We%26#39;ll be traveling in September 2008 and I was interested in finding out how far in advance you can book/purchase your tickets? So far, I haven%26#39;t been able to find the answer on raileurope.co.us site (which is the one SNCF keeps connecting me to).
I%26#39;m really just trying to get a budget together; is there any advantage to purchase in advance? Do they TGV sell out on popular lines?
Just wondering...
Also, still don%26#39;t understand the Rail Pass! In order to figure out if it%26#39;s worth the money, should I price out all the train rides separately? Also, What is the difference between %26quot;unlimited train travel on national rail%26quot; %26amp; %26quot;3 days of unlimited train travel w/in a month%26quot;? That%26#39;s with the Rail Pass - 3days in a month.
As you can tell, we don%26#39;t do trains much here in the states. :)
Thanks!!
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90 days advance purchase window for the TGV.
I am unable to help with Rail Pass.
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Yes, you would price out each train ride to see whether the pass is a good bargain for you. Unless you are going to be doing a great deal of rail service, you are probably better off NOT purchasing it. Sorry, can%26#39;t answer the other questions.
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Rail passes are not usually the best deal except from the point of convenience. And you still have to make a reservation to insure a seat so you may as well buy individual trips.
Unlimited train travel means that you can take as many trips as you wish within the system of a particular country during the period of the ticket. 3 days means just that - unlimited travel on any three days during the period of the ticket. Check for the details of the country you are wanting to travel in. Italy has a rather bizarre system whereas France is a little easier to navigate.
The TGV DOES sell out - this is a very popular mode of travel. Reserve on the first possible day that tickets are availabe especially if you are going during the high season. September should be an easy month to get tickets especially during mid week. When you pick up your tickets for the TGV at the station make sure you have the credit card you used to reserve the tickets or they will not give them to you.
Good luck!
Anita
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Thanks, that explains it a little better. So far, our two day trips on TGV and a one way to Poitiers is around $250. Still much less than two country railpasses... they were around $450 total.
No railpasses for me!
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The best information on using the SNCF site for ticket purchases is here on the forum. Do a search here in the upper left hand corner of the page for %26quot;Morgan B%26#39;s French Rail Booking guide, version 2%26quot;.
The best source of information on all the rail passes is at www.ricksteves.com - download the rail file. Most of the passes cannot be bought in Europe, you must buy them in your home country before departure.
I believe that Steves uses RailEurope point to point fares in that file to calculate whether or not any particular pass is a good buy, so if the various legs of your itinerary add up to less than the pass price using Steves%26#39; information, you%26#39;ll do even better buying for the appropriate national rail service.
Additionally, remember, if you%26#39;re older than 26, you%26#39;ll have to buy a first class EuRail pass, you don%26#39;t qualify for the second class one.
In order to continue with SNCF and not be tossed over to the Rail Europe site, I think you%26#39;ll have to go into your %26quot;cookie%26quot; file and eliminate the current SNCF one. Then, when you go back into SNCF for information, state your residence as being in France. There may also be an RE cookie that must be removed.
RailEurope is a travel agency specializing in EuRail passes and some rail fares. They don%26#39;t sell all fares on all lines, and they charge a rather hefty premium for their services. Additionally, they tend to sell only first class tickets. Second class does just fine for most routes. It arrives at the same time, for less money.
Additionally, if you stick to IC trains rather than ES ones, you can avoid paying reservation fees, which you must pay for ES and TGV trains, as well as the supplement for riding the TGF trains, even if you%26#39;re traveling on a pass. Sleeper or couchette accommodation fees are also additional to your pass.
My rules are that I travel first class if the trip lasts for more than 5 hours, if I wish to use an overnight train and sleeper accommodation, if for some stupid reason I%26#39;ll be traveling over a very busy holiday week-end and second class will be filled to the rafters, or if suddenly, my arrival time is critical for some reason. Beyond these factors, I travel second class.
I seldom book my trips in advance, because I almost never use trains that require reservations. I also almost never travel in the peak summer season. The fall is my favourite time to be in Europe. There are fewer thoughtless university students to avoid being shoved by, using the trains, for one reason. I very much dislike being hit in the head by a person who is too inconsiderate to remove the backpack and carry it, rather than beat on the seated passengers with it.
The one pass I sometimes use is the one that allows a discount for two (or more) folks traveling together, but since my husband is seldom available to travel with me, I don%26#39;t often qualify for that one.
In answer to your specific questions, yes to pricing out all the rides.
The unlimited travel on national rail means what it says. Travel as much as you like within the period of the pass. It doesn%26#39;t include municipal rail - i.e., Paris RER and Metro, or private rail - ie., the Glacier route in Switzerland. If the word national is capitalized, it usually means the National rail service of a particular country - i.e., the pass pertains to a single country or however many countries are mentioned in the name of the pass.
3 day...w/i a month means that - you can travel by train on three different days in a particular month. I%26#39;m sorry, I don%26#39;t remember whether that month is calendar - i.e., June 1 through 30, or whether it%26#39;s elapsed - i.e., May 5 through June 4. You%26#39;ll have to read Steves%26#39; file for that info.
Three different days means that you can string them together or you can travel one day at a time or other combination. It used to be that you could begin your day after 7:00 PM (19:00 hours) and travel through until midnight the following day, using only one of your travel days. I don%26#39;t know if that has changed.
Good luck.
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