them immediately after they posted. I’ve thanked Carol and asked Sam to help me do the costing for my current itinerary like the prices for two pax SPP in his efficient itinerary as it’s too costly for me to cancel my hotel bookings as two thirds of my bookings are non- refundable if I cancel them. I’ve also asked Sam to share with me how to do this pricing so quickly and efficiently and at which website please. Sam, could you reply asap?

https://int.bahn.de/en
This is the German Railway site, Deutsche Bahn. just put in the dates, time, no of travelers, and your start point and destination and you get prices, The first price you see is for the cheapest advance purchase tickets, Super Sparpreis. Click on the red "continue" box and see other prices, Sparpreis, which are partially refundable, and Flexpreis, which are totally refundable. Flexpreis is what you pay when you just walk up and say "I want a ticket on the next train to X."

Netherlands, Belgium, and France have their own websites.
https://www.nsinternational.com/en for Netherlands international tickets, Like Amsterdam to Brussels or Paris
https://www.belgiantrain.be/en for trains entirely in Belgium
https://www.b-europe.com/EN for Belgian trains to Amsterdam or Luxembourg or Paris
https://www.sncf-connect.com/en-en/tgv for French trains

Since your itinerary is set, just disregard my suggested route. You have nonrefundable hotel bookings, so now you know exactly what days you need trains from where to where.

Thanks, Sam. This is most helpful. I remember now why we bought the passes. It was because we might be delayed for reasons beyond our control and we would lose our money for these non-refundable tickets and this can be due to strikes too. Of course we didn't know the hefty reservation fee of USD 37, for example, and that for three out of five countries, the passes would be useless. Anyway, should we decide to keep the passes (we will check our point to point using Sam's links before we decide), may I ask

Q1: if we could reserve seats without activating our passes?

Q2 if we could book tickets and reserve seats using just the mobile phone of one of us and not book tickets and reserve seats individually on our respective phones as we would like to sit together, especially for long train journeys?

Q3 if we could confirm that we would be able to get tickets for our train journeys not requiring seat reservations if we book at the Cologne Central Train Station in the morning on Thursday 30 May 2024, namely 9 out of 12 of the train journeys below? The marvel of these bookings with the passes is that I do not lose any money if I cannot catch these pre-booked trains and could book again when I reach the relevant train station just before departing on the day itself. Correct?

1. Frankfurt Airport to Cologne ( we shall purchase tickets after clearing customs and ready to leave for Cologne at the Airport)
2. Cologne to Berlin
3. Berlin to Munich
4. Munich to Dachau (May I ask if we could use the S-bahn in Germany free of charge with the pass from Munich to Dachau please?)
5. Dachau to Fussen
6. Fussen to Munich
7. Munich to Frankfurt
8. Frankfurt to Luxembourg - seat reservation required but if we leave at 1` pm, we can avoid the seat reservation)
9. Luxembourg to Brussels (to Ghent and Bruges)
10. Brussels to Amsterdam - seat reservation required
11. Amsterdam to Paris - seat reservation required (USD 37)
12. Paris Gare Du Nord to Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport

Thanks loads for all your invaluable help.

Did you buy 1st class or 2nd class passes?

Nos 1-7 Do not require seat reservations. You can buy seat reservations on German long distance trains for 4.90 EUR each if you so desire. You might want to check that DB app to see the projected loading in your travel class a few days ahead.

No 8 Can be done without reservations if you avoid French TGV trains or buses which are not covered. I see trains at 6:59, 7:42, 7:50, 9:08, 9:42, 11:08, 11:42, 13:08, etc all of which do not require seat reservations.

No 9 Does not require seat reservations.

No 10 Can be done without seat reservations if you take an ICD train. They are bit slower than the Eurostar. ICD trains take 2 3/4 hours where as Eurostar takes 2 hours. You decide if saving 45 minutes is worth the seat reservation fee.

No 11 Requires seat reservation

No 12 Is the RER B costing 11.80 EUR per person and is not part of Eurail as it is operated by the RATP, Paris Transit Authority.

In addition, if you want to do Mont St Michel in a day, you must take the TGV each way with seat reservations required.

I have never used a Eurail Pass, so I cannot help with reservation questions.

Regarding Munich to Dachau. the pass is valid on the S-Bahn, but you will need to pay for the local bus to the memorial, a minor cost.

Here are some thoughts on your plans in Paris. If you choose the pass, it is for 96 hours continuous. You can go to your first site Thursday evening and enter your last site on Monday afternoon for example. Depending on what you want to see and when, the Pass may not be worth it.

If you want to go to Mont St Michel, that will be a full day side trip. If you want to go to the Loire Valley for Chenonceau and Amboise, that is another full day in a different direction. In both cases, you could consider a bus day tour from Paris or take a train from Paris to get closer and meet a tour or make your own plans But you won't get any use from the Paris Museum Pass those days. If you want to do your day trips in the middle of your time in Paris, the pass won't work for you.

Overall, I would suggest moving things around on some of your days to balance them and group things in similar areas.

Day 1: Louvre Museum, Sainte-Chapelle, Arc de Triomphe, Pantheon

This is a lot for one day, especially depending on how much you want to see at each place.

Going to the Louvre early helps with crowds. Are tickets available for pass holders on the time and date you want? Or general admission tickets?

Sainte Chapelle is very close to Notre Dame - maybe a 5 minute walk. As mentioned earlier, Notre Dame will still be closed for rebuilding, but could walk over and see the building while you are in the area, especially if updates at the time say that there isn't too much scaffolding. I don't think it makes sense to come back a different day.

The Pantheon is also relatively close to Notre Dame (20 min walk). Going to Arc de Triomphe and then back to the Pantheon would be zigzagging.

Arc de Triomphe stays open relatively late and sunset is late in June.

Day 2: Notre Dame Cathedral, Sacré-Coeur Basilica

Combing Sacre Couer with Arc de Triomphe and/or the Pantheon would make Day 1 less busy. They aren't near each other, though.

Day 3: Palace Versailles
Yes, a full day for Versailles is reasonable, especially if you will also see the gardens and Petit Trianon.

Day 4: Eiffel Tower
I don't think the Eiffel Tower is on the Paris Museum Pass. You have to buy tickets separately and should check if they are available for your dates. The advance tickets sell out quickly. Also, this is generally not a full day activity.

You mentioned Musee d'Orsay, which could fit in this day.

Thanks loads, PlannerMom and Sam for your invaluable feedback and everyone in this travel community!
Gathering all the information so generously shared with us on this forum, we are refining our Paris itinerary to the following and leaving out the day trip to Mont Saint Michel and Loire Valley at the moment. May we consult all for your views of this decision of ours please?
Refined itinerary
Fri 14 Jun 2024 – no Paris Museum Pass so we will have to read online. May we consult all of you for suggestions of worthwhile activities and attractions please?
Day 1 of Paris Museum Pass - Sat 15 Jun 2024 - Palace Versailles
Day 2 of Paris Museum Pass - Sun 16 Jun 2024 - Louvre Museum, Sainte-Chapelle, Notre Dame, Pantheon, Arc de Triomphe

Day 3 of Paris Museum Pass - Mon 17 Jun 2024- Sacré-Coeur Basilica (not with Pantheon and Arc de Triomphe which are not near) and some other places free with Paris Museum Pass recommended online and must find time to take the Seine River Cruise and the Hop-on-off bus which are free with the Paris Museum Pass

Day 4 of Paris Museum Pass - Tuesday 18 Jun 2024-Musee d’Orsay and some other places free with Paris Museum Pass recommended online

Wednesday 19 Jun 2024 – no Paris Museum Pass Eiffel Tower since it is not included in the Paris Museum Pass. May we consult all of you for suggestions of worthwhile activities and attractions in addition to the Eiffel Tower for this day please?
In visiting all the attractions above, we hope that we would have experienced the various districts in Paris recommended online: Latin Quarter, St Germaine, Ile-de-la-Cite, Le Marais, Monmartre and also tried some food recommended online as we move around these districts.
For transport, we will adopt Kim’s Navigo Easy (which costs 2 euros each) and buy point to point for RER C to Versailles and RER B for our trip to the airport on our last day Wednesday 19 Jun 2024.

May we consult all for your views of this itinerary of ours please? Do feel free to suggest places and experiences that you’ve enjoyed and would like us to enjoy them too. Thanks loads for your generous sharing, all!

and some other places free with Paris Museum Pass recommended online and must find time to take the Seine River Cruise and the Hop-on-off bus which are free with the Paris Museum Pass

The Paris Museum Pass is for museums only. There are no Seine cruises or Hop-on Hop-off buses included. I think you must be looking at the Paris Pass, which includes the Museum Pass, Seine Cruise, Hop-on Hop-off bus.

The 4-day Paris Museum Pass costs 77 EUR per person. It is actually 96 hours, so could last part of 5 days.

