Train Ticket Procedures at Stations/on Train: St. Lazare, Caen, Bayeux

Hello Nancy,

Allow me to calm your fears a bit :)

1. Your printed tickets are your tickets. There's no need to exchange them. Don't do anything to them. You don't need to validate them. (Validate your tickets = Composter vos billets.) Only SNCF machine-printed tickets will fit in the validating machines. Just show your tickets to the controleur when she/he arrives at your seat. (I like to move my tickets from my bag to my purse/pocket right before boarding. After sitting down, I take them out for the conductor.) Anyone who has used home-printed tickets: feel free to share your experience.

2. To find your seat, first locate the correct car (voiture). They are labeled on the outside. If you encounter any difficulty, ask an SNCF staff member. The SNCF employees, dressed in blue, wait on the platform to assistant passengers. Once you enter the train, look above the seats for the seat numbers (numéro de place), just like you do on a plane.

CONT'D

NOTE: You will need to show photo ID with printed tickets.

1. There will be a main board with track numbers. No, it won't be confusing. The trick is to use TRAIN NUMBERS as a reference. Two reasons: 1) the city on the board is the FINAL destination, but you may be leaving the train before that; 2) sometimes trains leave at almost the same time. I learned this lesson the hard way...ending up 5 hours away from your destination is not fun. They do announce trains a few minutes before arrival...but in French. If you are uncertain, ask an SNCF employee for help.

2. Why don't you buy Caen-Bayeux tickets online? They sell these as well on the SNCF site. Opt to pick them up at the station's ticket counter (aux guichets.)

3. If you do end up buying tickets for Caen-Bayeux, they will need to be validated. Look for short (3-4ft) yellow machines in the station. Stick the tickets in the machine about halfway. You will hear some noise. Remove the the tickets. You're done.

CONT

Picture of a validating machine

The train station in Caen is very small compared to
Saint-Lazare. It looks like...a small train station. I guess that's not very helpful :( But the transfer won't cause you much trouble.

You're not obsessing over details - you just like being sure. Adventurous types like me who commit grave errors should envy your dedication!

I reaffirm the notion of purchasing and printing tickets at home, when possible or practical. The home-printed tickets are easy to use, but the really big advantage is that US credit cards will not work in the kiosk/automated ticket machines.

That means going to a ticket window, which can sometimes be busy with long lines or delays. For many situations it's not a big deal, but I have cut it a bit close to departure time only to find a 30-minute line at the ticket window that I was not planning for . . .

Sometimes you will purchase a ticket without assigned seats. In which case just look for the "2" on the train (second class) and keep an eye out for the reserved seats (as Martine described) then just pick out a seat that is not reserved (no tag).

Martine/Chris- Thanks so much for all the WONDERFUL detail- I really appreciate your time and help!!!

Few more questions-
1. Where is the "train number" on my home printed tickets? I found Voiture and Place (so helpful, thanks)...it also says "Corail Intercities 3364". Is that the number I should look for on the train board?

1. OK, I didn't even look again at the short regional leg before since I was told here awhile back “The Caen-Bayeux run is more like a commuter rail run, and they don't sell advance tickets for that.” and "Reservations are not possible on regional trains. If the regional train from Caen to Bayeux is full (highly unlikely), you could stand for that short ride.” I went back as you suggested Martine and it looks like I can book it, but then the SNCF choices are a little confusing as it looks like I have to use a machine and I have to retrieve them right before boarding(won't have a credit card with the chip so that won't work right?).

CONT.
the choices SNCF give are mail, or:
"-Collect your ticket from anautomatic ticket machine with the bank card used for the payment"
OR "-Collect your ticket from a station or SNCF shop, with the reference number of your file and the bank card used for the payment." The last sounds like I can go to the booth to get them, but when I click on find out/details for that one, it tells me:
"You retrieve your ticket from an automatic ticket machine at the last moment, just before your departure. Note : 3 out of 4 train stations have automatic ticket machines. If this is not the case, please pick up your ticket at the ticket counter"
So, 2 questions here:

2a. Can you confirm I will be able to pick these up at any station ticket counter? Metro station OK?-or does this have to be a major station with trains going outside the city?
2b. Can I pick these up 4 days before departure or does this actually have to be done "at the last moment".

Thanks again!!!!! :-) -Nancy

Nancy,

You can buy tickets for the Caen-Bayeux regional train at any mainline train station in Paris (or in France for that matter), but not at Metro stations.

You can buy it in advance and it will be good on ANY regional train at ANY time of day between Caen and Bayeux. When you insert it in the "composteur" it will be time and date stamped.

Nancy,

Corail Intercities 3364 is your train number.

Choose "Collect your ticket from a station or SNCF shop, with the reference number of your file and the bank card used for the payment." Bring the SNCF confirmation email and the card used to an SNCF ticket counter in one of the main train stations.

Train Stations in Paris:
Gare Saint-Lazare, Gare du Nord, Gare de l'Est, Gare Montparnasse, Gare de Lyon, Gare d'Austerlitz. They also double as metro stops.

You can retrieve your tickets at the last moment, but I would not recommend it. There will be LONG LINES at the SNCF counter. Wouldn't it be awful to watch the train leave while you're in line?

Thanks all. I'll add this to our list of things to do on Monday when we arrive. St. Lazare is the closest one anyway, so picking up the tickets will also give me a chance to check out the station for our early morning on Fri. Off to order...

I purchased tickets online to Caen, which state "place assise non garantie" which I understand means no place to sit guaranteed. Does that mean we may not actually be able to get on this train? Any help is appreciated! Thanks.

Sarah,

Did you book a departure time that requires you to make a connection from a Corail train to a regional train in either Lisieux or Rouen rather than taking a Corail train directly to Caen? Seat reservations are possible on Corail trains but not on regional trains. If a regional train is full (highly unlikely), you are allowed to stand.

I'm sorry -- I should have specified that I purchased a ticket for a train leaving from St. Lazare in Paris heading for Caen. I received an email and was able to print the ticket, but it has that "no guaranteed seat" language. I'd hate to be turned away at the station!