Maine, thanks for the information. I've been playing the SNCF rejection game this week and this is good to know.

Christine

That's interesting, I guess they do that for fraud reasons. I've never tried to do more than 1 transaction a day and have never had a problem with my American CCs, not even once.

There is still no explanation why your original order didn't go through. As I said, I've never had a single problem, and I always use my Cap One card, in fact.

Thanks for this. I've been following the threads since I'm a few days away from making a purchase.

Stupid question...do they send you a file so can print your ticket and/or is it possible to access your account later to re-print if necessary? The reason I ask is because I think the day I buy the tickets I'll be a place where I may not be able to print.

They don't send you a file, but you can go back online and reprint it anytime.

soundnesss - Wishing you luck!

Christina - This is the first time I have had any problem, and still don't know exactly the reason why the original order didn't go through. Perhaps just an electronic communication failure (erreur de saisie)? In any event I am pleased that SNCF investigated and responded to my email. It's good to have some light shed on the process.

Thanks StCirq!

PegS - You should get a confirmation email from SNCF. In that email there's a button "Imprimer" to click for printing your ticket(s). There's also a link "gérer ma réservation" to access your reservation in the system.

Maine, how long does it usually take to get the email from SNCF?

soundnesss - Not really sure how long after the reservation went through that I got the email, but not long. This is the first time I have bought online from the SNCF site, so I'm learning as I go. My other recent purchase was on the iDTGV site and it seemed much easier. On prior trips we bought our tickets in France.

Soundnesss - I made a reservation today on voyages-sncf.com and received the email response with the link to printing the tickets within two minutes.

This morning, I got a promotional email from SNCF that they are starting to use "verified by Visa" and "mastercard securecode" processes. I wonder if the foreign cc quota gets replaced by the new process.

greg, I got the same email. Here's a link to the information:

http://neo.voyages-sncf.com/nl/jsp/m.jsp?c=7182fe175179944e32&prex=G_D1P2_1107_207264_3DS

Not sure whether this means that it will be required, or if it is just an option, or what. Anyway, I googled Verified by Visa and MasterCard Secure Code and it seems simple enough to sign up and receive your "code," which seems to be a PIN you use when making purchases.

Is anyone already signed up and using these systems? What's your experience?

Hi,
I am having the same problem from Canada. I tried 7 credit cards to no avail; i have confirmed with my credit card issuer that they are not blocking any purchases. So, it is just a question of trying and trying until it goes through or do I need to wait for 24 hours before trying again.
My son is moving to France to study and I want to book his ticket to Grenoble from here.
Thanks!

As I described in my initial post of this thread, the same thing happened to me on my first attempt. Tried several cards with no success. The next day, the first time I tried it went right through. Don't know what happened. Hope it works for you next time you try after waiting 24 hours.

"Anyway, I googled Verified by Visa and MasterCard Secure Code and it seems simple enough to sign up and receive your "code," which seems to be a PIN you use when making purchases.

Is anyone already signed up and using these systems? What's your experience?"

MaineGG, I have not used the Verified by Visa protocol with SNCF, but I have been using it for several years on the Air Canada web site. It is exactly as you surmise: when I click "purchase", I see a screen that prompts me to put in the code that I have made up. If you do not already have a Verified by Visa code, you can follow the prompts to create one.

I have never had a problem with it, and it only adds a few seconds to the transaction time.

"erreur de saisie" = "input error" -- for example, if you type the wrong security code.

Kerouac - Thanks for the translation. I was unable to come up with one for that phrase.

AnselmAdorne - Does Air Canada require you to use the Verified by Visa protocol on their site, or is it just an option for extra security for purchasers? Do you have to use it whenever you use the registered Visa CC for any purchase?

MaineGG, that's a good question. I suspect that the requirement to use Verified by Visa is dictated by the card issuer and is triggered by some combination of dollar threshold and the nature of the purchase. My card is issued by CIBC (a Canadian bank) and my purchases at Air Canada are — unfortunately — often of significant value, as I buy multi-trip flight passes from time to time. It's not something that I set up, but rather it presented itself as a necessity a couple of years ago.

As far as I can recollect, Air Canada is the only merchant that has ever required me to use Verified by Visa.

I'm Canadian too and think that I've only seen the Verified by Visa or MasterCard Secure Code on the Air Canada website also. It's easy to set up and use, as Anselm said. I don't mind it if it is an added security thing.

