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Weird Problem Booking on SCNF and Question on Elipso Trains

Posted by (San Jose, CA, USA) on

Hi everyone,

I've booked multiple tickets on www.voyages-sncf.com following instructions on Seat61.com so I am familiar with how the website works. However, I am having a weird problem trying to book a Paris to Barcelona train. It's giving me the message "Vous devez renseigner le type de lit que vous souhaitez pour votre trajet." According to Google, it means there is a problem with the selection of the bed choice. I wonder if anyone can go onto the site and see if they are having the same problem and let me know if there is a way around it.

I am looking to book two tickets on 12/28/09, from Paris to Barcelona, departing 20:34 arriving 8:24. This is the Elipso 00477. I am interested in the first class sleeper with two beds. The current price is 220 EUR for both tickets.

I first search for this train, then select "Double 1e classe" at the bottom where it says "Choisir votre placement". I select the 220 EUR PREM ticket, then try to add it to my cart. This is when it stops and gives me that message and it would not add the tickets to my cart. Any help with this would be greatly appreciated.

Also, is the first class sleeper (2 beds) worth 40 EUR per person more than the second class sleeper (4 beds) on the Elipso train? If you've taken this train before, I would be interested in your experience. Our main reason for thinking about the first class sleeper is because it's a 12 hour ride and we thought having our own compartment might be nicer than sharing for such a long ride.

Thanks for your help and advice.

Eric

Posted by
4555 posts

I'm running into the same issue both on the French SNCF site and their English version at tgv-europe.com. However, I notice that the Duo fare at 294 Euro works fine. So I would assume that the 220 Euro tickets are gone. They probably went on sale near the end of September, so the cheapest ones would have been snapped up the fastest.
I've done Paris-Madrid, and yes, the extra 40 Euro is worth it for a double. But, frankly, I prefer to fly these days...what with all the low-cost airlines, and the time savings, I find it more cost efficient than overnight trains....since I don't see much of the countryside at night, anyway.

Posted by
2092 posts

"Vous devez renseigner le type de lit que vous souhaitez pour votre trajet."
The site wants you to chose the type of bed you want for your trip.

Posted by
8700 posts

Eric,

Unlike couchettes on other European night trains which can be either mixed men and women or women only, the four-bunk couchettes on the Elipsos are single sex only.

If you're traveling with your wife, in order to share the same compartment you'll need to book a two-bed sleeper

Posted by
24 posts

Thanks Norm. I confirmed that the same problem exists on the TGV-Europe site. I emailed them and will see if they can fixed the issue or if the tickets are just gone.

Now as a backup plan, I am considering the 2nd class sleeper with 4 beds. What is weird is that the site asks for your gender when booking. And on the TGV-Europe site, the translation says "Attention: For travellers of both sexes,'we invite you to book twice (for one sex, then for the other) or change your seating.'"

Does this mean the 2nd class sleepers are single-sex only? That would be somewhat odd since I won't be able to sleep in the same compartment as my wife. Does anyone have experience with this? Can I just say we are both "Female", for example, or will that be a problem when we board the train?

Thanks!

Eric

Posted by
24 posts

Ooops, I posted before I saw Tim's reply. I guess we will have to get a first class sleeper.

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