laurenanne

Hi,
I am trying to determine if I can book tickets out of CDG to Reims based on the arrival of our flight. And if I book the tickets and miss the train, what happens to the ticket? And will the price of this ticket go up so drastically that I should risk buying in advance or just wait until we arrive in Paris on the day of to either buy the ticket out of CDG if we make it in time, if not, then head into paris and get the next train out of Gare d l'est. I don't want to be stressing out in line at customs at the airport worrying over missing the train, but if our timing seems feasible, I would hate to back track into paris then catch another train to Reims if we could've made it.

We are arriving on United with a layover first in Germany on Wednesday, August 7 at 10:44 AM. The train we are hoping to catch departs CDG on the TGV at 12:36. Right now the ticket is 16.47 Euros. First off, will this sell out if we wait to try and catch the day of? If not, will it be double the price anyway since we waited? The TGV site is a little confusing as to whether this is a PREM or TARIF fare and thus exchangeable if we miss the train.

If we are assuming we won't have enough time for customs and luggage to make the CDG train, then our next option is to go to Gare d L'est for the 12:58, 1:58 or 3:30, 3:45 or 5:30 pm trains. Again, should we buy this ticket in advance to save on the fare? Will they sell out? which one would we likely make given our arrival time at the airport?

Thank you so much if anyone can advise on this!
Lauren

StuDudley

Why wouldn't you just drive to Reims. It takes 1 hr 40 mins and you don't even have to drive around Paris. This would be a "no-brainer" for me - unless you are not going to rent a car once in Reims.

I have not checked train schedules, but I would probably purchase a PREM fare for the 12:36 train from CDG AND also a PREM for the 3:30 out of Paris. Don't plan on catching the 12:36 - but it might happen if everything goes perfect. Check fares for tomorrow (April 24) to determine what the last minute fare from the Gare d'Est is. If it is cheap - then wait until you get there to purchase tickets. I would not wait to purchase tickets on the 12:36 from CDG because the ticket line can be long there - especially in August.

Stu Dudley

laurenanne

Thank you. We were not planning to rent a car because we are headed there for a wedding and once there, everything else is handled-shuttles between places, etc. We have one free day and planned to rent a car for just a single day out of Reims, but if we rent it out of Paris, then we have to keep it all four days or pay a one way drop off fee which is probably the same as just keeping it. Hence, we figured to take the train to Reims!

StuDudley

I checked fares for tomorrow and they are 33E from both CDG & Paris. Unless there are many people traveling with you or you're on a tight budget (taxi into Paris is 50-60E) I would still recommend purchasing the PREMS from CDG with the hope of getting to Reims ASAP. If you miss the train, go into Paris or wait for the 2:45 train from CDG (a train change here - but it is at Marne and that train station always seems empty when we pass through it).

Stu Dudley

StuDudley

We've rented perhaps 50 cars in France & we've never paid a drop-off fee. An economy car from Kemwel for 3 days is $145.

Stu Dudley

Christina

I wouldn't worry about a train having to tickets for mid-day on a Wednesday to Reims. Yes, the price will go up, it always does for regular fare vs. PREMs.

Fares are marked to the left of them what type they are. I see PREM at 15 euro, Loisir Reduit at 20 euro and TGV Pro 2nde at 35 euro (this is second class) to the TGV station at Champagne Ardenne, which is 8 km from Reims. What you are seeing it to transfer there and go to Reims center, and that is just a regular TER ticket, which adds on the 1.70 euro. So the first part is a PREM but the second ticket just regular, they dont' have PREMs for short TER runs like that.

StuDudley

Since you arrive in Germany, you'll go through customs there - not at CDG. If you only have a carry-on luggage - you have a good chance of catching the TGV from CDG. If you have checked bags, it will be more "iffy". Actually, customs is not the "slow poke" in the "wait" chain - it is baggage retrieval. A short flight from Frankfurt (I assume that's where you are arriving) should be close to "on time". We flew in & out of Frankfurt last week, and it was very easy to navigate that airport.

I would still opt for driving. If you have to get into Paris, purchase tickets (maybe a line??), then take the train to the TGV station 8K outside of Reims, then get into Reims via public transportation, then get to your hotel - that's a "mess", IMO. I also think a car would be a value to you in-between wedding events.

Stu Dudley