The Paris Pass is not recommended. It costs 229 EUR per person and is wildly over priced.
If you want to take a Seine Cruise, just buy on the spot. Same for Hop-on Hop-off bus, which would be a good idea for your arrival day to get an overview of the city.

Thanks loads, Sam. I’ve confused the two but will buy 4 days 96 hours PMP for 77 euro and visit more than 5 of the attractions (I heard this is break even for PMP) so as to get my money’s worth and see more of the arts and culture etc of Paris. We are making use of your invaluable info to reserve seats for No 11 and book tickets for all the other 1-10 without activating our eurail global pass and without reserving seats.

A reminder from another poster's disappointing discovery today - the Paris Museum Pass isn't as good a deal as it used to be - especially because they make fewer pass holder time slots available at the Louvre.

The poster earlier today had purchased his/her museum pass and then went to make their timed Louvre reservations, only to find there are no more left for their dates.

However, if they out-and-out buy tickets to the Louvre from the website, there are still time slots available for their dates.

I am sorry to pass on more bad news. They are going to have to end up buying Louvre tickets in addition to their Paris Museum Pass.

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/france/paris-museum-pass-c7a64daa-4f29-4119-b272-29c4ac5f68f3

It's not the first time this spring someone has posted this difficulty. It just happened to be this weekend's post about it.

Thank you, Kim. We are still hurting from having to keep the Eurail global pass in case we lose more money from point to point tickets not being used because of unforeseen circumstances like strikes etc. I’ve not bought the PMP as I thought I should make full use of our Eurail Global Pass to travel to Loire Valley and Mont Sant Michel which will take up two whole days so that I may end up not being able to buy the PMP but doing the following

Friday 14 June 2024 - Eiffel Tower
Saturday 15 June 2024 - Versailles
Sunday 16 June 2024 - Louvre
Monday 17 June 2024 - Mont Sant Michel
Tuesday 18 June 2024 - Loire valley
Wednesday 19 June 2024 - Basilica, St Chapelle, Pantheon, Arc de Triomph, etc not yet covered

Could someone help us plan to make full use of our Eurail Global Pass Seniors to do the two day trips on our own to Mont Sant Michel and Loire Valley please? It is indeed painful to end up paying for a pass that we only used up 2/3 of the amount paid if we deduct from the cost of the pass the total amounts used in the efficient itinerary of Sam’s..

Btw, Sam, may I confirm that your itinerary is cost and time effective too meaning lowest cost and taking the least time and that the cost in euros is for two travellers please? This will inform my future travels in eastern and Northern Europe.for which I won’t buy any such train pass.

Thanks loads for all the help, Sam, Kim and all of you !

Mont St Michel is TGV to Rennes then bus-https://s3.cloud.actigraph.com/armor/upload/pdf/Brochure-DMSM-5-avril-2024.pdf?AWSAccessKeyId=armor&Expires=1712613599&Signature=8caLbwGoMBw14Xrsws4twN7%2F0IE%3D

The price of the bus is not covered by your Eurail pass.

There is a direct TGV to St Malo from Gare Montparnasse at 7:00 am on Monday June 17. Take that one. Needs seat reservations
There is a return TGV from St Malo at 17:42. Needs seat reservations.

For Tuesday June 18, take a TGV from Montparnasse to St Pierre des Corps at 7:24 and change to TER to Chenonceaux arriving at 9:55. the Chateau entrance is by the station. That will require a seat reservation. You will have 3 hours. At 13:18 there is a direct bus to Amboise taking about 30 minutes and costing 3.20 EUR per person. At 17:34 there is a direct TER to Paris Austerlitz with no reservation. The Amboise station is about 1 km from the Chateau, so keep that in mind.

https://www.remi-centrevaldeloire.fr/itineraire/

hi, this message from Joyce got sent to me in a PM, but I think it's more appropriate for this thread, as I'm not knowledgeable about reservations/supplements.
Consider this a question from her:

Thanks loads, isn31c and Sam! Someone on this forum has advised:

My trip 10. Brussels to Amsterdam - seat reservation required - Can be done without seat reservations if you take an ICD train. They are bit slower than the Eurostar. ICD trains take 2 3/4 hours where as Eurostar takes 2 hours. You decide if saving 45 minutes is worth the seat reservation fee.

I encounter a problem from Brussels to Amsterdam. The ticket required either a reservation or a supplement. When Rail Planner says "Supplement required" for your trip, it means there's an additional fee you need to pay on top of your regular train ticket. This supplement applies to specific train types or routes, not the standard fare. May I ask if avoiding reservation fee means that we have to pay this supplement? How do we pay this supplement please?

If what I have done above is wrong, may I ask how to click ICD trains please as I want to take this recommended 2 3/4 hours' ICD train from Brussels to Amsterdam to save on reservation fees or the supplement above. I have already paid heftily for the Eurail Global Pass for Seniors. Thanks loads.

I've keyed in Brussels Centraal to Amsterdam Centraal, my date of travel and desired departure time. But I do not see the trains and the type, either Eurostar or IC. I do not notice the the Eurostar takes 2 hours and the IC takes 2 hours and 45 minutes (about). I cannot therefore click on the IC I want, and I do not see in seating it will say "Free seating (no seat reservation)".

May I ask if it's because I've not activated the Eurail Global Pass. I will activate the pass after touching down at Frankfurt Airport at Frankfurt Airport Train Station when I buy tickets to Cologne on 29 May 2024.

Not sure where the story about a required supplement on the ICD trains comes from. This is not required for international journeys- only on domestic sectors within the Netherlands.

So you only pay the supplement if you join the train at Breda, Rotterdam or Schiphol Airport.

From Brussels it is strictly speaking an Inter City service, and just changes designation to an ICD (Inter City direct) train at Breda ( the Border station)- https://www.ns.nl/en/travel-information/special-routes/intercity-direct.html#:~:text=No%20supplement%20is%20needed%20if%20you%20are%20travelling,with%20an%20international%20ticket%20for%20the%20Intercity%20Brussels.

On the NS International website all trains (IC/ICD and Eurostar) are showing until the December timetable change- https://www.nsinternational.com/en/traintickets-v3/#/search/BEBMI/NLASC/20241107?pax=A

Likewise on SNCB International- https://www.b-europe.com/EN/Booking/Tickets?autoactivatestep2=true&origin=BEBMI&dest=NLASC&traveltype=OneWay&outbound=14%2F06%2F2024&outboundt=9&outboundtp=DepartureTime&comfortclass=2&compactQsm=false&ticketlanguage=&travelparty=%257B%2522P%2522%253A%255B%257B%2522T%2522%253A%2522A%2522%252C%2522BDT%2522%253A%2522%2522%257D%252C%257B%2522T%2522%253A%2522A%2522%252C%2522BDT%2522%253A%2522%2522%257D%255D%252C%2522M%2522%253Afalse%257D#Outbound

You just turn up at the station and choose a seat. You don't (and in fact can't)) need to do anything online. Seats are non-reservable.

If you were buying a ticket (not travelling on a railpass) you could turn up at the station and buy one until minutes before departure.

Also for Journey 11 Amsterdam to Paris, it all depends on how you value your time as to whether you pay for Thalys or you travel the route without paying a supplement or a reservation.
This is being given here purely for completeness, as your time is valuable.

But you can take the ICD/IC back to Brussels, then regional trains Brussels to Charleroi, Charleroi to Mauberge (France) then a locomotive hauled TER service (with Corail cars). Brussels to Paris takes around 4:30 by that route so the emphasis is that it is not time efficient relative to the extra cost of using the Eurostar (Thalys).

I think that route should be recorded, so at least you are aware of all possible options.

Thanks Kim, The OP sent me a PM that she was unable to repost her question because of technical Forum issues. It was originally posted on the wrong Topic. I got this from her;

Thanks, Sam. I tried many times to paste it back in my forum but failed to do so.
This keeps popping up:
Oops! There are problems with your reply.
You've already posted this reply recently and you may only post it once. If you meant to make an edit, please use the "Edit" link alongside your reply.
Hi Sam, my husband fails to do so on the Rail Planner App. Could you send us the step-by-step instructions to
click trains and the type, either Eurostar or IC. He does not also notice that the Eurostar takes 2 hours and the IC takes 2 hours and 45 minutes (about). He cannot click on the IC he wants, and there is no 'in seating it will say "Free seating (no seat reservation)".
Btw, is it because he has not activated the Eurail Global Pass? He will activate only in Frankfurt Airport on 29 May 2024 before we buy train tickets to Cologne.

isn31c has already provided answers. I will add that there is no need to use the Rail Planner App, which I assume is a Eurail product. Use https://www.b-europe.com/EN to see the trains. If you want to depart from Brussel Centraal, look for trains that say "direct" The trains are every hour at either 49 or 50 minutes past the hour.