I booked my rail tickets through the SNCF site earlier this month and didn't have any problems. The amount was just under 100 Euros though... For the tickets, I got immediate confirmation and will print them out at a later date.

I've been trying for 2 days, to have my credit card verified with the web TGV purchase. I've waited 24 hrs. used multiple credit cards, used Veified by Visa, emailed SNCF, and nothing has worked.

We've purchased TGV tickets for years on line with no problem, but now I can't get the Credit Card purchase to accept any card.

Has anyone figured out a way around this problem using a CC from the U.S.?

How much is the transaction for?

I had two cards rejected by SNCF in September online, and it turns out it was not them, it was my CC cards (one was a Visa and one a MC by Cap One). I had never had a problem before, but after calling both of them (as I planned to go to Europe soon and would need to use them), it turns out both those banks had instituted fraud policies that automatically blocked certain online charges, I guess foreign. They are really getting very difficult as these were very small charges from a national rail company and I had bought from them before, but I don't think their algorithms are that sophisticated, actually. And they were France, not some country with a lot of fraud.

Anyone, it really did involve making the CC company unblock the cards and then I had no problem. I think SNCF had a policy of not allowing the same card within 24 hrs, so I did have to wait a day and then I used one of them that had been blocked with no problem. It was a small purchase, maybe 35 euro.

so Images2, have you talked to the bank issuing the card? I didn't need to use that verified by Visa thing.

Our purchase was for 91 Euros. SNCF never answered our emails. One card did block a CC try by us since it was our 2nd purchase in 2 days from France, which was Capital One, but we finally got Citi Card to work on the SNCF site, using Verified by Visa. It was just continuous trying that finally worked. I dread buying tickets in the future because of this difficulty.

I tried the instant messaging on the SNCF site as my purchase requests continuously were blocked. When I asked about Visa Card use, she sent me to a Visa/Passport site Obviously we had communication problems!

I really wouldn't expect a national rail company to be able to answer emails for everyone in teh world who has a problem on their website, I just don't think that is feasible.

I used a Capital One MC on SNCF after I called them to unblock it (they admitted they had done it) without any problem at all. I just waited a day. I didn't use any Verified thing.

Obviously there are still some people experiencing difficulties when trying to make credit card purchases on the SNCF site. I decided to send an email when it happened to me, thinking that even if I received no response, someone at SNCF would know that there had been a problem. Perhaps if everyone who has a problem sends them an email, they will eventually solve the problems and make the process easier for everyone. I did get an answer, so they do respond sometimes, at least.

By the way, has anyone heard anything more about the email both Greg and I received from SNCF announcing their use of the Verified by Visa and Mastercard Secure Code systems? I wonder if it's worth signing up prior to buying rail tickets on their site.

I`m having the same problem as all of you. Not even the ITGV accepts my credit cards. My transaction is for 199.06 Euros. I need suggestions, please. How have you solved your problem?

According to the email I received from SNCF back in June 2011, there is a daily limit of €150 per foreign credit card transaction. Not sure if this is still the case, but it was at that time. If you are buying two or more tickets, perhaps you could break up the order to see if it would go through using different CCs for each order, or waiting 24 hours to place the second order.

Glad you brought this thread up. Still very good and useful information!

All I can say is what I said above, and that was only a couple months ago. It was my CC blocking the sale, not SNCF, and when I talked to the cards and made sure they would not block charges from France, they went through the next day. I did make sure to wait 24 hrs given what I had read before.

I don't use any website but www.voyages-sncf.com

I've seen mention of the verified thing on their website, it's right there when you are going to buy. I just didn't want to do it unless I had to, so just tried my card first without that.

I just went through a mock transaction (all but paying) and they've changed it to imply that you MUST use the Visa Verified or MC Securecode stuff if you want to pay by CC and get a printable ticket. They never used to have it like that. However, when I went through to the end, those options only pertained if you used a Visa or MC, not if you used an American Express (you didn't have to do that verification process, probably because AMex doesn't have one of those things).

Maine, thanks so very much for the tip. I'll start the process, which takes quite a while, and try breaking it.
I'll let you know if it works.

Sorry to say but nothing so far has worked. Tried breaking the tickets, using the Visa Verified, but my card is not eligible, perhaps because its not issued in America, same with Master Card.

I've sent an email to a friend in Paris, hoping she might be able to help me. Any other ideas will be appreciated.

Sorry things aren't working out for you. Hope your Paris friend can help you out.

Is your CC Australian? I think people have reported that Australian CCs aren't accepted for some reason.

