I am sure this question has been asked before but when i did a search on this site the latest answer was from 2006. Trying to get train tickets from Paris to Cochem for June 1. On the Bahn site they took my information and said they would have to send me a "price inquiry" email, then I would need to confirm the price, call within 24 hours to purchase the tickets and then have them mailed to me. That is so crazy. Why can't I just buy an e-ticket? Afraid we won't get the tickets in time for June 1.
Posted by
Green Bay
21184 posts
At www.bahn.com, I can buy tickets now for a Super Sparpreis of 34.90 EUR for the 9:06 departure from Paris Est with a train change in Saarbrucken. Some other tickets they cannot sell because the train change occurs at Luxembourg. If that is the connection you want, go to www.loco2.com. They can sell you those tickets. These are e-tickets with print-at-home tickets, or downloadable to your smart phone with the DB Navigator app.
Edit - I have gotten to the point of entering my credit information for the 9:06 on June 1.
Posted by
Berlin
3015 posts
Some connections on www.bahn.com show a price and can get booked directly. Just choose one of these.
Likely they do not get the price via API from the French train provider. So they cannot calculate it.
Posted by
Wyckoff, NJ, USA
7898 posts
The DB site is frequently recommended here. I suppose one reason is that it is so comprehensive and easy to use. But when I am buying a trip originating in France, I often use the SNCF site. Doesn't that make sense?
Posted by
Basel, Switzerland
8889 posts
The site you are referring to ( https://www.bahn.com/en/view/index.shtml ) is the website of DB, the German National Railway company. This website has the timetables for most of the major railway companies in Europe loaded.
It only sells tickets for Germany, that is only tickets for trains running within, to or from Germany.
It can only sell you a ticket for Paris to Cochem, if all the trains are run by DB or other German rail lines. in this case SNCF, the French National Railway company runs the first train.
To find out where to buy your rail tickets, see this webpage: https://www.seat61.com/Europe-train-tickets.htm
"Why can't I just buy an e-ticket?" - in many cases you can, but only from the correct company (would you go to United Airlines website to buy a ticket on a Delta flight?)
In some cases, the on-train staff do not have the necessary technology to check e-tickets, so they are not sold for that route.
Posted by
Bavaria
2481 posts
The DB site is frequently recommended here. I suppose one reason is that it is so comprehensive and easy to use. But when I am buying a trip originating in France, I often use the SNCF site. Doesn't that make sense?
Of course it makes sense - if the train is a French one. If it is a German one, say Paris - Stuttgart, it's way better to use the DB site, since SNFC won't sell DB saver fares (the difference may be huge). Since the databases of national rail carriers in Europe are not interoperational, the rule of dumb for cross border connections is to book either at loco2.com or trainline.eu, which are resellers of most national carriers and simply query the databases of all carriers involved. But don't so ever without double checking the sites of the national carriers.
Posted by
OP
28 posts
Gosh! Thanks so much everyone. You guys are a fantastic.
Posted by
Fort Myers, FL
1887 posts
Very easy site to use for buying train tickets in France and much cheaper than others.