May I ask if this train journey via ICD/IC from Brussels to Paris takes only 4 and a half hours (4:30)? This means it is definitely a much cheaper and viable option since this doesn’t require paying hefty reservation fees of USD 37 per pax and it is only an hour longer than the one from Amsterdam to Paris (9.80 am to 12.36 pm will mean 3 and a half hours long = one hour longer than going from Brussels to Paris)? Am I correct?
May I also enquire if it is possible to appeal to Eurostar (Thalys) for money paid for seat reservation back because of mistakes made when we click the wrong destinations please? How may we proceed to do so please? Thanks loads, folks!

The Eurostar takes about 3 hours and 50 minutes to go from Amsterdam to Paris. The train arriving at 12:36 departs Amsterdam at 8:45 am. A train route that does not use Eurostar or TGV will take at least twice that amount of time, so I suggest you stick with the Eurostar and accept the 37 EUR reservation fee,

If you made a mistake making your seat reservation, you will need to contact whoever you bought it from. If Eurail, you need to contact them to change it, if possible.

My husband and I have the Eurail Global Pass for senior citizens and shall be staying in a hotel near Gare Du Nord on Saturday 15 June 2024 when we plan to travel to Mont Sant Michel via public transport making full use of our Eurail Global Pass. Could anyone advise on the earliest time we can set out from Gare Du Nord and the latest time we can safely return to Gare Du Nord on Saturday 15 June 2024 please? May we ask if we enjoy free transport on the SNCF trains and buses to and from Mont Sant Michel with our Eurail Global Pass please travelling from Gare Du Nord to Paris Montparnasse station to Rennes.

We read online that 'it takes about 2 hours and tickets can be purchased ahead of time on the SNCF website. After arriving in Rennes, we can take a shuttle bus directly to Mont St Michel. Tickets for the bus can be purchased in advance from the SNCF website, in the Rennes train station, or on the bus and costs around 15€.' May I ask if this information is correct or is there a more time and cost efficient way to travel from Gare Du Nord to Mont Sant Michel please with our Eurail Global Pass for senior citizens please? We tried to book tickets as suggested by someone above but the language is French. May we ask how to switch the language to English please? I clicked on the website for sncf connect but cannot change the language to English ? I cannot understand the foreign language. Thanks loads, all of you.

Thanks.

To switch language there is a button marked Choix du Pays (which means choice of countries).
On the website on my tablet it is almost at the bottom of the home page.

Click that and choose 'European-other' to switch it to English.

This site is in English: https://www.sncf-connect.com/en-en/tgv

There is a 7:00 am train to St Malo from Gare Montparnasse. It is a TGV, so you will have to buy seat reservations, It arrives at 9:54.

Return is a TGV from St Malo departing at 3:38 pm, arriving at Gare Montparnasse at 6:09 pm. Also requires reservations. There are later departures with a connection is Rennes, also with TGV and reservations.

You are going to Mont St Michel, not St Malo, as per Sam's times above.

You leave from Montparnasse station, so need to pay extra to get there from Nord by Metro line 4 (from memory) or taxi. Eurail does not cover metro fares.

No the bus fare from Rennes to MSM is not included. It would be if you routed through Pontorson but that route doesn't work for a day trip. Pay that on the spot in Rennes- 25 Euro return as above.

Put Paris (just Paris) to Rennes (Bretagne) Into the web site and the right date and time. Putting Paris in forces the system to give the right station. Put in Paris Nord and you will get some very weird route.

From memory of the bus times (the file above won't open for me on mobile) you need the 0641 train from Montparnasse to Rennes and the 1835 or 1935 train back.

This is a revised route schedule to the one above- https://s3.cloud.actigraph.com/armor/upload/pdf/Brochure-DMSM-5-avril-2024.pdf?AWSAccessKeyId=armor&Expires=1712872799&Signature=2CYXCXerNH8rJ5rz2OOy65w%2Bb6Q%3D

Buses leave St Malo Gare Routiere (Bus Station) at 0925 for their 1 hour journey and depart back at 1600, arriving St Malo GR at 1700. Tickets cannot be purchased locally. [so the 7am train arrives too late].

They also leave Rennes Gare Routiere at 0845 and 1045, returning at 1700 and 1800, arriving Rennes GR at 1810 and 1910

To reach the Rennes bus station from the train station, take the “Sortie Nord” (north exit), turn right and follow the signs towards the
Rennes’ “Gare Routière” (bus station).

To buy bus tickets- On the website www.keolis-armor.com, tab « Book your ticket ».
The ticket can be changed up to 72h before your departure. After 72h, it won’t be possible to change tickets. For any change in your reservation send an email at [email protected]. Tickets are not refundable.

Also at the ticket windows at Rennes bus station (KorriGo’s office)

PS- There is a later train from Montparnasse at 0838 arriving at Rennes at 0943 for the 2nd bus (the 0813 train is already full) BUT you would need to check that pass holder reservations are still available on what is clearly a busy train.

The 1835 train back is now also full (that has happened during the afternoon) so you would have to catch the 1935, 1948 or later trains back.

Clearly you need to get moving fast on this.

Thanks loads, isn31c. May I confirm that these train trips that I will take to and from MSM will be free with the Eurail Global Pass please? Secondly, my husband and I are still struggling to compute point-to-point tickets for our 11 train trips so as to ascertain if it is really not worth our money getting the Eurail Global Pass that we have not activated. For our (1) Frankfurt(M)Flughafen (Frankfurt Airport) to Koeln Hbf (Cologne Central Station), could someone enlighten us on the city ticket is issued with Super Sparpreis and Sparpreis tickets please ? Sorry to vacillate between buying and not buying the passes as it seems we will be saving a few hundred dollars if we buy point-to-point vs the Eurail Global Pass. Thanks once again for the understanding and the generous sharing!

Hi Sam, may I confirm that your itinerary, shared with us that I have copied and pasted below, is both time and cost-effective please, meaning shortest possible train journeys and lowest number of transfers please? What I want to confirm is whether I pay less for point-to-point tickets but end up with longer or longest train journeys please?

I would not do a "dirt cheap" ticket on your arrival day, as you cannot predict your plane will land on time, time to go through immigration, luggage delay. A walk up ticket for 2 is 179 EUR to Cologne.

I don't want to make you rebook all your hotels, but I think this a more efficient route.
1. Arrive and stay in Frankfurt
2 Frankfurt to Munich (57 EUR SSP). Dachau is a short S-Bahn and bus in less than 1 hour. This is a local network ticket.
3, Frankfurt to Fuessen can be done with a cheap Bayern Ticket (36 EUR r/t). If going to Neuschwantstein, get a reservation ahead of time.
4. Munich to Berlin.(96 EUR SSP)
5 Berlin to Cologne.(57 EUR SSP)
6. Cologne to Amsterdam (50 EUR SSP)
7 Amsterdam to Brussels (78 EUR Midflex)
8 Brussels to Luxembourg (35.50 EUR one 60-64, one 65+)
9. Luxembourg to Paris (224 EUR direct or 107 EUR with a connection)
10 Paris to CDG (local Paris ticket)

Note (XX EUR SSP) means price for 2 people Super Sparpreis, nonrefundable train specific tickets purchased now. These are typical for your date for morning departures on direct ICE train.

My second question is how and where to click on the links below t hat you have sent us so that we can purchase tickets that are slightly more expensive but unrestricted for that day , meaning we can take the next train if we miss one without paying for another ticket rather than get tickets that are restricted , meaning that if we miss the train we will have to buy a brand new ticket please?

My third question is will the point-to-point tickets still work out to be cost-saving for us if we purchase tickets that are slightly more expensive but unrestricted for that day , meaning we can take the next train if we miss one without paying for another ticket for our 10 train journeys above please?

Thanks, Sam or whoever will reply!

No, all the trains to Rennes are TGV, so they will require paid for reservations. There can be room on a train for ticket holders, but the quota of passholder reservations can be sold out.
Until you try there is no way of knowing if that is already the case.

You really also want to be checking at the same time, literally, that there is room on the bus. The worst thing would be to get train reservations then find that the bus was full, or vice versa.

This journey alone exemplifies why Eurail doesn't work in large parts of France.

My own view is that in Germany you need to trade off flexibility for the cheap spar preis tickets and forget Eurail. But then that is me.

Being blunt you have to take a decision one way or another, and very soon. MSM to me exemplifies why I think you should just go for point to point tickets.

Hi, may we trouble anyone (Sam and isn31c included) to help us confirm that we’ve got the cheapest and most time-efficient point-to-point tickets for our train trips below and answer our questions for train trips 4,5,6,8,9 and 10 below please?
1. Wednesday 29 May – From DB website, Frankfurt (M) Flughafen to Cologne Koln Hbf, depart 19:42 arrive 20:33, traveling time is 51 min, train type is ICE120. Price is EUR57.80.

1. Friday 31 May – From DB website, Cologne Koln Hbf to Berlin Hbf, depart 08:45 arrive 13:02, traveling time is 4h 17 min, train type is ICE555. Price is EUR95.80.