If you read/write French, you might try to email SNCF from their site. On the upper right corner click on "Aide" then "contactez-nous" then "Email." That's what I did and I got an answer a day later.

My cards are issued by a Colombian bank. I already wrote to SNFC and I hope to get a reply by tomorrow.

Thanks for your help, Maine.

GRRRRR!!! I am trying to buy tickets from Paris to Brive. I created a VISA authorization, called my VISA provider and STILL I AM REJECTED. How do I get these tickets?????

I had no problems paying with a US issued Amex last week.

Shortly after trying the Amex card I received notification from them that there had been a fraud attempt on my card. I will try again tomorrow.

Train tickets from Paris to Geneva booked this morning.
Because of www.Seat61.com and my relentless research I got two single facing window seats in first class for a direct 9am train. RailEurope.com charges $72 more and doesn't let you choose your seat type or location.

I just ran through a purchase on SCNF with Amex and it was blocked. Because of reading this thread, I immediately called Amex and they removed the block. I just backed up to the credit card page, re-entered my number and it sailed through. Plus the ticket prints as a pdf so there is no way to lose the printing link if you just keep the pdf.

Great thanks to all who posted before me and to www.seat61.com. Love that site.

I also found this great video which showed the new look to the TGV trains. My seats are at 20 sec. http://youtu.be/MG7jCNdGlQE

bookmarking

Peter -- May I ask what date and how much you paid?

Curious, becausen I'm making the trip in the other direction in July, and when I checked the prices in June (since it won't let me do July yet), the prices seemed pretty high.

Also, are you in first or second class?

I was just helping a friend try to get tickets on www.sncf.com. After entering the verification information, the transaction was rejected. She called VISA security, made sure that the transaction would be accepted by the credit card, still no luck. I should add that the basic sncf site does not ask for the country of origin and assumes France.

So I decided to try http://www.tgv-europe.com/en/?DISTRIBUTED_COUNTRY=GB and everything worked fine even though the tickets are not for the TGV (none runs to Limoges). We then immediately printed the tickets and saved a PDF version just in case the original printing is mislaid.

What a variety of experiences people have trying to buy tickets online through voyages-sncf, tgv-europe and iDTGV! There are many accounts of difficulties with no foolproof methods for good outcomes consistently.

Glad you were successful, Michael. Here's hoping someday it will be easier for everyone.

When I buy an SNCF ticket online now -- with a French card -- it also has additional security. A message is instantly sent to my bank which sends a code number by SMS to my mobile phone. I have to enter that code on the SNCF site for the transaction to be accepted.

A message is instantly sent to my bank which sends a code number by SMS to my mobile phone.

Which explains why voyages-sncf does not work with a non-French credit card, although I don't understand why this site would not find foreign credit cards acceptable when its other site, tgv-europe, does.

The Chase Sapphire Card now has this automatic online verification that has allowed me to purchase tickets through voyages-sncf with minimal headaches. After I hit "approve" the transaction, the chase verification pops up, I input the info it requests, hit enter, and voila! Success!

You do have to set this up with Chase, however, through their card services.

I am attempting to purchase tickets on Voyages-sncf.com for Paris to Bayeaux, and I can't even get to the place where I will be entering my CC info. I would prefer to have the tickets e-mailed to me or snail mailed, to me before I leave....but the address information required makes me think they are assuming I live in France. The address space is pertinent to France. If I select pickup in USA, it doesn't even recognize Bayeaux as a station, unless I first go in and select it as if picking up in France, then back out and select USA. This is crazy Can I have them mailed to the US ? If not, is it complicated to pick them up at the rail station, and why would I need my credit card again, if I am already paying for them now ? I assumed I would only need a print out or a scret code. Any help is most appreciated.

There's no reason to have these Paris-Bayeux (note the spelling of Bayeux) tickets mailed to you or to have to go stand in line at the station to pick them up. You can simply print them at home. Not sure why you can't get to the payment screen, but here are the steps for getting your tickets on the TGV-Europe site:

http://www.tgv-europe.com/en/?DISTRIBUTED_COUNTRY=GB

Here the whole process is in English. Important: A box might pop up asking if you want to be redirected to Rail Europe or continue with tgv-europe. If that happens, choose to continue with tgv-europe. You do NOT want to be redirected to Rail Europe.

