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Advice needed on Trains - SNCF vs Rail Europe

Posted by (Dallas, TX) on

Hello,
I've had a frustrating time trying to get train tickets.

I'm trying to get the early train from Lausanne to Beaune on April 3, but rail Europe isn't showing it available. I checked the Bahn website and found the trains I want, then went to the SNCF website to try to book. I guess it auto selected my country as "Other European" and the prices were really good, however when I went to book and it asked me for my address, (I had checked home delivery for the ticket delivery method) there was no USA field in the Country box. I tried using France but of course it wouldn't let me. I am hesitant to do the "Collection from an Automatic Ticket Machine" as it says you have to be in France to get them and I won't be before I need the tickets.

So I'm totally lost on where to go from here.

I'm also trying to buy tickets from Beaune to Paris on 4/6, and although I can buy these on Rail Europe with no problem, they are significantly more expensive than through the SNCF website using the "other European" option for my country.

Any help or advice would be appreciated!!
Thank you!
Emily

Posted by
8889 posts

Seconded https://www.trainline.eu/ It is currently offering this trip fro €86.00
You are correct, if you buy from SNCF with "Collection from an Automatic Ticket Machine", you can only collect from an SNCF station, which Lausanne isn't because it is in Switzerland.
You could also try Swiss Railways ( https://www.sbb.ch/en ), which is currently offering this trip for CHF 56.00, which is even cheaper.

And forget about rail Europe.

Posted by
5697 posts

Printout at home ? Ticket on your phone ??
I used Rail Europe once and paid the extra cost -- trainline.eu is good, but I have had no problems with SNCF using my Chase Reserve card and printing at home.

Posted by
32202 posts

As the others have said, using Trainline.eu is a much better option that Rail Europe. Trainline sells tickets for rail networks in a number of countries, including France, Germany, Italy and Spain, so that provides "one stop shopping" and you can print the tickets out at home. They currently show fares from Lausanne to Beaune on 3 April as low as €69.10, however that's a 5 hour+ trip so you may want to take the faster 2H:35M trip at €86.00.

You'll have to first register on the Trainline website and enter payment information, but after that's done the process is very user friendly. They also offer a smartphone app.

Posted by
408 posts

I usually just print out my tickets (and save them on my phone as a pdf) when I book on sncf.com. That way you don't have to bother with composting them on the platform.

Is that option unavailable to you?

If you had a Voyageur card (carte fidélité) from SNCF (no cost) you don't even need a ticket -- you just show your card and the proof of payment and e-billet is in their database. I believe you have to have the card shipped to a European address, though. Application is here: https://moncompte.sncf.com/inscription/inscription-infos?fromRevendication=true

Posted by
16241 posts

"No USA field in the country box".

Perhaps it appeared as Etats Unis?

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