tekwriter

I'm in a total panic! I'm trying to nail down the train trip from Paris to Bergerac on July 5 via the Voyages-SNCF website and all trips that we can take, at any price, class, etc., are "not available!" We have to take the train at noon or later due to my husband's flight from the states arriving around 8:00 am, and none of the three trips that came up was available when I selected them. The site offered routes from Paris via TGV to either Bordeaux or Liborne, then a slow train to Bergerac. Is there anything I can do to get there by evening?

Any suggestions on how to get this arranged - I'd hate to lose the first night in Dordogne!

StCirq

I don't see the problem. There's a 12:10 train from Paris that goes through Bordeaux and arrives in Bergerac just after 5. There are also trains at 3:15 and one around 5 pm.

lincasanova

at least in spain, they do not load online info for trains until 60 days ahead of time. donīt panic.

LAwoman

You are probably trying to book too early.

tomboy

You could drive there.

tekwriter

I thought that you could/should book 90 days ahead, which I believe we've passed that mark already. Every time I select one of those trips by clicking the button on the left of the class/price, then click "Valider cet allee," I get three messages in red on the top of the same page: "No train corresponds to the itinerary you want," "Certain trips aren't open to reservations yet," and "on certain trains, there are available seats, but the level of comfort may vary(?)"

This is frustrating not knowing which message applies to my attempt! Could this itinerary be sold out completely already - that's what I'm afraid of!

StCirq

Not enough people go to Bergerac that the trains would be sold out.

You can book 90 days out.

I'm having no problem finding available seats. I'm using the French site. Are you?

tekwriter

Salut StCirq, oui, j'emploie le site francais www.voyages-sncf.com...

You're not getting the red warning messages on top when you select a trip? I've closed my browser and tried it three times from scratch. I'm relieved to hear you say that it's probably not sold out. I could try it on my home computer tonight in case that makes any difference.

Ackislander

Sometimes when you have a booking problem that recurs, you can delete the cookies from your browser and start a fresh session. Otherwise, you may just get the same information repeatedly.

GeoffHamer

The trains obviously aren't on the booking system yet. Trains are never fully booked three months in advance.

Christina

A sign saying they don't have the comfort level you want just means maybe you wanted first class but they only have second.

They often have the red warnings at the top even when they list trains, so that doesn't mean every train they list below that sign is not available. The test is to select a time and train and go through and try to book it.

No train corresponds to the itinerary does mean you are asking for a route that doesn't exist -- like maybe if you said you would only accept a direct train and there are only routes with changes.

Christina

I just tried it out of curiosity and the whole SNCF train booking system is down right now, maybe they had some problems, try again.

tekwriter

OK, I *finally* figured out what was preventing me from purchasing the tickets today!

I tried to enter an "aller simple" (one-way) for the trip down on July 5. That worked fine. When I tried to enter the return separately on July 13, I finally got the error message that explained what had gone wrong before: the whole trip has to be completed within the 90-day window before reservations can be taken. At no time in my earlier attempts to book the round-trip did I get that message. So I'll have to wait until next week to book the entire journey.

Thanks to everyone who responded with good suggestions on what to do. Now I know and hopefully this will save someone the frustration of spending WAY too much time on the SNCF website!

ira

Hi tek,

You won't save any money booking a round trip.

By your outbound tickets now and your return ticket on the 13th.

tekwriter

Ira - Excellent suggestion (as usual!) Thanks!

GeoffHamer

In France, Italy and most other countries, a return (round-trip) ticket normally costs exactly twice as much as a single (one-way) ticket.
However, the chances of a train being fully booked three months in advance are about the same as the probability of being eaten by an escaped zoo lion. It really isn't something to worry about. Why worry about a train journey so far in the future?

PalenQ

Schedules at least in some countries go on summer ones in early June i believe

at times there are lasps in loading after a certain date

don't panic - wait - these should not be hard tickets to get - esp at full price even at the station IME

lincasanova

in spain a round trip has a 20% discount.

WillTravel

I can say that cheap tickets can sell out almost instantly, once they go on sale three months in advance. For my last trip, I could see them disappearing before my eyes on the SNCF site.