SNCF or Trainline?

SNCF uses a software program that automatically adjusted the time for where your computer is located. For me, that time difference is 7 hours, so if I ask for a train at 10 am, the first train it will show me is 5 pm. The solution, of course, is to ask for a train at 2 am, then it will show trains beginning at 9 am.

At the top of the page, you can also click on "Display previous journeys" to get earlier trains.

Also, there is note on the SNCF site that says more trains will be loaded on the schedule at a later date. Trainline sometimes lists trains that are not officially scheduled yet. The travel version of "vapor ware".

What Sam says regarding the times shown does not appear to fit what I can see on the SNCF app on my iphone. I didnt check the website.

Jeffrey: When I tried a couple random days in September, the SNCF app shows me a good number of morning trains at various prices. It shows 7 choices between 7:40 am and 11:55 am from Avignon TGV station to Nice. There are also 6 options before noon from the Avignon center station but with Avignon city as the departure it does say that more will be posted later. fyi: Avignon has 2 train stations; the TGV (fast train) station is outside the city center.

It may make a difference which departure station you input on SNCF. But whether I used Avignon, Avignon TGV, or Avignon Center, on a random mid September date, I can get trains starting in very early morning til mid afternoon (when I stopped looking). As noted, if the first train that pops up is late morning, then just hit the 'see previous journies' tab at tye top of the page. Regardless, I dont see any point in booking trains 6 months out, when you have no idea if future events will make that train trip problematic. Wait.

Which destination station did you use? The main station in Nice is Nice Ville, but there are other stations, and the schedule for local trains that you may need to get make the last mile may indeed not be available.

From Avignon to Nice there are only a few direct trains. There is one in the morning, and that would be my choice. Recently I have discovered the site 12train.com, which was set up by a couple of French that were fed up with how complicated the SNCF site is. It is in French only, but it is so simple and straightforward that you should not have an issue using if you know a few words.

And for september you can still wait a few months before booking...

SNCF site is not easy to use and I found that where a competing train company also runs a route - they don't show it. Trainline is much easier to use but they may have a poor exchange rate if you select dollars - so probably best to select Euros in this case. Suggest you also check for say next week to give you some idea of what schedules and prices are available near to date of travel.

"SNCF uses a software program that automatically adjusted the time for where your computer is located. For me, that time difference is 7 hours, so if I ask for a train at 10 am, the first train it will show me is 5 pm. The solution, of course, is to ask for a train at 2 am, then it will show trains beginning at 9 am."

Thanks Sam. Now I see all the trains. This software may not make sense, but it is what it is. Thanks for the heads up!

Thanks for the info, everyone. I've got the tickets I need, and yes, it's still very early for September travel. I'm part type A, so I like to nail down little details early so I can concentrate on other issues. Now I'm checking apps and airlines every day, looking for a reasonable rewards flight. Due to the war and the economy right now, the business class tickets are incredibly tough to get on the day you want to travel. And yes, many things can happen before September, so that's why I purchased the trip insurance for the long train trips. It's really very economical, not like insurance in the U.S.!

Did you read the small print of that insurance SNCF offers? The insurance may appear cheap, but may also not be what you think it is...

I don't think it is a good idea to start booking train tickets when you do not have flights booked yet. Get your flights first. If getting good flights on your chosen travel days to your chosen destinations is problematic, just look for other destinations, and then plan your trip around the flights you have.

WenjenK: I appreciate your point of view, but I am somewhat of a contrarian and we've experienced great success making travel arrangements so far. Our problem is that we're looking for elusive rewards flights. We've been to Europe three times by identifying a block of days, say three or four weeks. I begin looking for desirable rewards flights 11 months in advance, so I allow plenty of time. In 2024 I was very lucky and booked a direct flight in business class from SFO to Paris on Air France for 50,000 miles on the exact day we wanted. Two months ago you could still find a few business class tickets on AF for 60,000 miles. They have since totally disappeared for the foreseeable future. It's a totally different environment now. You can barely get an economy flight on AF for 50,000 miles, but economy class rewards are still numerous compared to business class. While considering the aforementioned block of time for the trip, we are prepared to add additional time before and/or after to allow some flexibility to find acceptable flights. Right now I am admittedly nervous given the Iran war and the price of fuel. Worst case scenario, we'll have to pay cash for the tickets. So I am making all arrangements and booking hotels, etc., hoping the good Lord sees fit to send us a viable flight. It's not for everyone and our luck may run out, but it won't be the end of world. We'll adjust. Travel is about being light on your feet and dealing with the hiccups, right?

Just curious, where are your flights arriving and departing from?

The issue is that if you do not find suitable flights then you will be out of pocket for your train tickets.

I can understand that you want to book your flights based on what is available. I do the same.

But I would get flights first, and then make the rest of the arrangements based on the flights I got. Including train tickets, which you do not need to book that far in advance.

Wengen: I made my points and you don't seem to accept or understand them. Fine, I won't litigate the issue further, but if I lose a few relatively low-cost train tickets, I really don't care. I'm confident the flights will be booked when karma smiles on me. If not, we'll. be purchasing the air flight at substantial cost. Sometimes you take it on the chin and move on. Happy and safe travels to you.