Monica

I was just on the www.sncf.com web site and plugged in my desired dates/time of travel and I got a response that the train is booked. Any comments? Am I out of luck?

Sue

i've had some strange responses like that when I have tried to book over 60 days in advance; if that's your case, i'd try again later. if it's sooner, hard to imagine Paris to Avignon being sold out before high season.

ger

Monica - try different times, ticket prices and class. I just got back and the evening trains on Fri from Paris an on SUnday evening from Avignon are ususally quite full. I ended up having to book a weekend 1st class (178 Euros return).

Monica

I'll have to try different times. This is for the middle of May, not quite the high tourist season, or so I thought. I hope I don't have to spend the extra money for 1st class!

Betty

Monica, I think Sue is right about the "no more than 60 days in advance" rule. I experimented with departures in mid-May and mid-April - no dice. But mid-March seemed to work fine. For a May 15 departure I think you'll have to wait until March 15 or later to make your reservations. And as Ger suggest it would be best if you could avoid Fridays going south and Sundays going north. And I think there is a holiday around May 10-13 (I'll check the precise date if you like) so that would probably be a busy time, as well.

David

Let me throw this out...I posted a question as to the need for reservations while travelling this route during the first week of June and I was told that I would have no problem making a reservation 7 days in advance when i first get to Paris. <BR>Also, the SNCF site does not allow reservations more than 3 mos out so I think the response you're getting is that the reservation is unavailable (even though they say they are booked?)<BR>Anyway...I'm obviously concened about this too as I need reservations to Avignon and back and also to Bayeux....

Monica

My plans are to head to Avignon on the 12th (a Sunday) and return the following Sunday. I guess I could return to Paris on Monday if it comes to that. I wonder if I should ask a friend in Paris to get the tickets for me in March to be on the safe side.<BR><BR>David, I had no problems getting to Bayeux in May 1999. My Mom and I bought our tickets about 3 days before the trip; however, I don't think it was a TGV/high speed train like the one I want to take to Avignon. <BR><BR>Anyway I appreciate everyone's comments!<BR><BR>

Liz

Had a miserable experience trying to get TGV from Paris to Avignon. Landed in Paris not knowing a train strike had been announced. Six trains and eight hours later, I arrived in Avignon. Flew back to Paris on Air France - 45 mins and no hassle. I do prefer the trains in Europe so I know this was an exception and not the rule!

Christina

I don't think you can reserve from the US anyway very far ahead, even 60 days ahead of time. There is a limit to when you must pick up your tickets in France, and it's usually about a week after reserving, I think. There are time limits mentioned on the SNCF web site for this. So, you can reserve, but if you don't pick them up within their time frame, they will be cancelled. I don't know your dates, but there are several holidays in May and those trains can get very booked for those weekends, but at this point, it's probbly because it's too early. YOu can't reserve more than 60 days in advance without filling out special paperwork you'd get in France and putting down a deposit, I don't think. To make sure you don't make a reservation which is cancelled, go to the section where you check schedules (the boxes for departure and time) and underneath the box for where the tickets will be picked up there is a question mark next to "conditions of delivery and collection" which specifics how many days after reserving online you have to pick up the tickets in France.

ger

Monica, Liz has an interesting point. If you are arriving at CDG, you can take the train from there (limited schedule) to Avignon or take a flight. When I checked the price, about a week before departure, the flight was approx. US$180 -you may do better if you book earlier. The train was more convienient for me as I was leaving from central Paris. Definately worth checking out the alternative.<BR><BR>Regards

Monica

I'll be in Paris for a few days before heading to Avignon, so the suggestion of going from CDG is out. Maybe I'll see if someone can buy them for me and mail me the tickets.

Monica

PS: Christina, my travel dates are: to Avignon 12 May; to Paris 19 May.

