TAW

I will be taking 3 separate TGV trips within a 3 week period.

Paris to Strasbourg
Colmar to Avignon
Avignon to CDG

The dates are set. I have looked at PREM fares (using similar dates to what I’ll need)
And they are 40Epp/40Epp/45Epp seniors.

Then I looked at a rail pass (on Rick Steve’s website) and it would cost $406 USD for 2nd class/$500USD for 1st class.

I don’t see any savings by getting a pass.

So, am I correct that I should try to get the PREM tickets as soon as possible (3 months out) instead of buying a rail pass?

Thanks in advance for your help.

PalenQ

Yes indeedy - no pass for you as you can see by the maths plus you'd have to pay extra on top of the pass for seat reservations. Now if you wanted flexibility to chose which trains to take once there then perhaps the railpass would be OK compared to full fare prices - but even then France has a limit to the number of passholder seats it dishes out on some TGV lines like Avignon TGV to CDG and you may not even get one and have to pay full fare.

For lots of great info on French trains check out these IMO fantastic sites - www.seat61.com; www.ricksteves.com (as you mention) and http://www.budgeteuropetravel.com/id8.html.

the only problem with the discounted tickets is that they are train-specific and cannot be changed nor refunded so don't miss the train and be sure of your dates when booking. Otherwise there should be no problem and you'll save tons over a pass.

TAW

Thank you! I just wanted to be sure I wasn't overlooking something.
So, is it 90 days or 3 months out to get the PREM tickets?

Christina

It isn't really that important whether it is exactly 90 days or 3 months (I think it differs whether a PREM on a TGV or idTGV), which is only a day or two apart at most. They aren't going to disappear that quickly, I never buy them that early before the trip. But you can figure it out if you want by just trying to buy them and you'll find out if they are available.

Dukey1

Passes save you money the MORE you use them and the further you travel. Yes, you still need seat reservations on some trains. Yes they are more flexible than point-to-point tickets. No, you don't need a pass for these trips. yes, you need to be on top of things the MINUTE those segments go on sale.

PalenQ

On popular TGV lines and in peak periods yes to be sure book ASAP when the come on the system - 90 days usually I believe - but that does not mean those tickets may not be on a bit later - all depends on demand as the number of tickets is limited if they think they can sell out more at a higher price.

And not everyone gets the www.voyages-sncf.com site to work - many do but there are tricks and threads have been written about it and helpful FodorGarchs who are experts will surely come to your help if you post - tips are to not put U S in as your country of origin or you will be bumped over to RailEurope USA, which though an SNCF or French Railways subsidy charges often significantly higher prices (not always so check both www.raileurope.com and www.voyages-sncf.com) - put in Antartica as your country (no fooling!) and tell you c card issuer that you will be making a foreign transaction so it is not automatically blocked.

PalenQ

to see how long the lowest fares last on www.voyages-sncf.com just put in some dummy dates for a few weeks from now, a few months, etc and you'll see the pattern - certain days of the week and time periods are more slack.

spaarne

<i>Trains in France – is this correct?
Posted by: TAW on Aug 20, 13 at 12:09pm
I will be taking 3 separate TGV trips within a 3 week period.
Paris to Strasbourg
Colmar to Avignon
Avignon to CDG
So, am I correct that I should try to get the PREM tickets as soon as possible (3 months out) instead of buying a rail pass?</i>

I'm not exactly sure how/when the PREM tickets are available but it does not appear that they must be purchased 3 months out. See the images of my daughter's SNCF TGV tickets at http://tinyurl.com/eym5b. She bought two tickets within a week of the trip. One was a PREM at about half the price of a normal fare at <i>periode de pointe</i>. She bought these at a train station in Paris.

