We are traveling to France next month and plan to take the TGV from CDG to Avignon, then later take a train from Paris to Bayeux, Normandy and back. We must be very flexible and cannot really make reservations. Can we just purchase TGV and regular train tickets on the spot?
Posted by
San Francisco, California, USA
446 posts
You can always buy tickets at the station, for any train, although there are two disadvantages:
(1) Express trains like the TGV often require you to have a reserved seat. It's possible that a particular train might be sold out when you arrive a the station, in which case you will have to wait until the next train with available seats.
(2) Like with the airlines, you will usually pay more for a ticket purchased at the station, versus one that you purchased in advance.
If you want to pay with a credit card, the French Railway (SNCF) does take credit cards, but I understand that you will have to stand in line at a ticket window because most U.S. cards don't work in their ticket machines.
Posted by
Vernon, Canada
32214 posts
Bryce,
You can most certainly buy TGV tickets "on the spot" when in France. However a few points to mention.
If you're going to be stopping in Paris for a few days, you might stop by an SNCF Boutique to arrange your tickets. They're located in several different areas of Paris, so it's likely there will be one close to your Hotel. Check their website for details.
If you're going to head to Avignon right away, there's a TGV office at CDG where you can buy your tickets. Have a look at parisbytrain.com for the details. Note that there are two different ticket offices at CDG - the one with the shorter queues will probably be the one you want.
The office in Bayeux is smaller, and as I recall "normal office hours" apply. On my last trip there, some of the staff could only speak limited english, so might be better to get your tickets at a larger centre. You WILL need reservations for the TGV and other "fast" trains.
You likely won't have any difficulty using a magnetic strip credit card at the ticket offices. Only the automated ticket machines at CDG require a "chip" credit card.
Happy travels!