We are a party of 4 and are wondering if we need to purchase reservations/advance tickets to ride the TGV Lyria train from Zurich to Paris in mid-November? Since this is considered the shoulder season, we thought we might be able to purchase the tickets when we arrive in Zurich. Would appreciate comments from anybody who has information about this? Thanks
Posted by
New Paltz, NY
9099 posts
You can typically purchase tickets to Paris on the day of the journey, but you will be paying the highest fare meant for business travelers. The TGV uses airline style pricing, so the sooner you book the cheaper it will be; the savings are significant. If you want to save your cash, purchase tickets ASAP (90 days allowed) via the Swiss Rail site: rail.ch or tgv-europe.com
Posted by
New York, NY, USA
11294 posts
You should go to the Swiss Rail site right now http://www.sbb.ch/en/home.html. Look at fares for tomorrow; these are the last-minute prices. If these are not too high for you, you can certainly wait to buy tickets. If they are too high (as they most likely will be), you should buy tickets as soon as you know your travel dates, as the advance purchase tickets are non-refundable and non-exchangeable (that's why they're so much cheaper).
Posted by
Los Angeles
4375 posts
However ....... they won't let you buy a ticket sooner than they feel like making it available. I think it's 3 months out, so it may be a bit too soon.