2. Sunday 2 June – From DB website, Berlin Hbf to Munich Muenchen, depart 08:12 arrive 12:02, traveling time is 3h 50 min, train type is ICE1003. Price is EUR135.80.

3. Sunday 2 June – From DB website, Munich Munchen to Dachau Bahnhof, depart 18:08 arrive 18:31, traveling time is 23 min, train type is S2. Price : Either Einzelfahrkarte Erwachsene at EUR 5.80 or Einzelfahrkarte Kind at EUR1.80 or Streifenkarte Erwachsene at EUR17.00. All states that “Departure lies too far in the future. Purchase not possible. Ticket can only be used in the app. Valid immediately for 3 to 5 hours.

Our question: Please advise which shall we choose ? Can we buy the ticket in advance and how ?

1. Monday 3 June – From DB website, Dachau Bahnhof to Fussen , depart 18:59 arrive 21:47, traveling time is 2h 48 min, one transfer at 20 mins, train type is S2 BRB RB68. Price is EUR34.00.
   Our question: Is the transfer time of 24 mins sufficient ?

2. Tuesday 4 June – From DB website, Fussen to Munich Muenchen , depart 18:17 arrive 20:42, traveling time is 2h 25 min, one transfer at 24 mins, train type is S2 BRB RB77. Price is EUR34.00.
   Our question: Is the transfer time of 24 mins sufficient ?

3. Wednesday 5 June – From DB website, Munich Muenchen to Frankfurt(Main)Hbf , depart 13:03 arrive 16:52, traveling time is 3h 13 min, train type is ICE624. Price is EUR39.80.

4. Thursday 6 June – From DB website, Frankfurt(Main)Hbf to Luxembourg , depart 08:56 arrive 12:40, traveling time is 3h 44 min, on transfer time at 26 min, train type is ICE9556. Price is EUR39.80. I

Our question: Is the transfer time of 26 mins sufficient ?

1. Saturday 8 June – Use website https://www.b-europe.com/EN: Luxembourg to Brussel Centraal [ Bruxelles- Central] , depart 08:11 arrive 11:23, traveling time is 3h 12 min, on transfer time at 5 min, train type is IC. Price is EUR35.50.
   Our question: Is the transfer time of 5 mins sufficient ? If not, how do I adjust the transfer time to a longer time period ?

2. Wednesday 12 June – Use website https://www.b-europe.com/EN: Brussel Centraal [ Bruxelles- Central] to Amsterdam CS [ Amsterdam- Central] , depart 08:32 arrive 10:53, traveling time is 2h 21 min, on transfer time at 16 min, train type is IC and Eurostar. Price is EUR98.00. Price included Free seat reservation on Eurostar from Bruxelles-Midi to Amsterdam Central.
   Our question: Is the transfer time of 16 mins sufficient ?

3. Friday 14 June – Use website https://www.b-europe.com/EN: Amsterdam CS [ Amsterdam- Central] to Paris Nord (Fr) , depart 07:08 arrive 10:39, traveling time is 3h 31 min, train type is Eurostar. Price is EUR198.00. Free seat reservation included.

By the way, we’ve cancelled our Eurail Global Pass with no penalty. May we ask isn32c and Sam or whoever could help to respond to our queries above please so that we could buy cheapest and most cost and time effective tickets ? May we ask if there are certain timing for cheapest tickets like between 6.30 and 8 am or whatever best times for cheapest tickets please Thanks

If Sam hasn't I will look at this much later today late evening UK time. At the moment I'm travelling, on a long very diverted rail journey that can't possibly get worse than it has been so far today.

I will go into more detail in another post. just a couple of quick hits.

You should not buy a Sparpreis Ticket for your arrival day at Frankfurt, as you can not be sure your flight will arrive on time, how long it will take you to clear immigration and get your luggage. If you miss your train, the ticket is invalid and you will have to buy a new full fare ticket. The full fare ticket is 178.80 EUR for the two of you, so might as well start with that.

Do you know if your airline supports Rail&Fly? If you can get one of these tickets, it will include any train after your scheduled arrival time. I believe Singapore Airlines does. https://www.bahn.de/service/informationen-buchung/bahn-flug/rail-and-fly-english

In Munich, tickets to Dachau are MVV tickets, which is the local transport company. You just buy these out of a ticket machine, or a window, or with the app. 5.80 EUR is the per person one-way fare. It is a Zone M-1 fare based on the distance. However, if you will be traveling elsewhere in Munich that day on public transport, you can buy a group day ticket for Zone M-1 for 19.20 EUR to cover both of you for the day. https://www.mvv-muenchen.de/en/index.html

Going to Fuessen is a Bayern Night Ticket for 34 EUR and you can buy from a ticket machine on day of travel. 24 Minutes should be plenty, but you can always depart earlier from Dachau if you like as long as it is after 18:00

Same ticket for return following day. if you take the 19:19 train, it is direct. I don't get the same results as you for the 18:17 departure. I show a 5 minute connection in Buchloe, arriving in Munich at 20:19. You might as well try to make that one. If you miss it, then the one 19 minutes later is available. You are not bound to any of these regional trains.

More in another post.

OK, for Wednesday June 5, ICE 624 actually departs Munich at 13:51 and arrive Frankfurt Hbf at 17:04. The earlier train is ICE 564 to Stuttgart with a train change to Frankfurt. I would recommend taking the direct train and eliminate any transfer worries.

Thursday June 6, 26 minutes in Saarbrucken is good. You realize it is a bus (included in the price including reservation) from Saarbrucken to Luxembourg.

Saturday, June 8, Why not wait for the 9:11 train from Luxembourg to Brussels, as it is direct, and no worries about transfers and the same price. If you were to miss the train in Arlon, you would have to wait for this train anyway.

Wednesday June 12, Why not take the direct IC train at either 7:49 or 8:50. It is direct and only costs 50 EUR rather than paying 98 EUR for the Eurostar. If you still want the Eurostar, just take an earlier train from Brussels Central to Brussels Midi if you want a longer transfer time. They are very frequent.

Paris train looks good.

Thanks, isn31c and thanks, Sam, for the detailed replies. I have a few questions:

My No (7) Train Journey on Wednesday 5 June – From DB website, Munich Muenchen to Frankfurt(Main)Hbf , depart 13:03 arrive 16:52, traveling time is 3h 13 min, train type is ICE624. Price is EUR39.80.

Your answer: OK, for Wednesday June 5, ICE 624 actually departs Munich at 13:51 and arrive Frankfurt Hbf at 17:04. The earlier train is ICE 564 to Stuttgart with a train change to Frankfurt. I would recommend taking the direct train and eliminate any transfer worries.

My question: Will your ICE 624 that departs Munich at 13:51 and arrive Frankfurt Hbf at 17:04 direct without transfer cost the same which is EUR39.80?

I will post more questions after studying your replies to my Train Trips 1 – 11 in another post.

My second question in this post is regarding the booking of Eiffel Tower on 14 June 2024 when I’ve reached Paris and left luggage at my hotel following my train journey below:

(11) Friday 14 June – Use website https://www.b-europe.com/EN: Amsterdam CS [ Amsterdam- Central] to Paris Nord (Fr) , depart 07:08 arrive 10:39, traveling time is 3h 31 min, train type is Eurostar. Price is EUR198.00. Free seat reservation included.
May I ask what is the best time to book to see Eiffel Tower on 14 June 2024 please? Will I get to stay on Eiffel Tower for 4 hours from 3 pm to 7 pm if I book the 3 pm visit slot? How much time actually should we or are we allowed to spend visiting Eiffel Tower and what should we pay attention to on Eiffel Tower? Also what time and date would the booking for Eiffel Tower for 3 pm on 14 June 2024 be open, if 3 pm is the timing you would recommend that I book too? Thanks.

My question: Will your ICE 624 that departs Munich at 13:51 and arrive Frankfurt Hbf at 17:04 direct without transfer cost the same which is EUR39.80?

Yes, the earlier train with a connection is actually cheaper at 35.80 EUR, but for only 2 EUR per person more, I would take the direct ICE 624.

Also what time and date would the booking for Eiffel Tower for 3 pm on 14 June 2024 be open, if 3 pm is the timing you would recommend that I book too? Thanks.

Personally, I would be there for sunset, but sunset in Paris on June 14 will be 21:55. I really don't know if there is a time limit at the top of the tower, Most people tire of it after 20 minutes or so. I have not been there for 10 years, so I don't know what has changed.

Thanks, Sam, for the swift response. May I ask if we could reduce the train cost of these two train journeys please?

1. Friday 31 May – From DB website, Cologne Koln Hbf to Berlin Hbf, depart 08:45 arrive 13:02, traveling time is 4h 17 min, train type is ICE555. Price is EUR95.80.

2. Sunday 2 June – From DB website, Berlin Hbf to Munich Muenchen, depart 08:12 arrive 12:02, traveling time is 3h 50 min, train type is ICE1003. Price is EUR135.80.

