So the SCNF website is still coming back with a "technical error" every time I try to book our tickets a first class double for the Paris-Venice train in September. Although I thought RailEurope wanted to charge me double the cost of what SNCF is charging, they only want about $30 USD more total (I thought the price they quoted was per person, not total. Oops). I started a dummy booking (to see if it too would give me the "technical error&quot, choosing First Class accomodations. It confirmed that the two of us would be booked into First Class but then told me the two of us would be booked into "Sleeper Compartment T3 (W Code)".

I was under the impression that there were no 3-berth cabins in First Class (SCNF never gives that as an option when you try to buy a first class ticket -- it is only couchette, double, or single). Does anyone know if this would be in fact a double (with the third bed folded away), or if we bought these tickets we'd have a random 3rd person?

Sleepers are neither first nor second class. The train has only one type of sleeping compartment, T3s, which can be configured to have one, two or three berths. The fare depends on the number of people in a compartment: two people sharing pay more per person than three people sharing.
I'd guess the reason why you can't book is that bookings normally open two months in advance. Try again in July.

If booking anything thru RailEurope call their agent BETS (800-441-2387) where you can talk to someone who will know every little thing about the Artesia trains IME and they won't charge RE's $18 mailing fee if not rush order. RailEurope can have fairly competitive pricing sometimes - but also they are notorious for having a price on their web site and then after ordering say it's higher. That's why i advise talking to someone who knows everything about these trains and can do a manual search and booking so there is no later surprise.

You may wish to call SNCF direct for your sleeper. I have never called them, but I have called Bahn.de several times. It is really easy to do by phone. You can even book the Paris-Venice with Bahn.de

The double sleepers that I have used are quite small, but they serve the pupose.

Hi Dawn,

As noted, you can't book more than 60 days out.

I thought they changed the booking window to 90 days out?

I think it's 60 days on sncf site but i think RailEurope and their agents can book 90 days in advance. I'll check it out.

Hi Dawn,

Try booking 59 days out. See if you get your "technical error".

Ira --

I did get the technical error, and tried several dates below the 60 day window. However, the technical error appears to occur ONLY if you are trying to book a first class double, which is just bizarre. It's not an availability thing, because I actually called SCNF this morning and booked a first class double for the same date in September I've been trying to book online. However, they charged me 80 euros more than the website's price, so ideally whatever glitch the website has will fix itself eventually.

Thanks for trying to help, though!

Do you have the SNCF number you called? I'm getting the same error message.

Hi Lil,

From the US, try 1016868 011 33 8 92 35 35 39

1016868 is a "dial around" number - only 10 cts/min

If you are calling France much go to your chinese store and buy a calling card - i pay 3.5 cents/min for France calls and no connect fee. For the odd call 10 cents/min is OK. Lucky7 is the card i currently use.

Hi there I am In Australia and having the same technical problem, has anyone been sucessful online yet?

And I will soon be attempting to do the same in reverse: booking a Single Sleeper compartment from Venice to Paris. (My trip is in Oct, so it's too soon now.) If it's this big an ordeal, I may pay a travel agent a few bucks to do it for me.

I recently tried to book a sleeper via Rail Europe's UK website. My first-choice train did not appear, and the second choice gave a technical error when I actually got to specifying the type of berth I wanted. I called Rail Europe's UK number and they booked me on my first choice train in the accommodation I wanted. There is obviously a problem with the on-line booking systems available to the public which doesn't apply to the systems used by rail staff.

i guess RE UK is using the same system as raileurope.com - where a manual effort by an agent can book trains that say sold out - sold out apparently means they are not loaded yet.

I was booking a train two weeks in advance, so there was no question of the trains' not being loaded in the system. I assume the on-line system available to the public has what the jargon might call a user-friendly interface, and that plainly doesn't work very well.

www.raileurope.com in US may nevertheless indicate Sold Out for such a train even though they manually can book it.

By not being loaded yet, as i've been explained to, means that for some reason RailEurope has not loaded it onto their raileurope.com system - why? Nobody seems to know.

Seems could automatically be tied into the much more complete system they use to book any train, the same system, Euronet i believe, used in European train stations and sites.