Then just fill in the departure, arrival, date etc. When the schedule come up, choose a train and click the little circle to the left of the fare you want. If you click on "Choose my Place" and have chosen a PREMS fare, you will be told "No Places Available." This means that you cannot get an assigned seat reservation for this train when paying this fare. If you pay the "Tarif Normal" fare, you can get a seat reservation, apparently. So open seating for PREMS tickets.

Click on "Choose this Outward Journey." Verify the details on the next screen, then click "Confirm."

On the next screen, under "Choose how to collect my ticket," click on the small circle next to "E-Ticket." This will enable you to print your ticket at home.

Then fill in the passenger information, remembering that the birth date will be DD-MM-YYYY, tick the box regarding general conditions, and continue to the payment page.

Review the summary, add the payment information, hold your mouth right (just kidding), and click on "Confirm Payment."

Remember, you should have notified your CC issuer that you plan to use it for this purchase.

If it goes through, you will see a screen with the choice to print your tickets. You should also get a confirming email from which you may print your tickets.

Hope this helps - Good luck!

Thank you MaineGG for that thorough reply. I too had my credit card blocked (turned out my bank had a note on my card, which they believed had been compromised). Using another card, I successfully booked the tickets I wanted. However, the option to receive an eticket was not offered and I had to choose the option to have the tickets sent to me (in Canada). Does anyone know anything about this? I would much prefer to print out my tickets from home.

My Visa is blocked over $100 on anything to Europe including SNCF. The last time,I called the bank and let them know I was charging some items to my account and that seemed to work. The SNCF website is handy & if you can order in French which is fairly intuitive, you can get buy 90 day out tickets at a reasonable rate.

Thank you MaineGG for your assistance. I purchased my Prems tickets from Paris to Bayeaux, and will pick them up at St Lazare. Now I keep getting emails from Voyages-sncf.com <bonsplans@newsletter.voyages-sncf.com>.....and of course they are all in French, which I do not speak. Am I okay to just ignore these emails, as I believe them to be newsletters, or could they be related in any way to my ticket purchase? I just don't want to overlook something that may be important. Thanks for your help.

Tomandjudy
As I understand it, the only tickets you can print at home are those that are non-refundable, like PREMS.
Otherwise if you were an unscrupulous person, you would be able to print out multiple copies of your ticket, then go to different ticket offices and get multiple refunds. Di

I had a good experience buying tickets from www.capitainetrain.com . I needed 12 tickets from Paris to Dijon and was concerned about the limits the SNCF would put on my purchase, both for number of tickets and € amounts. I emailed the SNCF and filled out a request for a group booking but never received a response from them.

So I emailed capitainetrain and received a quick and helpful reply from "Jonathan," who told me that they do not place such restrictions on those paying with a foreign credit card. He further explained that I would be able to buy these tickets in one purchase although I had to place them in my "basket," no more than 5 at a time. (You make the list of all your passengers along with dates of birth but then tick the boxes of no more than 5 before hitting "rechercher." Once you've put those in your basket you can go back and repeat the process for the rest.)

I did have a couple of small hiccups: 1) the prices seems to keep changing on me, most were 22€, 1 was 15€ and 3 were 27€. I'm sure that was the SNCF's doing. 2) at one point it told me there were no more seats on that train but I was able to go back in later and get the tickets I needed. And because I was doing this around 8 pm (2 am in France) the tickets did not come through immediately. I had to wait a couple of hours before they showed up in my email.

But the payment of 272€ went through just fine on my CapOne card. (I had alerted them to this purchase.) You get the email confirmations just like from the SNCF or you can print tickets directly from the website.

One very nice feature is that once you've created your list of passengers and their birthdates, they remain in your account. So if you need additional tickets later, all you have to do is tick the boxes beside the names and hit "rechercher." I did this a week or so later for three people returning to Paris from Troyes. Got those tickets quickly, no fuss, no bother. I didn't even have to call CapOne back.

So I was very pleased with capitainetrain and will continue to use them for French train ticket purchases. I hope this is helpful to others.

Sorry, I meant to say "thanks" to the person who mentioned captainetrain on another thread - Man in Seat61? Whoever it was, thanks for putting me onto that site.

Google translate will give a usable translation of an email. Copy/paste it into the input window and the translation appears in the output window. Lousy for literature, fine for ordinary communications.

Google translate into French:

Google translate donnera une traduction utilisable d'un e-mail. Copiez / collez-le dans la fenêtre de saisie et la traduction apparaît dans la fenêtre de sortie. Nul pour la littérature, très bien pour les communications ordinaires.

Cool!