PalenQ

The popular Eurail Select Railpass, where you can chose up to five separate countries as a block for your pass to be valid in will no longer see France as an option good sources tell me as of Jan 1, 2013.

It will be the first time a country has opted out of the Eurail scheme - before it was always adding countries - like in 2013 Turkey will become a member of the Eurailpass and Eurail Select Pass.

But if planning on using a Eurail Select Pass with France as one country I think if you buy before Dec 31, 2012 you can use a pass for the next six months after issue - really activate it within six months and then use it for its 2-month validity period.

Dukey1

an those good sources are?????

PalenQ

are good sources, take it to the bank, dukey.

michele_d

Won't that kind of drag Spain along with it?

PalenQ

an those good sources are?????>

Seriously dukey - after spending over 30 years writing professionally about European trains I have many sources that I consider 100% reliable but of course will not name them as this is so far not been publically announced they tell me.

StCirq

Le fils français, sans doute.

Dukey1

Excuse me for being so stupid

kerouac

One reason I find this hard to believe is because it would cut Spain and Portugal off and pretty much kill Eurail use there.

The SNCF is rolling out more and more new schemes -- including new low-cost TGVs that won't use the main Paris or Lyon stations but the ones in the suburbs instead, and also expand the almost secret idBUS system for national and international routes.

adrienne

LOL, StCirq!!!

PalenQ

a chacun son doubt! LOL!

adrienne

do you mean doute?

Surfergirl

PalenQ is right, and I have relied and been well advised by his/her train advice, especially after the passing of Ben Haines a few years back.

Thank you, PalenQ.

For doubters or douters, see, for example:

http://www.etravelblackboard.com/art...il-select-pass

or

http://www.ittn.ie/bulletins/sncf-to...l-select-pass/

or

http://www.eglobaltravelmedia.com.au...-for-2013.html

or

http://www.travelinc.co.nz/content/n...-pass-for-2013

There's more than that, but I figure 4 is good.

kerouac

Now I am wondering if PalenQ and surfergirl are the same person. It is not at all rare on the internet.

PalenQ

I wonder if kerouac and St Cirq are the same snarky person - ain't at all rare on the Internets! LOL!

PalenQ

Won't that kind of drag Spain along with it?>

<One reason I find this hard to believe is because it would cut Spain and Portugal off and pretty much kill Eurail use there.>

well yeh it seems so - cutting Spain/Portugal off from the rest of the Eurail Select countries would perhaps kill Eurail use there - the Global Eurailpass is so expensive that one would have to be doing Spain and several other countries - Global would still be good in France it seems.

PalenQ

<One reason I find this hard to believe is because it would cut Spain and Portugal off and pretty much kill Eurail use there.>

So what does the SNCF care about that - kind of a myopic view that shows little understanding of the Eural group and how it operates - SNCf and participating railways get a piece of the Eurail pie, based on how many foreigners use passes on their rail networks.

Obviously, DUH, SNCF has calculated loss of revenues from dropping out of Eurail Select - with a loss of over Eurail Global income slice as well.

It's the bottom line kerouac (or St Cirq perhaps!) that counts - that is all.

What we may take from this is is a breakup of the Eurail group beginning as national railways think they can make more money without it - the problems the SNCF has had getting passholders on certain key TGV lines on which they can instead sell heavily discounted tickets has been legendary and a big problem for travelers - perhaps this has caused a precipitous drop in the SNCF's income from fewer Select Passes being sold with France on it-

the fact that they are staying in the Eurail Global scheme - passes good virtually all over Europe except the U K (which has always, my sources say, realized that they can make more on BritRail Passes if they were not part of the Eurail scheme)- indicates that their share of Global Passes is better and thus worth keeping.

kerouac - it is all about money - that's all. Wrap your head around that!

PalenQ

BTW the lack of Eurail Select with France on it is not going to hurt SNCF (and Swiss Railways) RailEurope subsidiary in the U S as, my sources tell me, have had a banner year - one of their best on record - RailEurope USA is now actually using the SNCF's computer system for ticketing - not at identical prices - but the engine for it is all done by SNCF - meaning staff at RailEurope USA even know less about the intracacies of the products they are selling than before when they actually had to book them themselves!

Surfergirl

No, and I hope you were just kidding kerouac -- I've gone on and on about your great advice on these boards for years as well, and no one has ever suggested that means I'm you!

Ask janisj and socialworker. Met them both -- at GTG's in Sacramento and L.A., and they can vouch that I am only one person who goes by Surfergirl.

I do admit to loving train travel and there's not too many of us on these boards who are really passionate about it.

PalenQ

In reality me and janisj are indeed the same poster, kerouac - I must admit!

PalenQ

anyways as the article my alter ego surfergal thoughtfully posted says you can buy a Eurail Select pass with France on it, at least in OZ, until Dec 27,2012 and then only have to activate it by six months later and then still be able to use it for its two-month validity period.