We will be traveling to Paris in mid July for 10 days and would like some info on train travel . I would like to know the difference between tickets and rail passes. We have to trips planned; paris to colmar and back and paris to mont st michel via Rennes and back. I know my specific dates and times. Do I just need tickets or will I save money with a pass. Also do I need to validate or stamp tickets or passes. Thanks
Posted by
Tresana, Highlands Ranch, CO, USA
23626 posts
Think of a rail pass as a unspecified prepaid ticket. However, most rail pass also have surcharges for using premium trains - generally the high speed trains. Without doing the math I would assume that p2p tickets would be cheaper than a pass. You can pre-purchase ticket and sometimes deep discounts are available for early purchases but these tickets are no refund, no exchange. If a ticket specifies a particular train, at a certain day and time, then the ticket only good for that train at that time. No need to validate. If it is an open ticket good for any train at anytime, then the ticket needs to be validated prior to getting on. Generally these are the slowest, regional, urban trains. Go to the french rail site for pricing and routing. If you need to identify your location use Great Britain otherwise you will be kick to Rail Europe which is a travel agency selling train tickets on limited trains with a good markup in price,
Posted by
London, United Kingdom
2 posts
Because you know your times and dates, and are planning so far in advance, point to point tickets will certainly be the better value choice. One-country rail passes only really represent good value when you intend to do a lot of train travel within a given time period, and need flexibility to make travel plans at short notice. Bear in mind when you researching point to point tickets that tickets within in France come on sale 3 months ahead, so search for tickets in mid-July in mid-April in order to find the cheapest tickets. If you're coming from the UK, you can buy your Eurostar tickets 120 days ahead. The cheapest fares will be non-flexible and bound to the specific time and date you chose. These do not usually require validation but this will be displayed in the fare conditions of tickets before you buy.
Posted by
Toledo, Ohio, US
11613 posts
You may be able to get a better price for roundtrip tickets, be sure to compare.
Posted by
Kansas
1175 posts
Be sure and check out www.seat61.com.