mbresso

That about says it: Does anybody definitely know if I can avoid paying for the train if I have a full or say, 10-day select pass (presuming there are still travel days available)?

I just came back from Paris and we purchased 2 tickets to go through the toll gates. If you CAN use the Eurail pass what is the procedure then since you need one of their proprietary tickets to go through the gates? Does one show the agent the pass and they then provide you the tickets? Many thanks for your any responses.

PalQ

Eurailpasses and France passes are valid on RER from Gare du Nord to CDG airport as well as on RER line C along the Seine. But since your railpass can't go thru the automatic turnstiles you need to wait in an oft lengthy line and ask for a CONTREMARQUE de Passage - just say "contremarque si'il vous plait" and show your pass - a contremarque looks like a metro ticket and it's free with a railpass and you them put it into the automatic ticket taker to get into the system (and often out of the system so keep it until you're out) - if going round trip ask for aller et retour so you have one for your return trip without having to wait in line. Contremarques seem to have no expiration date on them and i've used some years later. A contremarque means nothing without a valid pass and the use of a day of travel on a flexipass as it says on it in French to be used with a valid means of transport you've already paid for. So contremarque is the key word, plus, always in France, s'il vous plait followed by merci bien when you've got it of course!

ira

ttt

Intrepid1

You can do this IF your pass has already been validated..otherwise you have to have that done first.

PalQ

Good point - whoever gives you the contremarque will probably only casually glance at your pass and not check to see if it's validated but ask them to validate it as well, which can be done at any train station. At CDG the only places to validate are at the TGV station or RER station ticket windows. You could get a contremarque with an unvalidated pass cause the clerk won't bother to check it but if controlled you'll be considered to be riding without a ticket if the pass is not validated or you havn't entered a day of use on the flexipass. There used to be a SNCF RailDesk in CDG terminal 1 but last fall they told me it had closed and would not reopen - it used to be so easy to validate passes there, make reservations, etc. but apparently it's gone and you have to go to the RER or TGV stations to activate your pass. I had to make TGV reservations last year at CDG and waited at least 40 minutes in long lines at the TGV station ticket windows so it may take a while there!