Rail Europe changed the price
Jun 11th, 2009, 11:36 AM
#1
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Rail Europe changed the price
I made reservations on RailEurope and selected the option for them to mail me the tickets for travel from CDG to Rennes. Four days later, they sent an e-mail saying the price is $30 higher per person than the price in the reservations. Is there any way to get my original price or am I stuck with whatever they want to charge?
Is there a better way to get from CDG to Rennes?
Thanks.
Is there a better way to get from CDG to Rennes?
Thanks.
Jun 11th, 2009, 12:07 PM
#3
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They are a private company and it seems they can charge you whatever they want, why not. They notified you of the change, so it seems they are asking you for the approval, not just charging your credit card a different amount. I don't think anyone on here can make Raileurope do something.
You are aware that is a private travel agency, aren't you?
You are aware that is a private travel agency, aren't you?
Jun 11th, 2009, 12:15 PM
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Just say no, you don't want their exorbitant tickets, then go online at www.voyages-sncf.com and book your own.
RailEurope is almost always a huge rip-off.
RailEurope is almost always a huge rip-off.
Jun 11th, 2009, 12:28 PM
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RailEurope is almost always a huge rip-off.>
some examples to support you to me all too general statement - in Germany for example RE can indeed be lower for full fare tickets on some ICEs than full fare tickets bought in Germany
and between Nice and Milan they have $25 fares
you can say often but not IMO 'almost always' - we hear these claims all the time but with no concrete examples. What may have been the case also a few years ago may not be the case 'almost always' now - RE, yes largely owned the the French Railways, the SNCF, is putting more and more advance discount tickets on their sites to mimic the Prem fares in France - and though i'd say RE does add in a profit on tickets that can at times be much higher i could not call this a huge rip-off - the SNCF can run huge defecits every year but RE is a profit-making enterprise and does not get state subsidies like sncf in France seems to.
I always say RE is often somewhat higher priced, etc. but i really do not think statements such as 'almost always being a huge rip-off' are warranted.
that's my rant. sorry.
and what is a huge rip-off to a seasoned traveler may be priceless for some novice traveler, who as typical gets totally frustrated with sncf-voyages.com but wants to secure their tickets before landing.
some examples to support you to me all too general statement - in Germany for example RE can indeed be lower for full fare tickets on some ICEs than full fare tickets bought in Germany
and between Nice and Milan they have $25 fares
you can say often but not IMO 'almost always' - we hear these claims all the time but with no concrete examples. What may have been the case also a few years ago may not be the case 'almost always' now - RE, yes largely owned the the French Railways, the SNCF, is putting more and more advance discount tickets on their sites to mimic the Prem fares in France - and though i'd say RE does add in a profit on tickets that can at times be much higher i could not call this a huge rip-off - the SNCF can run huge defecits every year but RE is a profit-making enterprise and does not get state subsidies like sncf in France seems to.
I always say RE is often somewhat higher priced, etc. but i really do not think statements such as 'almost always being a huge rip-off' are warranted.
that's my rant. sorry.
and what is a huge rip-off to a seasoned traveler may be priceless for some novice traveler, who as typical gets totally frustrated with sncf-voyages.com but wants to secure their tickets before landing.
Jun 11th, 2009, 12:57 PM
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For example in Germany if you take an ICE Berlin to Frankfurt RE would charge you about $175 for a fully flexible 2nd class ticket - bahn.de the German Rail site sells the same ticket for 111 euros
111 euros x 1.45or about $160 (not including the usual 3% credit card charge)
So is charging $15 a 'huge rip-off' - i would think not
and for 7/7/09 Paris to Avignon RailEurope has tickets for $70 (restricted) and $151 full fare 2nd class - have not checked what voyages-sncf.com sells them for but i think $70 cannot be termed a huge rip-off - 1st class tickets were availabe on RE for $111 - but of course admitedly RE does charge a mailing fee for orders under $450 - $18 per total order - but some other agents who work thru RE do not. I would suggest even with the $18 fee $70 TGV Paris to Avignon is not a 'huge rip-off'.
My suggestion is that you always have the info to check - the actual prices in euros from the national railway sites like voyages-sncf.com and RE prices - so easy to compare and helpful folks like St Cirq will gladly IME help anyone navigate the extremely fickle voyages-sncf.com site to nab the best fares if those are best. but some may find the frustrations and time involved not worth saving relatively little money at times. So IMo check all the sources, ask questions here of experts like St Cirq (French rail) but do not throw RE out with the bathwater and check for yourself any claims of absurdly inflated prices.
111 euros x 1.45or about $160 (not including the usual 3% credit card charge)
So is charging $15 a 'huge rip-off' - i would think not
and for 7/7/09 Paris to Avignon RailEurope has tickets for $70 (restricted) and $151 full fare 2nd class - have not checked what voyages-sncf.com sells them for but i think $70 cannot be termed a huge rip-off - 1st class tickets were availabe on RE for $111 - but of course admitedly RE does charge a mailing fee for orders under $450 - $18 per total order - but some other agents who work thru RE do not. I would suggest even with the $18 fee $70 TGV Paris to Avignon is not a 'huge rip-off'.