Note that the tickets state at the very top <i>BILLET à composter avant l'acces au train.</i>

Dukey1

Note that the cheapest Prem fares DO NOT last forever; if you can GET one a week prior to travel I'd say you were lucky and i would not count on that happening

PalenQ

Note that the tickets state at the very top BILLET à composter avant l'acces au train>

which conflicts with many who have said PREM tickets need not be self-cancelled since they are train-specific and non-changeable nor refundable? Me I do not know but would like to know definitively - if spaarne's daughter's tickets are PREMs and still have to be cancelled then that conflicts with what many have said here about PREMs - again I dunnow just pointing out differences from posters.

That said spaarne IME is usually right on.

Sarastro

PREM tickets go on sale 3 months before any given travel date. Prices generally start around 24€ and increase as seat inventory is sold. Unsold PREMs are withdrawn from sale approximately one week before their date of travel. 2 to 3 days before any given travel date, PREMs are again made available (for 24 to 48 hours) in certain markets. These are listed on the French language site only under the heading <i>A Saisir</i>.

Depending upon individual schedules, iDTGV tickets are available up to 5 months before any given travel date. iDTGV tickets start at 19€ and increase as seats are sold. Sometimes iDTGV tickets sell well and are more expensive than are PREMs when they become available. It often can be difficult to determine exactly where the cheapest price may be found.

To assist in finding the cheapest prices during the month, the SNCF has a special link on the French language site called <i>Calendrier des Prix</i>

MaineGG

Could there be a difference between a self-printed e-tickets and the card stock tickets purchased at a train station in France?

On the E-Ticket I printed and used recently, it states "Cette confirmation e-billet: -est dispensée de compostage, -doit être présentée lors du contrôle, ou à l'accés au train."

Perhaps one does have to stamp/composter the station-purchased tickets?

MaineGG

If you would like to be notified by SNCF when tickets become available for sale for your route and date, you can go to this site and fill out a simple form. You will get an email the day before sales open. I've used it and it worked great.

http://www.voyages-sncf.com/services...te-reservation

StCirq

<<it does not appear that they must be purchased 3 months out.>>

Of course not. They can be purchased up until minutes before the train leaves. It's just that the cheapest fares become available 3 months out from your date of travel.

If you have printed out a ticket on your own printer, it does not need to be composted. All other tickets must be.

TAW

MaineGG, thanks for the link. I put in my info for all 3 trips.

MaineGG

If your itinerary is firm, go ahead and get the PREMs tickets as soon as they become available. They will never cost any less and could cost a bit more as time goes on. When I was looking at PREMs for Paris-Angoulême in April, I bought 1st class seats at €40 each. By the date of travel, 2nd class seats were more than that, and 1st class was considerably more. The situation was the same with iDTGV tickets Toulouse-Paris a week later. By a week before the trip, 2nd class seats were more than we paid for 1st class when we bought the tickets as soon as they went on sale.

grandmere

I"m essentially doing the same journeys that you are, only in reverse order, in Oct. I went to www.voyages-sncf.com the day tickets became available for each leg of the trip b/c I was getting them for 5 people and wanted to make sure I got the best price available.

I got first class PREMs from Paris to Avignon for 40 euro/pp, Avignon to Strasbourg for 50, and then Strasbourg to Paris for 38. Printed them at home and we are good to go!

When I tried the transactions with my Cap One Visa card, they did not go through, despite my having called Visa to authorize the purchases. I then used my Amex card and no problems.

Good luck and happy travels!

DebitNM

The tricky part with iDTGV is that they often are for 5 months out, they are set up at specific time intervals as to when the are sold. It is not a rolling 5 month ahead schedule. They availability happens several times a year. {I hope I explained that properly and clearly}. Depending on your travel dates, it may in fact be far less than 5 months or even 3 months.

MaineGG

None of the OP's trips are available with iDTGV, but you're right that their schedule for selling tickets is different from SNCF's schedule for TGV trains. The Alerte Résa service will also notify you of iDTGV sales dates.

MaineGG

None of the OP's trips are available with iDTGV, but you're right that their schedule for selling tickets is different from SNCF's schedule for TGV trains. The Alerte Résa service will also notify you of iDTGV sales dates.