Also could anyone help us out with our queries of Eiffel Tower please?

May I ask what is the best time to book to see Eiffel Tower on 14 June 2024 please? Will I get to stay on Eiffel Tower for 4 hours from 3 pm to 7 pm if I book the 3 pm visit slot? How much time actually should we or are we allowed to spend visiting Eiffel Tower and what should we pay attention to on Eiffel Tower? Also what time and date would the booking for Eiffel Tower for 3 pm on 14 June 2024 be open, if 3 pm is the timing you would recommend that I book too? Thanks.

Friday 31 May – From DB website, Cologne Koln Hbf to Berlin Hbf, depart 08:45 arrive 13:02, traveling time is 4h 17 min, train type is ICE555. Price is EUR95.80.

Depart at 6:17 on the ICE Sprinter for 39.80 EUR.

Can I ask where your hotel is in Berlin? You can purchase your ticket to the closest S-Bahn station in Berlin, usually at no extra cost.

Sunday 2 June – From DB website, Berlin Hbf to Munich Muenchen, depart 08:12 arrive 12:02, traveling time is 3h 50 min, train type is ICE1003. Price is EUR135.80.

Both the 6:00 and 6:28 ICE trains are available for 95.80 EUR. The 6:00 is a Sprinter (only 4 intermediate stops).

Another idea to save (at least trains), instead of traveling to Frankfurt in the afternoon on June 5, then spending the night in Frankfurt and taking a morning train to Luxembourg, go all the way from Munich to Luxembourg. There is a 15:02 departure to Saarbrucken then bus to Luxembourg for 43.80 EUR replacing two 39.80 EUR legs. Hotel in Luxembourg may be more than Frankfurt, so that is a factor.

Hi Sam, thanks for the prompt reply. Our hotels are all near the train stations of all our 11 train trips so we shall be staying in a hotel 190 m / 3 mins' walk from Berlin Hauptbahnhof in Berlin. May I ask for the duration of the train ride and number of transfers of your recommended

Depart at 6:17 on the ICE Sprinter for 39.80 EUR to replace our

Friday 31 May – From DB website, Cologne Koln Hbf to Berlin Hbf, depart 08:45 arrive 13:02, traveling time is 4h 17 min, train type is ICE555. Price is EUR95.80.

Similarly, may I ask for the duration of the train ride and number of transfers of your recommended

Both the 6:00 and 6:28 ICE trains are available for 95.80 EUR to replace our

Sunday 2 June – From DB website, Berlin Hbf to Munich Muenchen, depart 08:12 arrive 12:02, traveling time is 3h 50 min, train type is ICE1003. Price is EUR135.80.

My next question is whether Munich is walkable like Cologne as I only have 6 hours in Munich before I leave for Dachau so could we do a meaningful walking tour of Munich on our own without taking any public transport and just buy the 5.80 Euro per pax Zone M-1 fare based on the distance for the S-bahn trip from Munich to Dachau (5.80x2=11.60 EUR) rather than the group day ticket for Zone M-1 for 19.20 EUR which will take us to Dachau too. May I confirm that tickets to Dachau are MVV tickets, which is the local transport company and this is also known as S-bahn please? Thanks.

The Cologne-Berlin, and Berlin-Munich trains are direct.

May I confirm that tickets to Dachau are MVV tickets, which is the local transport company and this is also known as S-bahn please? Thanks.

Yes, all transport in the MVV region is ticketed through MVV, which operates the U-Bahn, S-Bahn, trams and buses. Even DB regional trains within the MVV region are ticketed though MVV. For instance, there are some regional trains from Munich Hbf that pass though Dachau and MVV tickets work for them as well.

Munich is walkable depending on what you want to see. In a pinch, you can always just buy a transport ticket if you need to get to the train station quickly and you are far away. Tickets in Zone M are 3.90 EUR per person.

Hi Sam, thanks for the reply.

(1) May I confirm that departing Cologne Koln Hbf for Berlin Hbf at 6:17 on Friday 31 May on the ICE Sprinter for 39.80 EUR will be a direct train without transfer or stops please? May I confirm the travelling time please? This means we save 95.80 - 39.80 = 56 Euros.

(2) May I confirm that departing Berlin Hbf for Munich Muenchen at 6:28 ICE trains for 95.80 on Sunday 2 June will be a direct train without transfers and stops please? May I confirm the travelling time please? This means we save 135.80 - 95.80 = 40 Euros.

May I ask if I could book train trip (1) above on https://www.b-europe.com/EN?

I see that 6.17 - 10.17 am on 31 May 2024 from Cologne Koln Hbf to Berlin Hbf via ICE Direct Second Class is 41.4 Euros (one of us is 64 years old and the other 65 years old already)

and that 6.45 - 11.02 am is 57.4 Euros

Am I right, Sam? If so, I may also choose to depart at 6.45 am on Friday 31 May 2024 from Cologne Koln Hbf to Berlin Hbf via ICE Direct Second Class for 57.4 Euros. May I ask, Sam, what time we should be at which platform of Cologne Koln Hbf bound for Berlin Hbf to safely catch this train and not miss it please? For that matter, what is your advice to reach all our train stations for all our non-refundable tickets please? We are physically active but certainly not hope to fall when rushing. Thanks loads.

1) May I confirm that departing Cologne Koln Hbf for Berlin Hbf at 6:17 on Friday 31 May on the ICE Sprinter for 39.80 EUR will be a direct train without transfer or stops please? May I confirm the travelling time please? This means we save 95.80 - 39.80 = 56 Euros.

Yes, it is direct, taking exactly 4 hours. It makes 1 stop at Berlin Spandau. I still show 39.8 EUR for 2 people
The 6:45 ICE is also direct, taking 4 hours and 17 Minutes. It makes 5 stops along the way at Wuppertal, Hagen, Bielefeld, Hanover, Berlin Spandau. I show 2 people for 55.80 EUR.

2) May I confirm that departing Berlin Hbf for Munich Muenchen at 6:28 ICE trains for 95.80 on Sunday 2 June will be a direct train without transfers and stops please? May I confirm the travelling time please? This means we save 135.80 - 95.80 = 40 Euros.

Yes, it is direct and takes 4 Hours and 35 minutes. It makes 7 stops along the way, at Berlin Suedkreuz, Lutherstadt Wittenberg, Leipzig, Erfurt, Bamberg, Erlangen, Nuremberg. I still show 95.80 for 2 people.

Be on the platform 10 minutes before departure. That way you can see what section of the platform the 2nd class carriages will stop and go there. These will be displayed on the overhead signs. The train (at least in Cologne Hbf) will stop for 2 or 3 minutes, so board after allowing other passengers to get off the train.

Book German trains at https://int.bahn.de/en

Also regarding the following three responses from you, Sam, could we just buy these three tickets on that day before boarding the train and still pay your cheapest prices posted here or should we buy advanced non-refundable tickets now please?

Our question: Sunday 2 June – From DB website, Munich Munchen to Dachau Bahnhof, depart 18:08 arrive 18:31, traveling time is 23 min, train type is S2. Price : Either Einzelfahrkarte Erwachsene at EUR 5.80 or Einzelfahrkarte Kind at EUR1.80 or Streifenkarte Erwachsene at EUR17.00. All states that “Departure lies too far in the future. Purchase not possible. Ticket can only be used in the app. Valid immediately for 3 to 5 hours.
Our question: Please advise which shall we choose ? Can we buy the ticket in advance and how ?

Your response - In Munich, tickets to Dachau are MVV tickets, which is the local transport company. You just buy these out of a ticket machine, or a window, or with the app. 5.80 EUR is the per person one-way fare. It is a Zone M-1 fare based on the distance. However, if you will be traveling elsewhere in Munich that day on public transport, you can buy a group day ticket for Zone M-1 for 19.20 EUR to cover both of you for the day. https://www.mvv-muenchen.de/en/index.html

Our question: Monday 3 June – From DB website, Dachau Bahnhof to Fussen , depart 18:59 arrive 21:47, traveling time is 2h 48 min, one transfer at 20 mins, train type is S2 BRB RB68. Price is EUR34.00.
Our question: Is the transfer time of 24 mins sufficient ?

Your response: Going to Fuessen is a Bayern Night Ticket for 34 EUR and you can buy from a ticket machine on day of travel. 24 Minutes should be plenty, but you can always depart earlier from Dachau if you like as long as it is after 18:00

Our question: 3. Tuesday 4 June – From DB website, Fussen to Munich Muenchen , depart 18:17 arrive 20:42, traveling time is 2h 25 min, one transfer at 24 mins, train type is S2 BRB RB77. Price is EUR34.00.
Our question: Is the transfer time of 24 mins sufficient ?

Your response: Same ticket for return following day. if you take the 19:19 train, it is direct. I don't get the same results as you for the 18:17 departure. I show a 5 minute connection in Buchloe, arriving in Munich at 20:19. You might as well try to make that one. If you miss it, then the one 19 minutes later is available. You are not bound to any of these regional trains.

