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Anywhere, Anytime France with Rail Europe

Posted by (Bainbridge Island, WA) on

We are leaving next week for a long awaited trip to France and Italy. I have been researching train fares and came upon the Anytime, Anywhere France with Rail Europe. It has been in existence for a number of months and I was wondering if anyone has used it? We are a family of 3 going, my husband, myself, and our 5 year old.
My specific questions are:
1)Do you have to set you entire itinerary once you purchase the pass? If so, are penalty free changes allowed?
2)Passage is in 1st Class. I know there is a reservation fee for TGV (and other?) trains. Is this on top of the tickets? How much would it be from Marseille to PAris, for example?
3)A note states all subsequent trips are $50, then after that are $70. When do they become $70?!

Thank so much for any insight!

Posted by
19274 posts

It looks like as many trips as you buy with the first one at $159 are $50. I specified 7 at $50 and it was ready to let me check out at $509. I suspect that the give you somekind of a "voucher" that allows you to purchase any number more over there at $70 (~€50).
But don't let their hype fool you. The full fare tickets they show you for comparison are unrestricted, first class tickets at RailEurope prices. If you buy the tickets in advance online in 2nd class, you can save 60% over their prices.

And for their example, Nice is about as far from Paris as you can get and still be in France. Are you going to be going that far. Before jumping at that "deal", I would find out the best prices you can get from other sources.

Posted by
8700 posts

I'll add some details to Lee's comments. If you take several long-distance rides on TGVs and if you insist on 1st class, then this could be a good deal. If you're willing to travel 2nd class and succeed in booking discount fares in advance (up to three months allowed) on one of the Web sites operated by French National Rail, then it's not such a good deal.

I'll use Paris-Nice as an example. The standard 1st class adult fare is €165. The standard 2nd class adult fare is €118. A 1st class Prems fare (any age) booked on either voyages-sncf.com or tgv-europe.com can be as low as €45. A 2nd class Prems fare can be as low as €25.

Short rides on regional trains are fairly inexpensive.

Posted by
4132 posts

A better pass option, unless you require first-class passage, would be a France Saver Pass, which is $160 for any three days in 30 days. Supplements are extra.

This still might not be the best deal for you, but could save you money versus regular fare for several long trips in France.

Don't use Rail Europe to compare with ticket prices, though--they jack up their ticket prices to make passes seem like a better deal.

Posted by
8700 posts

Adam's suggestion of the France Saver Pass is a good one. You would need two at the adult price and one for your child at half price. See here. If you buy them at a station in France, seat reservations on TGVs or other trains that require them will cost 3-5 euro.

If you're leaving next week, you may have to pay extra for overnight shipping so you get your passes before you leave.

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