Using TGV E-Tickets at Gare Montparnasse

Hi pfred2080. In France, and most countries in Europe, there is no check-in process for train travel. If you have tickets for a specific train, just find your track # by looking at the departure board, then board your train and find your assigned seat. Sometime during the journey, a conductor will come thru the car and ask for your ticket. Enjoy your trip!

Just what Bob said.

We caught the train from Paris to Lyon only three weeks ago. Tickets printed at home. Board train. Conductor came by and scanned them after about 20 minutes.

Thanks for the answers. How early do you recommend arriving for the train?

If you haven't been to that station before, and it is a big station like Paris Montparnasse. I would plan to arrive there at least 30 minutes before departure. Gives you 10 minutes to look at the departure board, figure where your train is and get to it. 10 minutes to buy a sandwich or coffee, and 10 minutes contingency.

There is a plan of the station here: http://www.gares-sncf.com/sites/default/files/field_plan_files/2015-03/pg_hall_pasteur.pdf

Small country station, with only one or two platforms, and you have been there before; you will see the locals turn up 10 minutes before the train is due.

Remember that the city you're going to may not be the train's final destination -- and as such, your city may not be listed on the board. Note the NUMBER of your train - and have a reasonable idea of geography -- along with its departure time, and you'll be able to figure out which train it is easily.

I agree with Chris's advice that 30 minutes is a good target when going from a big, unfamiliar station.

Yes.. and don't worry .. they don't put the track numbers up for your train very early.. sometimes only 10 minutes before departure, and I have seen them up a lot closer then that to departure.. don't worry.. soon at they go up you will notice many of the folks standing around staring at the board like you will be all of a sudden start walking..lol.. its the one thing I don't like about train travel.. I would like it if track numbers went up like 30 minutes before.. but the logistics of so many trains coming in and out of these stations make that impossible.

So yes.. I think the 10, 10 , 10 timing is great!

Ps do bring a snack onboard.. picnicking is a great on trains.. and the food available onboard is pretty lame !

Great tips, thank you. Two more questions: Our tickets say we Depart Paris Mont 1 ET 2. I am assuming that indicates Paris Montparnasse, but not sure what 1 ET 2 indicates. Also, any tips for grabbing a quick picnic to go at the station?

It shouldn't matter to you, but the old-fashioned cardboard tickets bought from a machine or agent do have to be validated in a punch machine near the entrance to the platform (in France and some other countries). The machine records a date on them to prevent re-use. Tickets with reserved seating are good only on a specific train and time so don't need further validation. The train attendant going through the cars may ask for a passport along with print-at-home tickets; apparently you should also have the credit card used to buy the ride but I don't think it's often asked.

I think ET stands for etage, meaning " floor".

"et" in this case is truly the French word "and" . . .

The Montparnasse station has two parts, 1 and 2 . . .

Gare de Montparnasse 1 and 2 . . . it's just the name of the station.

Thanks Kim for correction, I was confused because T" was a capital.

I am wanting to order TGV from Gare Montparnasse to Rennes. I live in USA, what site did you use to purchase and was your travel a success?

I use sncf.. it works fine. I have used it many times. I have heard good things about le Capitaine also, but when I went to book a ticket from Paris to Lyon it would not let me choose my seat..( or I didn't know how to do it ) so went back to sncf and was able to choose my seat on that site.

From the US www.capitainetrain.com is the recommended site to use to purchase French train tickets. I've had problems using my US-issued credit cards on the SNCF website and no problems with capitainetrain.

I've never had any issues choosing my seats on the TGV or iDTGV.

Also for the iDTGV trains someone will scan your ticket as you board the train, not on the train. I think that this is great idea because it prohibits those without a ticket from boarding.

Hi All, Thanks for all the tips. Except for a tight connection because of bad weather in Chicago, our trip went smoothly. We purchased tickets on the Capitaine site with reserved seats. Our printed tickets were checked on board. Great ride.