We could only book all these in advance from the DB website and not from https://www.b-europe.com/EN. Correct?

Also regarding the following three responses from you, Sam, could we just buy these three tickets on that day before boarding the train and still pay your cheapest prices posted here or should we buy advanced non-refundable tickets now please?

No, in order to get the prices discussed, they must be bought now. The prices will increase over time until just before departure, when it will be the Flex Price. They sell rail tickets like airline tickets. Buy now nonrefundable tickets for cheap, or wait until the travel date and pay the full price. Imagine what you would pay if you just went to the airport on your departure day and said, "Two tickets to Frankfurt please."

Thanks, Sam. I shall prebook all my tickets in Germany via your https://int.bahn.de/en

I think the difference in prices could be because I was checking these prices on https://www.b-europe.com/EN and I could not book these the above three tickets on https://www.b-europe.com/EN

We should have purchased all tickets by the end of today and shall print them out for use when in Germany, Luxembourg, Belgium, The Netherlands and France.

My next question is regarding the timing in Paris now. It is 9.12 am on Sunday 14 April 2024 now. May I ask what time it will be in Singapore when Paris is 12 midnight on 15 April 2024 please? I could not book my Eiffel Tower tickets at 6 am Singapore time 14 June 2024 (Paris 12 midnight on 14 April 2024, I thought) although I logged in this morning when tickets just opened for booking for 13 June 2024. I thought I was on the dot at 6 am Singapore time 14 June 2024 (Paris 12 midnight on 14 April 2024, I thought) to book tickets for 13 June 2024. Could someone advise so that I could get Eiffel Tower tickets to the top by escalator. Thanks.

My google tells me it is 9:38 Sunday in Singapore. It is 20:38 Saturday where i am, and it is 3:38 Sunday in Paris.

May I ask if there is any value in us registering to have an account for https://int.bahn.de/en please? How do we register for an account when https://int.bahn.de/en refuses to register us with a message about security issues? Thanks.

May I ask why I failed to authorise payment of 39.80 Euros fast enough on https://int.bahn.de/en and then I was asked to reset and key in all train details and now it's 55.80 Euros = 16 Euros more - how to reset to 39.80 Euros please? Thanks

May I ask why I failed to authorise payment of 39.80 Euros fast enough on https://int.bahn.de/en and then I was asked to reset and key in all train details and now it's 55.80 Euros = 16 Euros more - how to reset to 39.80 Euros please? Thanks

That's dynamic pricing in action. If that 55.80 was for 2 people then the fare seems to have jumped again as I can't even replicate that for Koln to Berlin on 31 May at 0645- I am getting 75.80 now from a quick look as I fly out of my front door.

Have purchased any other tickets yet on https://int.bahn.de/en?
I don't know why you have "security" issues.
You might also try to purchase them at https://www.thetrainline.com/en-us
That is a reputable site. Set currency as Euros. I see the 39.80 EUR for the 13:51 ICE 624 is the same.

Thank you, isn31c for taking the effort to reply even as you are flying out of your door. Take care and enjoy! Sam or isn31c, could you enlighten me how to buy in advance now / today two tickets from Munich Munchen Hbf to Dachau bf please? We do not see any price to click on MVV website given by Sam and https://int.bahn.de/en. We are in the middle of all our ticket buying and would appreciate that you reply soonest please. We are intending to buy the cheapest 5.80 Euro per pax and taking 12 mins train journey and could find where to click 2 pax on MVV website given by Sam and https://int.bahn.de/en. Thanks.

I know Singapore has a very good transit system. Do you buy a ticket to travel 10 km 2 months in advance? Just buy your ticket when you get to Munich.

Here is the MVV journey planner. Put in München Hbf as the start point, Dachau Bahnhof as the destination, the time you want to travel and the day of the week (this week). Click "submit" and you will see a variety of times around your requested time by various modes. "R" is a regional train and is faster because it is nonstop, "S" is an S-Bahn and makes many stops along the way, taking more time. They all show a price of 5.80 EUR, which is the MVV Zone M-1 fare.
https://efa.mvv-muenchen.de/index.html#trip@enquiry

Hi Sam, you mentioned that I should buy tickets now otherwise the prices would jump very high if bought on the day of travel itself. May I confirm that this Munich to Dachau of 10 km ride will remain as 5.80 Euros when we buy from Munich Hbf on the day of travel itself please?

Yes, that specific ticket (Munich--> Dachau) since it is a local transit ticket and not a big train ticket, will be 5.80 on the day of travel. You don't want to buy it now .

Long distance trains in Germany are like that, but generally not regional trains and certainly not local city transit. The MVV Zone M-1 fare is the same always, 2 months in advance or 2 minutes.

The Bayern Night Ticket you will be using to to go to Fuessen and return is like that as well. Cost is 34 EUR for 2 people, and for that you can travel any regional train, S-Bahn, U-Bahn, public bus in the state of Bavaria after 18:00 until 6:00 the following day. Most people just buy them out of ticket machines just before travel, or with an app.

Could someone help me? I’ve been clicking on the official website to book Eiffel Tower tickets for more than 1.5 hours to no avail. There was an error message that it was website error and to try again,

Also one of the point to point train tickets that I’ve bought from Luxembourg to Brussels central when downloaded becomes Luxembourg to zone Brussels and only had the date and no start and end time of the train itinerary. I have the printshot of all these details before I downloaded the ticket.Could someone advise what I should do please ? Thanks

Luxembourg to Brussels are all Belgian IC trains and you are free to take any train that day to Brussels stations, Midi, Central, or Noord.

The last day tickets are for sale is 60 days out, so June 13 is currently the last day (and they show sold out). Try again tomorrow.

Joyce might i gently suggest that if you are trying to get assistance with purchasing Eiffel Tower tickets, you start a new thread based on just that question.

I don’t know that that many people are looking at this thread any more, and there certainly are people who can provide advice on the ins and outs of booking Eiffel Tower tickets if they see your question (which they are more likely to do in a thread with Eiffel Tower in the title).

(sorry, I’m no help as I haven’t purchased Eiffel Tower tickets in literally 30 years.)

Thanks, Kim. May I ask a question about my train ticket from Frankfurt Airport to Cologne please? What do these words on the ticket mean please?

Gültigkeit: 29.05.2024 00:00 Uhr bis 30.05.2024 10:00 Uhr

Secondly, could anyone tell me if I could buy Paris Museum Pass only at my first museum: Versailles Palace - on Saturday 15 June 2024 and not now which is so much earlier please?

Thanks. I love this chat group as you guys are so responsive.

Gültigkeit translates as 'validity' and bis as 'until' so in this case valid from midnight on 29 May until 10am on 30 May.

If you wait until you get to Versailles to buy the Museum Pass, you are likely to be delayed. It is a Saturday, so will be quite busy and you will have to wait in line with people just buying tickets for the day, which sort of defeats the purpose of the pass. Why not buy it online just before going to Paris? Also, you can buy it at the tourist office at the Galleries Lafayette department store until 18:00 on your arrival day.

Thank you isn31c! We are supposed to touch down at Frankfurt Airport at 1740 hrs on 29 May 2024 but SIA now contacted us that we shall touch down at 1800 hrs on 29 May 2024. May I confirm that our train tickets from Frankfurt Airport to Koln booked for 2107 hrs with these words

29.05.2024 00:00 Uhr bis 30.05.2024 10:00 Uhr

which mean this:

Gültigkeit translates as 'validity' and bis as 'until' so in this case valid from midnight on 29 May until 10am on 30 May

can be used to travel from Frankfurt Airport to Koln on any train from Frankfurt Airport to Koln up to 10 am on 30 May 2024 please?

Thanks loads.

Thanks loads, Sam. I fully agree that time is of the essence when travelling. You have replied

Also, you can buy it at the tourist office at the Galleries Lafayette department store until 18:00 on your arrival day.

We arrived in Paris around 10.30 am on 14 June 2024 and will check in at a hotel near Paris Du Nord. We will then buy Kim’s Navigo Easy (which costs 2 euros each) to hit Eiffel Tower to buy tickets on the spot as we've failed many times to click on

https://ticket.toureiffel.paris

umpteen times for hours through some nights, all to no avail, to book tickets online. We got this prompt repeatedly:

'The website encountered an unexpected error. Try again later.'

Our questions are:

(1) Is the tourist office at the Galleries Lafayette department store which will be open until 18:00 on our arrival day (Friday 14 June 2024) for us to buy the Paris Museum Pass within walking distance from Paris Du Nord please?

(2) Is the queue at Eiffel Tower likely to be extremely long around 1 - 2 pm on a Friday afternoon please? We plan to buy tickets for immediate use on this day itself, possibly for 3 pm and stay on Eiffel Tower till 7 pm.

Please advise, all. I still love to chat in this community please. Thanks loads.

