Tours to Paris by train

Hello!

I%26#39;m struggling with the SNCF site trying to figure out the fare for taking the train from Tours to Paris on 8/20 with my high school French. Can anyone give me a hand? Is that even the site I should be checking on?

I%26#39;m trying to decide if we should return our rental car in Tours as opposed to bringing it back to CDG and then going to our hotel (which I still have to choose - AHHHHHH!)

Thanks!

Connie

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You can%26#39;t odred SNCF train tickets on-line more than sixty(60) days prior to your date(s) of travel--including any Return...and you probably can%26#39;t get fares that far in advance. What you can do is use an approximate date(s) that%26#39;s somewhere from 30-to-60 out from TODAY, to estimate what the fares are likely to be.

There are several different FARE CATEGORIES, each with a different fare...and even then these fares vary depending on Peak or Non-Peak travel times of the day and other factors. These different fare categories are often restricted as to changes and re-fundability. As a general rule the highest fare with fewest restrictions will be REGULAR/FULL....and the lowest, with the most change/refund restrictions will be PREMs.

So...you%26#39;ll have to %26#39;..tinker..%26#39; with the on-line system to come up with the most convenient travel time(s) for you and lowest available fares.

As an example...going out nearly 60 days, the PARIS-TOURS one-way, 2nd Class fare is in a %26#39;..range..%26#39; from: 17€ PREMs fare for a %26#39;Non-Peak%26#39; early morning departure....to a 55,10€ REGULAR/FULL fare for a %26#39;Peak%26#39; morning departure....and everywhere in between.

SNCF--(English...in part only)

voyages-sncf.com/dynamic/…

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1. Rental cars can be returned virtually anywhere. There is no need to travel to CDG for a rental return when you are arriving in Paris from the south (A6). It makes more sense to either return your car in the city or at Orly which has easy connections to the metro and is located on A6 (the autoroute from the south).

2. You have two train options for travel from Tours to Paris.

2a. TGV to Montparnasse - advanced purchase and reservations required:

http://www.voyages-sncf.com

2b. TER to Gare Austerlitze - tickets may be purchased at the station before departure. No reserved seating. For schedules (in French only):

http://www.ter-sncf.com

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You actually have more than two choices of train - for instance, you could return the car to St Pierre des Corps (the main TGV station for Tours) for a non stop train to Montparnasse.

Also, you can book tickets 90 days in advance, and I would certainly be doing this for the end of August.

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Thanks for your advice everyone!

%26lt;%26lt;1. Rental cars can be returned virtually anywhere. There is no need to travel to CDG for a rental return when you are arriving in Paris from the south (A6). It makes more sense to either return your car in the city or at Orly which has easy connections to the metro and is located on A6 (the autoroute from the south).%26gt;%26gt;

I%26#39;ve been looking at options to see how returning the car to a different location impacts the price - I hadn%26#39;t checked Orly. It would be nice not to have to go all the way around Paris. I could see the rental car offices%26#39; addresses in Paris listed but not knowing where they are or our final hotel selection is making it a challenge at this point.

%26lt;%26lt;You actually have more than two choices of train - for instance, you could return the car to St Pierre des Corps (the main TGV station for Tours) for a non stop train to Montparnasse.%26gt;%26gt;

I%26#39;ll check those out.

Thanks again!

Connie

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%26lt;%26lt;%26lt;I%26#39;ve been looking at options to see how returning the car to a different location impacts the price %26gt;%26gt;%26gt;

As long as your are picking up and dropping off the car in France, I have only once (and this was not with a well known company) seen a one way surcharge.

You will however pay a hefty surcharge with virtually any provided if you pickup a car at either a train station or airport.

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