Is it necessary to purchase French train tickets? We are planning on taking a train that is not a TGV. I am having trouble purchasing on line and got a message that the tickets we want are not available for on line booking and give a 1-800 number to call. Would it be better to wait until we get to France?
Posted by
Tresana, Highlands Ranch, CO, USA
23626 posts
Probably. In our opinion the only reason to book in advance is to take advantage of deep discount but then you are locked into a schedule you may want to change. We have never encountered a sold out train.
Posted by
Minneapolis, MN, USA
8700 posts
TGVs are not the only trains for which advance purchase discount fares are offered. However, if you will be traveling on a regional train, there is no advantage to booking in advance because there is open seating and no discount fares are offered.
What is your travel date and route?
Posted by
OP
wernersville
7 posts
Lyon to Perigueux on October 12. We will be arriving in Lyon on October 9 so I was hoping we could wait until then to get our tickets.
Posted by
London, United Kingdom
4684 posts
That is an "Intercites" service, so there will be discounts if you book in advance.
Posted by
Shawnee mission, Ks
7 posts
I just used my InterCities train tickets that I bought in advance from RailEurope.though I'm sure I paid a bit more by buying them thru RE, they are the only ones who sell tickets in the US. The good thing is that you can print your tickets from home and there's no need to "compost" (stamp)your tickets before getting on the train. Secondly, if you lose your printed ticket, you just pull up the link from your original email and reprint.
Posted by
Windsor, Ontario, Canada
4088 posts
Anyone with a functioning credit card can buy French train tickets in the United States without the expensive help of RailEurope (which is partially owned by the French train system.) Use www.tgv-europe.com and specify any country except the US or Australia. Some of the tickets can be printed out at home; others provide an order number to be retrieved at any French train station or boutique. The merits of RailEurope are under constant debate but in my limited experience going straight to the source provides more choice and more discounts. While some argue that they want a train ticket in their hands before leaving the United States, electronic ticketing is becoming common in airlines, and common in enough for trains too. For help, see www.parisbytrain.com or www.seat61.com