1. The Train Ticket- yes;

2. The Eiffel Tower- tickets for 14 June go on sale on 23 April

“Is the tourist office at the Galleries Lafayette department store which will be open until 18:00 on our arrival day (Friday 14 June 2024) for us to buy the Paris Museum Pass within walking distance from Paris Du Nord please?”

What I’m about to write, may not seem helpful at first but I believe it will be more helpful in the long run than providing a simple yes or no answer.
I would like to suggest you to get familiar with Google Maps. Google Maps is a great help in finding your way from A to B. Go to the Google Maps app, type your destination in the search field and search. Then click on “route” in the left bottom of the screen. Enter your departing point and hit the symbol of the walking person. You will now see how long it takes to walk from A to B and how you should walk.
Learning how to use Google Maps will be hugely beneficial to your holiday. If you know how to navigate using Google Maps you can easily see for yourself whether or not something is within walking distance.

Thanks, isn31c and dutch_traveller!

May I ask

The Eiffel Tower- tickets for 14 June go on sale on 23 April - what time exactly on 23 April will we be able to click to buy please?

Yes, Google Map is certainly useful, dutch_traveller. I asked just in case there are a few possibilities for ' tourist office at the Galleries Lafayette department store' in the Google Map.

Thanks loads.

Supposedly at midnight local time, so Paris is 6 hours behind Singapore- that should be 6am in Singapore for Eiffel Tower tickets.

Joyce,

Did you manage to get your Eiffel Tower tickets?- I see they have been on sale 2 days ago and are now sold out as are the 15 and 16 June (the latter having sold out within 6 hours, probably sooner). The closest date with availability currently being 9 June. For 17 to 19 June (your last days in Paris) the availability date has been reduced from 60 days beforehand, and no availability date is currently advertised.

Hi isn31c, I've logged in umpteen times into the night and throughout some nights and early some mornings from 5 am all to no avail as I could not click beyond two adult tickets to pick escalator or stairs or whatever other options. I repeatedly received 'The website encountered problem. Please try again later.' after I've clicked two adult tickets. I've reached out to this community and another specifically for Eiffel Tower online ticket booking but no one has so far addressed my problem. I've logged in via Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge all to no avail. When I went to some vendor's / travel agency's website, I could pick any timing I want for all my dates but at the price of 300 SGD per pax for escalator to summit when I would have paid 40 SGD if I had been able to book online at the official Eiffel Tower online ticket booking website. Sigh.

There is a small print notice on the Eiffel Tower website which states-

If e-tickets are sold out for the date/time or destination that you search, it is always possible to purchase tickets on the spot on the
day of your visit.

I don't know if any of our French residents (Kim, Balso et al) can confirm the veracity of that statement, or whether it is just hot air/false promises by them. It'll be nigh on 40 years since I have been up the Tower so I have no personal experience.

Even if it is true then maybe it will vary during the Olympic period.

I don't want to give you empty hopes, but maybe, just maybe that could be a solution.

Funnily enough, this summer it will be 30 years since I have been up the Eiffel Tower myself. I have indeed heard of people getting in line to get tickets on the day - but I have no idea if this is going to be possible this summer with Olympics prep.

Thank you, isn31c and Kim for the information about queueing for tickets on the day itself for Eiffel Tower. Could anyone in the community help us with our 4 questions here please? (1) May I ask for tips to beat the queue or reduce queueing time when buying on the spot please? (2) Secondly, I've bought point-to-point tickets in Germany, Luxembourg, Belgium, Amsterdam and Paris. I have printed all train tickets. May I ask if I need to validate each of these tickets before boarding the trains and if so, how to do so quickly without wasting too much time or queueing please? (3) May I ask how I could book the fastest RER C from Paris to Versailles to reach the Palace of Versailles at 8.30 am on Saturday 16 Jun 2024 please? (4) Last but not least, I am 64 years old turning 65 only September 2024 and my husband is already 65 years old. Could you advise us how to travel cheapest and fastest possible (A) from Brussels to Bruges and Ghent on Day 2 of our Belgium stay, Sunday 9 Jun 2024, (B) from Brussels to Leuven on Day 3 of our Belgium stay, Monday 10 Jun 2024 and (C) from Brussels to Dinant and Lamur on Day 3 of our Belgium stay, Tuesday 11 Jun 2024? Thank you very much. I am looking forward to hearing all of you soon!

1. This I do not know.
2. You just board to train and show your ticket when the conductor comes by. If you have a discounted ticket due to your age, have your passport handy to confirm your date of birth. On the Eurostar from Amsterdam to Paris, you need your ticket to open the gate to the train platform. More info here: https://www.eurostar.com/us-en/travel-info/your-trip/check-in
3. Your husband gets a senior discount on Belgian trains as he is 65 or older, you, unfortunately are not quite there yet so you must use the standard ticket. You can buy from a ticket machine, from the ticket window, on-line with a printed pdf, or from the app, and even from the conductor on the train (with a service fee). https://www.belgiantrain.be/en/travel-info/train-offer/welcome-in-belgium-train/belgium-best-train-tickets
4. You cannot really "book" a ticket for the train to Versailles Chateau-Rive Gauche (station closest to the Palace). You just buy tickets one for each way for each of you. Cost is 4.15 EUR for each way per person. To be at the Chateau by 8:30, suggest you depart from Gare du Nord (I believe you said that is where your hotel is) on the Metro No 4 at 6:48 am to St Michel-Notre Dame and change to the RER C to Versailles Rive Gauche departing at 7:12 am, arriving at 7:52 am. It is about a 10-15 minute walk to the Palace. You must use your ticket to open the gate to exit the station.

The only way to beat the queue when getting Eiffel Tower tickets on the day of is to buy tickets to walk up to the second floor; you can add the elevator to the top in the same purchase. That line is usually pretty short. Did you think there was so trick to crowding in ahead of everyone else in the long queue to buy elevator tickets? There isn't.

You don't book the RER C; it is local public transport. You can buy the ticket the day ahead (it is good any time, they are not dated -- it is like having a metro ticket except it is specifically for Paris/Versailles Rive Gauche. You just board the RER C making sure the train you choose is going to Versailles Rive Gauche. The C branches and so only some trains are going your way. The electronic signs make clear where the next train is going. These are paper tickets unless you have a pass like the Navigo Decouverte and are validated in the stiled that admit you to the platform

Being 65 rarely gets you cheap train tickets unless you have bought a special senior card. Whether that helps on your itinerary I don't know.

Tickets booked will provide a bar code and this is used for access to the platform most places. If you have trouble getting the gate to read your phone bar code, there is usually a person there who can read it by hand. Your ticket is then usually but not always checked by a conductor on the train.

Thank you, Sam and Janettravels44. Hi Janet, i already checked that RER C would bring me to Versailles station at 9.05 am which will be quite tight for my timed admission already booked for 9.30 am. This was why I asked if i could get an earlier RER C to take me there by 8.30 am. May I ask if anyone knows what time RER C to Versailles starts its first train from Paris Du Nord to Versailles on Saturdays please? Secondly, I asked about the 4 train journeys in Belgium because there is a special price for those 65 and above for train travel after a certain time in the morning or during the peak period. May I ask if anyone could enlighten me please? Thanks, all.

On the 3 Belgian days, if you travel after 9am (anytime at weekends), your husband will travel for 8.30 Euro return on the Belgian senior ticket- no need for any special card- https://www.belgiantrain.be/en/tickets-and-railcards/senior-ticket/

For you you are allowed to break your journey en route-
so for journey A buy a normal return ticket Brussels to Bruges (34 Euro or 18.4 Euro on Saturday and Sunday) and break en route at Ghent, and for journey C a normal ticket from Brussels to Dinant and break en route at Namur. (30.8 or 16.8 Euro)

Brussels to Leuven is 13 or 7.8 Euro return- weekdays/weekends.

For the RER C to Versailles this is all the trains- https://www.transilien.com/fr/les-fiches-horaires/resultats/?completeDayResearch=false&date=2024-06-01&departure=Saint-Michel%20Notre-Dame&destination=Versailles%20Ch%C3%A2teau%20Rive%20Gauche&endTimeSlot=18%3A00&errors=&idStopPointDestination=stop_area%3AIDFM%3A73721&idUic7Departure=stop_area%3AIDFM%3A73620&startTimeSlot=05%3A00

so every 15 minutes from St Michel Notre Dame from 0543 onwards

And the first Line 4 Metro from Gare du Nord is at just before 6am, then every 8 minutes- https://www.ratp.fr/en/horaires-metro?network-current=metro&networks=metro&line_metro=4&line_busratp=&name_line_busratp=&id_line_busratp=&id_t_line_busratp=&line_noctilien=&name_line_noctilien=&id_line_noctilien=&id_t_line_noctilien=&stop_point_rer=&stop_place_id_rer=&line_str_id_rer=&stop_point_sncf=&stop_place_id_sncf=&line_str_id_sncf=&stop_point_metro=Gare+du+Nord&stop_place_id_metro=ART%3AIDFM%3A462941&line_str_id_metro=LIG%3AIDFM%3AC01374&stop_point_tram=&stop_place_id_tram=&line_str_id_tram=&stop_point_busratp=&stop_place_id_busratp=&line_str_id_busratp=&stop_point_noctilien=&stop_place_id_noctilien=&line_str_id_noctilien=&type=later&departure_date=06%2F01%2F2024&departure_hour=5&departure_minute=55&op=Search&is_mobile=&form_build_id=form-a2mgsS0NKdG-7olKOvUSr6wFd1klupx-KCK6w1_FKRU&form_id=scheduledform

Thanks, isn31c. On the 3 Belgian days, my husband pays 8.30 Euro return on the Belgian senior ticket- no need for any special card- https://www.belgiantrain.be/en/tickets-and-railcards/senior-ticket/ if we set out after 9 am on weekdays and anytime on weekends.

