France rail pass, is it worth it?

I would probably get the pass; I like having my travel pre-paid as much as possible. Figure out how many long train trips you will take and buy a pass for that many days. For really short trips, pay for point to point tix. On the TGV trains you will pay an added fee as well as a reservation fee, but they are fast and sometimes the only trains available for a particular trip.

Without comparing prices with point-to-point on SNCF--which you should do--I would guess that a 2nd class France pass could be a good deal for a trip like yours.

Not so sure about adding Belgium, though.

If you know your itinerary, booking ahead on the SNCF website is far cheaper than a pass. Unless you plan to travel by train virtually every day, passes don't pay for themselves. The France saverpass starts at $278 for three days of travel in second class....that's $93/day or 64 Euro/day. The SNCF website shows Paris-Avignon as low as 17 Euro, second class. And when you purchase a point to point ticket over the web (or, indeed, at the station), it comes with a reservation....something a rail pass does not include, so another expense on top of the pass cost.

Thanks Norm and everyone
Here is my basic plan.

Hi
I am doing a bike tour of Provance for a week. So I have to get from Paris to Avingnon and eventually back to Paris.
However I have 2 extra weeks.
I thought I would explore Nice and Marselle? Or any other spot peole would recomend.
From there head back towards Paris via Dijon and Reims where I would like to go to Brussels and Berges Belgium.( I was thinking I would just pay the extra in Belgium?)
So is a France flex pass a good idea from the French train system or a Uerail 2 country flex pass?
I would probably spend the night in Nice and Reims so that would be 2 days, 1 day to get to Avignon from Paris. Probably do a point to point from Avignon to Marselle as that looks short. Then I day from Belgium back to Paris.
So I maybe a 4 day pass? Is that a good idea to pay point to point in Belgium?

I find the French train web site no so user friendly. I cannot unerstand their error messages so I don't get time and costs.

Thanks
Stewart

Hey Norm if I book ahead on the French train system do they send you an electronic ticket?
That sounds ideal.
however, if you have a slight change in plans will they let you exchange for another date?

For many of the cheap tickets, you can print them out yourself at home. If not, then you can just pick them up at the train station, with your e-mail confirmation and the credit card you use to purchase them. The cheaper the fare, the more the restrictions. The cheapest ones are usually non refundable and non-changeable, but the conditions are listed on each ticket fare displayed. To force the website into English, go to voyages-sncf.com, click on the "train" tab...and when it shifts, look at the address in your web browser's address window. Look for "LANG=FR" and change the FR to UK, then hit Enter. Leave "France" as the place you plan to pick up your tickets. Mailing options are not available for North America.

Hi Norn I still am having trouble to getting english.
http://www.voyages-sncf.com/leisure/fr/launch/home/
from this site if I click on the British flag I get TGV.com and I am still in French?

Do NOT click on the British flag. Click on the "Train" tab at the top of the page and follow Norm's instructions.

I finally got that French site to work in English.
I can book all my tickets ( I think I will have about 4 days of travel in France.
However, I was going to make a side trip the Brussels and Burges.
Can I buy that ticket on lime form this French site?

So when I get to Paris dose that mean I can pick up all my tickets at once?
What do you mean by printing off my tickets from home?
thanks

What is RailEurope the French site says they can send tickets to North America?
I am guessing they are much more money?

IF you don't keep the pickup spot for your tickets set to "France" on the SNCF website, it will kick you over to the RailEurope website....yes, you will pay more.

Stew....as you go through the booking process, some tickets will give you the option of printing off the ticket at home...self explanatory. Others will give you the option of picking them up at the station...again, self explanatory....just bring along the e-mail confirmation and the credit card you used to purchase them. Tickets from Paris to Brussels can be purchased at the SNCF website as well. For tickets from Brussels to Bruges, just purchase them when you arrive in Brussels...it's almost like a GO train service. BTW, do NOT select cancellation insurance, or you will be kicked over to the RailEurope website again.

I will practice on that French site. It is quite tricky to get to English. But once you get it to work that is ok.

I can see that is is much cheaper to go this route than a train pass. As you said the ticket already has a reservation with it.

also I found out you can only book 2 months in advance.

Raileurope is quite costly.

thanks

Stew,

You can book THREE months in advance on the SNCF site.