Senior Eurail pass vs. SNCF Senior+ card

Your questions can probably be answered on this website: https://www.seat61.com/

It probably won't be obvious without doing more math, and even then results could be similar, so I would choose whichever feels most comfortable to you. You also have to consider whether you're ready to book any longer-distance tickets now for advance-purchase discounts, which can be combined with Senior Card discounts. Your last, most expensive leg from Avignon to Paris offers the greatest potential for advance savings. How many of the hotels are already booked for these destinations?

For $260 per person in 2nd class or $348 in 1st, the Senior version of the 8-day Eurail France pass is not going to break the budget. But seat reservations will tend to add $11 per trip by faster train, or up to $27 if a TGV is getting closer to full. As you can estimate from the map on that link, full-fare 2nd class tickets for the 5 trips (not the full 8) that you specified would add up to about $380 if purchased on short notice, or 30% less if using a Senior Card at short notice might add up to $265.

You can go to the SNCF website ( https://en.oui.sncf/en/ ) and see what sort of promo fares are available for your longer trips (assuming tickets are available for sale already, that is), pricing them both with and without the Senior Advantage Card. If your plans are firm enough that you're willing to commit to non-refundable tickets, those will be cheaper than a rail pass. On the other hand, if your long trips are still up in the air as your departure date approaches, it may be a different story. However, I've been able to get reasonably priced tickets for my train trips fairly late in the game by being flexible about my departure times.

The new Senior Advantage card is a bit cheaper than the old Senior Card, which it replaced; I think I paid 49 euros this year rather than the 60 I was charged in 2017. That makes it a bit more likely the card will pay off.

Some of your side-trips may be by bus rather than by train. Unless they are rail-replacement buses, neither a rail pass nor a senior card will reduce your expenses there. On the other hand, buses are usually cheap.

Thanks for the replies! It looks like kind of a wash in terms of dollars, especially since we'd probably go first class. My only real concern about the Eurail pass would be whether there would be a problem getting first class seats with the pass vs. just buying them and using the SNCF card. Our itinerary is pretty firm at this point, so I was planning to order all the rail tickets as soon as they're available (which appears to be 90 days in advance).

Again, thanks for the great feedback.

Given that you still need to purchase reservations once you have the Eurail pass, I would recommend buying point to point tickets with the Senior card. 30% off guaranteed in both classes (and sometimes more) both for cheap advance tickets and for fully flexible tickets, and the tickets are easier to purchase chase than the Eurail reservations.
For Fall, sales open 90 days ahead for cheapest fares, but stay tuned to oui.sncf official website and check availability a bit before that.
By the way, you do not need to have the discount card to purchase the tickets, you only need it to use them.

Speaking of the SNCF card, does anyone know how to order one on line from the USA? I set up an account at the en.oui.sncf site but when I try to purchase the card there's no option to specify the United States as my country of residence when I put in my address. Is there some reason they can't/don't sell to the USA?

You need to buy the Senior cards there in person. Tourists have been doing so for years. No need to enter an ID number when booking the discounted tickets. Just have both pieces in hand onboard the train. Also note that online info about the latest version of the card is minimal. I poked around quite a bit and don't recommend that you spend much time on that. In a couple of months, web design and translation issues may shake out.

I agree; there's at least one online reference to saving 30%, but on the regional trains (TERs) I think it's either 25% (peak periods) or 50% (off-peak), and it may be 1/3 off on the TGVs. SNCF doesn't seem to be very detail-oriented, but I've found the savings to be real.

Buying the pass is quick. You do need a photo and of course your passport as proof of age.

My experience was exactly what contributors here are saying...buy your tickets in advance on the website, with the discount, then go to one of the gares or SNCF boutiques in Paris and buy your senior card.

At the same time, I had the clerk also print out my tickets and verify the seat assignments. This was a real plus for me, since I often have trouble getting the tickets to print out of the self service bornes.

Another benefit of the Senior card is slightly better terms if you have to make changes after purchasing, even for some of the non-refundable tickets.