Just wondering if it is possible to pre-book a train from Paris to Venice via a website or do we need to go through a travel agent as it appears you need to designate an address in Europe. We are located in Australia.
Posted by
Ottawa, Canada
4555 posts
Pam....you should be able to order through the French national railway website at http://www.sncf.fr/indexe.htm. Choose France as the location you're picking up your tickets, and choose the option to pick up your tickets at an SNCF station or office, and all they will ask for is your name and e-mail address, along with credit card details. The e-mail they send you will be the one you take to the ticket window to get your tickets. As well, don't choose any ticket insurance option, or you'll have to input an address...and the order won't proceed. If you happen to get a low cosst PREMs ticket (w/out sleeping accommodations) you can even print the ticket out at home.
Posted by
OP
Brisbane, Australia
50 posts
Thanks Norm for your reply. Tried to book train Paris to Venice on 8th Oct at 8.00am but comes up as unable to book on the internet!? Is there a limit on the number of tickets available for purchase in this manner?
regards Pam
Posted by
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
705 posts
Hate to share with you Pam but we can't book from here on the net. You need to go through their agent and it will cost you. If you can wait until you are in Europe you will save a significant amount of money. I wanted to prebook my train from Genoa to Nice before I left and was quoted about AUD200. When I got there I had my business associate buy me a 1st class ticket with a reserved seat for around 20 Euros if I remember correctly. Even with the worst exchange rate that works out to be about AUD35 - 40! So if you can wait and do it there.
Posted by
Elk Grove, CA, USA
6898 posts
Which site are you trying to book through? If www.trenitalia.com, you cannot book further out than 60 days and there is a limit of 5 tickets.
Posted by
Ottawa, Canada
4555 posts
That's because your particular journey is 2 legs; Paris-Milan and Milan-Venice. The second part is an "Italian" train, so since it's not a thru trip, it can't all be booked on SNCF. I would suggest trying to register with Italy's Trenitalia, then if the e-mail confirmation comes thru, going back to book the entire route there; fares as lo as 22 Euro (Smart Fare 2). If you are one of many who experiences problems with trenitalia (you can still use it for skeds) then an alternative would be raileurope.co.au for Milan-Venice, then SNCF for Paris-Milan. Be aware the run you selected has only 15 minutes to change trains in Milan, at around 3 pm. There are two other trains in the 4 pm hour that get you into Venice just after 7 pm. BTW, anyone can book on these websites, no matter where they live. Or if you're willing to get out to CDG airport early, you could fly via vueling.com for 46 Euro pp.