Are train reservations needed to go from Paris to Aix-en-Provence
 

We are planning, after a week in Paris, to take the TGV from Paris to Aix en Provence (where we will pick up our rental car at the TGV station).
Are reservations/pre-booking train tickets online required or recommended? If yes, is the best place to do this through voyages-sncf.com?
We are staying on rue de Bac...is there a a tgv station that is relatively close?
Thanks very much for all your help and suggestions!

No one is ever required to buy a train ticket online to go somewhere on the French railway. I always buy train tickets at least a bit in advance as I don't want to do it at the last minute on getting to the station -- at least for major trips where I am moving around the country.

YOu can't choose any train station you want, trains only depart from specific stations (depending on routes, like stations on the east side of town go to the eastern part of France, etc.). So where you want to go determines the station.

that URL is the French train system, so it is the one you would have to use to book online. It may not be necessary at all to do that ahead rather than when you get in Paris, depends on the date and time you want to go as to how crowded it might be.

You have to go to Gare de Lyon for TGV trains to Aix - no other in Paris station

You must have a reserved seat before boarding

Yes voyages-sncf.com is the site to try - i say try because it frustrates the H out of many folk

TimS and Ira however have patiently helped folks with getting this unbelievably fickle site to work and print out your ducats at home

Try yourself then ask those two experts who willingly take time and patience to walk you thru it

For cheapest PREM fares act as early as possible or you could pay 3 times as much. PREM fares are available in limited numbers and can sell out weeks in advance, esp on this extrremly popular route.

You can take bus #63 directly from Rue du Bac to Gare de Lyon. Or you can take Metro line 12 from Rue du Bac to Madeleine, transferring there to Metro line 14 which will take you to Gare de Lyon.

What is the date for your TGV ride to Aix-en-Provence?

We are leaving Paris on May 24th and are hoping to arrive in Aix around noon or 1pm...I know the time is approx 3hrs from Paris to Aix via train.

The cheapest discount fares for 24 May are long gone, but if you book now at www.voyages-sncf.com you can save a few euros.

The standard 2nd class fare for the 09:16 train is 80.20€. The current 2nd class Loisir fare is 78.20€ and the current 1st class Loisir fare is 80.00€.

The standard 2nd class fare for the 09:42 train is 97.70€.

If you're willing to change trains in Lyon and book now, you can pay even less. Depart at 09:54 and arrive at Aix at 13:31. 59€ for a 2nd class Loisir ticket and 66€ for a 1st class Loisir ticket.

If you wait to buy your tickets in Paris, the best standard fare will be 80.20€ (2nd class) on the 09:16 train.

One more thing. It can be tricky to book in English on the SNCF site without being diverted to the Rail Europe site where no discount fares are sold. If you want help, just ask.

I am not particularly experienced with buying train tickets. Having said that, I just purchased my trains tickets for France through RailEurope and though I know they can be more expensive, I was attracted to the convenience.

For the heck of it, I checked the 9:16 train and a second class ticket sells for $137, which seems competitive with the rates quoted from the SNCF site.

You do pay for shipping if the total is less than $400 (???). I ordered tickets online last Friday about 7 PM and they were at my door on Monday. I was impressed.

If you wait to buy your tickets in Paris, the best standard fare will be 80.20€ (2nd class) on the 09:16 train.

80 x 1.6 = $128

You can get a one-day France Railpass for $114 but you would have to make a 3 euro reservation fee but still save about $10 and be able to take any train any time subject to reservations requirement

Booking on national rail sites like SNCF can be a bit of a challenge, but doing so far enough in advance can result in very cheap fares. For example, Paris-Aix for 19€ in 2nd class and 24€ in 1st class.

The standard 2nd class fare for the 09:42 train is 97.70€.

and as this costs about $160

the $114 one day France Railpass could be used on that train and save $40 or so

Thanks for all the great information...I thought booking a few weeks in advance was going to be good enough to save some money, but we'll do what we can.
We are going to attempt to buy our tickets tomorrow, and I've played around with the site enough to know it won't be super easy to book, buy and print. If I run into any problems I know where to ask for help!