For me, I pay 18.4 Euro for normal return ticket on Sunday 9 Jun 2024 to Bruges and Ghent (break at Ghent), and 30.8 Euros for normal return ticket on Monday 10 Jun 2024 Brussels to Dinant and Namur (break at Namur) and 13 Euros on Tuesday 11 Jun 2024 from Brussels to Leuven. May I ask if I need to tell the ticketing officer that I shall be breaking journey at Ghent and Namur please, isn31c?

No, just buy a ticket to Bruges and Dinant on the respective days- get off the train at Ghent and Namur days, spend whatever time you want in the respective cities, then back to the station and get on the next available train to Bruges or Dinant. Namur to Dinant there will be a train every 30 minutes, and Ghent to Bruges every 10 to 15 minutes.

Or of course you could go to Bruges or Dinant first, then break the journey on the way back instead.

The RER C runs all day every few minutes -- just show up half an hour earlier than the train you mention. At Versailles there is a 10 minute walk to the palace, perimeter bag check which takes you a few minutes and then you want to be in the correct line for your time slot half an hour or so early so as to be near the front rather than back of your entry time slot line. The RER is like the metro and runs continuously all day -- the intervals for the metro are about 4 minutes -- for the RER, it is more like 15 or 20 depending on time of day.

Thank you, isn31c and Janettravels. I have already booked timed tickets for the Palace of Versailles on Saturday 15 Jun 2024 and Louvre Museum at 9 am on Sunday 16 Jun 2024 and St Chapelle and Conciegerie at 3.30 pm on Sunday 16 Jun2024 after which we will visit Palais de Justice, Marie Antoinette's Cell, Pantheon and see the outside of Notre Dame that is under construction. (1) Our 1st question is if we need to book timed tickets for Palais de Justice, Marie Antoinette's Cell and Pantheon please? (2) May we ask how we could organise the following attractions into 2 days so that we will be able to save walking / travelling time and money please?
Arc de Triomphe
Sacré-Coeur Basilica
Jardin du Luxembourg
Musée d’Orsay
Musée de l’Orangerie
Hotel de la Marine Centre,
Centre Pompidou
We are wondering if we could proceed from our hotel near Gare du Nord and walk 15-20 minutes to Attraction A then another short walk to Attraction B then another short walk to Attraction C, progressively getting further away from our hotel till perhaps an hour's walk away and then rout back towards Gare du Nord with Attraction D and then walk a few minutes to Attraction E, F and G, progressively getting nearer to our hotel. We would appreciate if you could recommend other worthwhile places on the PMP too.

These 2 are close to each other. You need to take the Metro to get there and back.
Musée de l’Orangerie
Hotel de la Marine Centre
The Musee d'Orsay is just across the Seine on a pedestrian bridge (Passerelle Léopold-Sédar-Senghor).

The Jardin de Luxembourg is very near the Pantheon, so include that with a visit there.

You could walk to the Sacré-Coeur Basilica from Gare du Nord, although I will leave it to others about the advisability of that. Then take the No 2 Metro from Anvers to the Arc de Triomphe, then the No 1 Metro to Hotel de Ville to walk to the Pompidou Center. Then Metro back to Gare du Nord.

Arc de Triomphe
Sacré-Coeur Basilica
Jardin du Luxembourg
Musée d’Orsay
Musée de l’Orangerie
Hotel de la Marine Centre,
Centre Pompidou

These are an awful lot of sites to work into two days.

You could see the Hotel de la Marine and Musée de l'Orangerie one after the other with perhaps lunch in between right in the neighborhood. The metro is normally Concorde but that metro station (and those at Tuileries and Champs-Elysees Clemenceau) will close for Olympics planning as of June 17 (in fact, line 8 at Concorde will close as of May 17).

You could then walk up the Champs-Elysees from Concorde to go to the Arc de Triomphe at its head. Normally I wouldn't recommend a walk up the Champs-Elysees, but you won't have much choice in June unless you are going to do this on June 14, 15, or 16. As of June 17, you will have to walk a good distance anyway to Franklin Roosevelt before you could board the Line 1 for the last two stops to Charles de Gaulle/Étoile (which is where the Arc de Triomphe is).

(1) Our 1st question is if we need to book timed tickets for Palais de Justice, Marie Antoinette's Cell and Pantheon please?

Marie Antoinette's cell is in the Conciergerie, so you don't need any separate ticket.

I don't think you need separate timed tickets for the Palais de Justice or the Pantheon. As I understand it, your La Chapelle ticket is good for the Palais de Justice.

If you want to visit the Musée de l'Orangerie and the Musée d'Orsay, you will probably be happiest if you buy timed tickets in advance.

Thank you very much, Kim and Sam. I just booked tickets for Orangerie but Orsay website indicated that PMP holders need not reserve timed tickets. Could you advise please?

Thank you very much, Kim, Sam and all who have responded to my queries. I just booked tickets for Orangerie but Orsay website indicated that PMP holders need not reserve timed tickets. Could you advise please?

Hi all, I just received an email from DB stating the following:

Timetable change for your journey to München Hbf Gl.27-36 on 04 June 2024: Travel schedule no longer possible

Good morning Joyce Yu,

Due to a timetable change, your journey from Füssen to München Hbf Gl.27-36 on 04 June 2024 cannot be carried out as described.
Sincerely yours

Deutsche Bahn

Your former journey (not possible anymore)
Order Number: XXXXXXXXXXX

07:19 PM Füssen Pl. 3
BRB RB68
09:20 PM München Hbf Gl.27-36 Pl. 29

Hi all, Q1: may I ask how DB would pay me back the 34 Euros that I had paid for the above? Q2: The ticket states an unlimited number of journeys we can take with this train ticket Order Number: XXXXXXXXXX, may we ask if we could present this ticket Order Number: XXXXXXXXX for the next earliest train journey from Fussen to Munich Hbf without having to book again or what is your advice please?
Thanks.

the PMP website specifies what sites require timed slots, the Orsay is not one of them.

Regarding the trip from Füssen to Munich:
- DB sends these confusing messages when there is a change of schedule. What you should do is just check the timetable on line and see what the schedule is going to be. And then just take that train. Your ticket is for a route, not a train. However somewhere in the bowels of the DB systems there is a note that you selected a particular departure during the purchase, and therefore you now get a mail because that particular departure has changed. Maybe even only a few minutes.

Now if you go to www.bahn.de and look up Füssen to Munich on June 4, you will see that you will have to leave a few minutes earlier, and that part of it is on a bus. This probably because they are doing maintenance on the railways, and that was not yet known whey you purchased your ticket.

Since your ticket is for a route, not for a train, you can take that, and you can also take later departures on the same day.

Now, why did you buy a ticket for a trivial regional trip months in advance? This is a trip that you could have safely bought a ticket for on the day itself. This is mass transit. Used by people to go about their daily business. People do not plan their daily business months in advance...

Thank you, Skunklet1771 and WengenK! We bought the tickets earlier thinking that prices would increase if we wait till nearer or on the date of travel to buy them.
Hi isn31c, may I ask if my husband’s 8.30 Euro and my 64-year old return ticket for Bruges and Ghent for 18.4 Euro on Sunday, Namur and Dinant for 30.8 Euro on Tuesday and my Brussels to Leuven for 13 Euro on Monday bought in Brussels will entitle us to travel by all public transport without paying anymore in Bruges, Ghent, Dinant, Namur and Leuven too. Will our return tickets also entitle us to the cable car ride to Dinant Citadel without paying any more too? Thanks all!

Joyce,

No the ticket is only valid on SNCB services.

You would have to pay extra for the Dinant cable car and local transport. in each city In Bruges it is unlikely you would be using local buses- you will be walking or using the boats.

But in Ghent, Bruges and Leuven services are run by De Lijn; In Dinant and Namur by Transport en Commun.

Special rates on the buses for those of retirement age apply only to Belgians (not Visitors).

This is easier to understand stuff about the buses and trams in Ghent- https://visit.gent.be/en/good-know/practical-information/getting-around/public-transport-ghent