MNsnowflake

We'll be taking several day trips from Paris. I know with TGV tickets you have to take the specific train you've reserved for, but for other trains, do the tickets specify date and time so that you are obligated to catch the specific train, or are the tickets open-ended. My concern is if we want go somewhere and miss the train we planned to catch back to Paris, would we be able to use the ticket for the next train? Or head back to Paris earlier than we've planned if we've seen everything we wanted to.

Also, we have some TGV tickets. It's my understanding that we don't have to valldate the home printed tickets we have before boarding -- just have ID with us to show if asked -- but would like to verify this.

Thanks,

avalon

Yes on yoour printed TGV tickets.

Other tickets for day trips do not have times on them

StCirq

What kind of short day trips are you planning? Ones that require an actual train, or ones you can make on the RER? Either way, actually, you can just buy open-ended tickets upon departure. No need to take a specific train/RER back.

If you have PREM tickets that you printed at home, you do not need to composte them, but should have ID with you.

Gretchen

Where are you going and how long are you in Paris?

Christina

Some train tickets actually do have limitations on their use, but it is always any time the same day, I believe. Other tickets can be used at any time within 30 or 60 days, as I recall, but the tickets say on them about their usage. I got one down in Montpelier once that had to be used the same day, which was something new they were trying out rather than having them be good for a long time.

It helps to understand what the purpose of composting is, and then you wouldn't need to question when you do it. The sole purpose of it is to show the ticket is used up (and thus could not be used on another train or turned in for a refund). Since you could have printed or photocopied a zillion copies of the ones you can print yourself, that would thus be stupid.

PalenQ

More and more trains an hour or so away IME of commuting from Les Aubrais to Paris often are requiring reservations - Corail TEOZ trains in specific but many of the TER and regional trains do not. In my case about 20% of the trains Paris to Les Aubrais would require reservations but about at the same time they leave a regional (TER i believe - Train Express Regionale i think) train leaves as well so it is no hindrance. But you obviously do not want to get on a train that requires reservations before boarding - so peruse the overhead schedule boards and it will say 'Reservation obligatoire' (think those are the words) if the train does require seat reservations before boarding - these are usually trains that continue much farther than do TER trains.

Chartres, Versailles, Giverny (Vernon train station), Auvers-sur-Oise, Chantilly, Blois, Amboise, Reims, etc can all be reached by regional trains - Reims has TGVs too and there are quite a bit faster (all TGVs require advance booking which comes with your ticket). Tours can be reached by regional trains but in 2 hours vs 1 hr via TGV. Caen and Bayeux both have non-reservable trains and some that do require reservations.

nyse

From above,
<i>"that would thus be stupid."</i>

One of the best lines ever!

MNsnowflake

I was pretty sure about the tvg ticket, but wanted to doublecheck. Thanks. I suspected the regional trains gave a bit more flexibility, but wanted to be sure.

Right now we're looking at: Giverny, Auvers-sur-Oise, Chartres, Reims, and Fontainebleu - probably won't do them all. We'll be staying in a rental apartment for 11 nights and have been in Paris twice in the last few years, so have the time to do some daytrips. We'll probably just get up in the morning and decide whether to stay in the city or take a daytrip, depending on our mood and the weather.