My suggestion is that you always have the info to check - the actual prices in euros from the national railway sites like voyages-sncf.com and RE prices - so easy to compare and helpful folks like St Cirq will gladly IME help anyone navigate the extremely fickle voyages-sncf.com site to nab the best fares if those are best. but some may find the frustrations and time involved not worth saving relatively little money at times. So IMo check all the sources, ask questions here of experts like St Cirq (French rail) but do not throw RE out with the bathwater and check for yourself any claims of absurdly inflated prices.
Jun 11th, 2009, 03:52 PM
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I understand some French and want to be sure I'm doing this right. Can someone confirm that Roissy CDG 2 or Aeroport CDG is the train station at CDG airport? If I order tickets through www.voyages-snch.com, do I pick them up at the train station at the airport? Is that a problem with a US credit card? Thanks for your help.
Jun 11th, 2009, 04:50 PM
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Roissy is what I put in whenever I'm traveling from CDG. That is the train station at terminal 2 at the airport. Whether you pick them up at the airport or not depends on what kind of tickets you buy. If they are PREM tickets, you just print them out and bring them with you. If they are not PREMs, you need to go to the station to picket them up at the ticket window (allow at least a half-hour to do this), and you must have the same credit card with you that you used to purchase the tickets online. Yes, Visa, Mastercard, and AMEX are all accepted.
Jun 12th, 2009, 11:28 AM
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If the current exchange rate is 1.41 then 1.45 will be about the effective rate for transactions IME - the rate in the paper is never the effective rate, even for credit card transactions and then you often also have a 3% credit card foreign transaction fee.
And there are agents that work thru RE that do not charge any mailing fee.
But the point really is that experienced pros can easily use the sncf site but novices constantly complain about how frustrating it is to use - my only argument here is that stories of RE having absurdly high rip-off fares is really not accurate in many if not most cases - i would say they are moderately higher and for many folks who spend hours on sncf.com trying to book tickets and then worry about retrieving them ,etc. that may be a small price to pay - yeh if the sncf.com site worked like it should - simple - then it would be the way always to go.
But i think you have to put yourself in the place of a novice traveler - their worries and the hours they may spend to try to book a train and then, as folks complain, not know if the transaction has gone thru, etc.
And there are agents that work thru RE that do not charge any mailing fee.
But the point really is that experienced pros can easily use the sncf site but novices constantly complain about how frustrating it is to use - my only argument here is that stories of RE having absurdly high rip-off fares is really not accurate in many if not most cases - i would say they are moderately higher and for many folks who spend hours on sncf.com trying to book tickets and then worry about retrieving them ,etc. that may be a small price to pay - yeh if the sncf.com site worked like it should - simple - then it would be the way always to go.
But i think you have to put yourself in the place of a novice traveler - their worries and the hours they may spend to try to book a train and then, as folks complain, not know if the transaction has gone thru, etc.
Jun 13th, 2009, 04:52 AM
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Thank you for your responses. I kept checking on the voyages-sncf site and found other tickets at a better price. Different options did appear each time I checked. I've already reserved and printed them. I notified RE not to process their unconfirmed reservations at the higher price. Now I just hope our inboud flight is reasonably on time. Thanks for your encouragement.
Jun 13th, 2009, 05:45 AM
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Someone on this board sent me a detailed method of how to book tickets using the sncf site in French. It was terrific and had illustrations that went through all the various steps. I used it and saved a great deal of money. Now I cannot locate it. The closest I come is http://www.seat61.com/France-trains.htm#How
to use voyages-sncf.com
If you know of the item I am referrng to please let me know...it was extremely well done, and I will refer to it often.
to use voyages-sncf.com
If you know of the item I am referrng to please let me know...it was extremely well done, and I will refer to it often.
Jun 13th, 2009, 06:08 AM
#18
PQ - You need to get a better credit card. I always get the interbank rate without markups. My card would be charged the 1.41. Try getting a card from a credit union. They don't have all those pesky fees.
Jun 13th, 2009, 06:51 AM
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Considering the FACT that RailEurope is wholly-owned by the SNCF and SBB you can blame the railroad companies for any price actions, setting, reductions, etc.
You'd be better off buying tickets directly from the SNCF and perhaps even waiting until you arrive in Paris to do so.
You'd be better off buying tickets directly from the SNCF and perhaps even waiting until you arrive in Paris to do so.
Jun 13th, 2009, 09:26 AM
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Voyages-sncf.com has revamped their site a couple times since MorganB provide her detailed tutorial. You can no longer 'trick' the site into staying in English. Some say if you go into the UK version, you can book in English without getting kicked over to another version.
My only experience with RailEurope was buying tickets for Amsterdam-Paris. After placing my order, the prices I booked were suddenly unavailable and only at a higher price. I refuse to deal with a site that feels like 'bait & switch' tactics. SCNF, Thalys, SBB, etc. do not pull this nonsense - if the fare isn't available, it isn't presented. So, for me, not just 'rumor' but a factual experience.
My only experience with RailEurope was buying tickets for Amsterdam-Paris. After placing my order, the prices I booked were suddenly unavailable and only at a higher price. I refuse to deal with a site that feels like 'bait & switch' tactics. SCNF, Thalys, SBB, etc. do not pull this nonsense - if the fare isn't available, it isn't presented. So, for me, not just 'rumor' but a factual experience.