Christina

I probably wouldn't worry about the May 12th Sunday to Avignon that much, but I'm not sure of customs for people from that area to vacation in Paris during that weekend. Unfortunately, both your dates do surround French holidays, which are 5/8, 5/9, 5/19 and 5/20 in 2002. may 8th is VE day, 5/9 is Ascension and the others are Pentecost and Whit Monday. I'm just guessing, but I'd think 5/20 to Paris would be really crowded, more than 5/19. If you can't get someone to mail them and don't want to pay Raileurope's fee, you should try to book them online about a week before you go to Paris and then pick them up immediately in Paris at a train station, that should work. I don't recall the time frames for pickup after reserving online, check them on SNCF, but I think it may be 3-7 days for certain fares?

Monica

Hi Christina,<BR><BR>Thanks for the information on the holidays. We fly out to Paris on the 8th, so that won't be a problem with that holiday. I was just on SNCF playing with the dates. I think I'll get on line there in mid March and see if I can order my tickets for my dates. It's a little confusing because it talks about residence in "Appendix 2 and 3" yet it doesn't go into detail where I would fall (US citizen). Am I looking in the wrong area? I ask this because it talks about when to pick up/collect the tickets.

Monica

PS The price was pretty good when I plugged in March 17, return 24th: about $44 each way for second class.

Monica

Well, I just re-read some of the conditions and found this: "Bookings cannot be made on our Internet site from North America, Asia and Australia.<BR>If you wish to book from Canada or other countries in North America, please contact our partner Raileurope which sells railway tickets for European travel to customers in these countries. You may access information on timetables, fares and book your tickets with Raileurope."<BR><BR>When I went to Raileurope's web site, their prices were double of SNCF. So I'm going back to my plan of getting someone in Paris to buy them for me!<BR>

Andre

Relax Monica!<BR><BR>You can most certainly book your tickets on the SNCF site if you live in the US. You will just have to pick them up in France, because SNCF will not mail the tickets to the States. Rail Europe (which is jointly owned by the SNCF and the Swiss railways BTW) has the exclusive right to DELIVER tickets in the US (and rip you off).<BR><BR>Anyway, the reason you weren't getting a quote for your trip in May is that tickets only go on sale 2 MONTHS in advance. <BR><BR>As May is a crazy travel time in France (lots of long weekends), I would STRONGLY recommend booking as soon as the tickets go on sale (mid March for you). Also, the cheapest fares sell out fast even in slow periods.<BR><BR>You will have to give your credit card details, but you can cancel/change your booking online right up to 1 hr AFTER departure time for most fares (see the "passenger's guide" on the SNCF site for detailed fare/refund info). <BR><BR>Just specify France as pickup location and your tix will be waiting for you at any train station or "boutique SNCF": show the printout of your booking and the credit card you used and they'll issue the tickets. It's that simple!<BR><BR>Bon voyage!<BR>Andre

ger

Monica ... just to back up what Andre said. I booked my tickets from Canada a week before departure for my Paris-Avg-Paris trip on the SNCF website, paid via VISA on their secure site, got the confirmation instantly to my e-mail address, picked up the tickets from Gard du Lyon on the day of departure, was able to change the deaparture time to a later train with no additional charges. It could not have been easier!

Monica

Thanks Andre and Ger for your information. I feel much better! Will book as soon as I can, mid March.

Monica

Andre, I was just on the SNCF web site. I am confused with two different statements within “Conditions of Use.” One statement reads, “If your Booking is made between 30 and 62 days before the departure date, you must collect your ticket within 15 days of the Booking date (which I can’t do since I won’t get to Paris till the 9th, unless I book within that timeframe and HOPE that there are still seats available, which I’m trying to avoid missing out on getting reservations for those specific dates of travel). However, another statement reads, “Prepayment allows you to collect your order at any time – right up to your train’s departure time. Then I went through Appendix 1, 2, and 3, where it talks about how each country can order/purchase their tickets, those in appendix 1, 2 can order on line. The USA is not listed at all, so it makes me wonder how I can order my tickets. I want to make reservations for the 12th of May and return the 19th of May. I understand no one can book on line until 60 days prior. I hope you can clear this up for me. Thanks!! Monica