trumps

Hi All,
Can someone tell me how much it costs to pre book a seat once in France & Italy or is it better to do it from home ( very pricey). Travelling in November.
Thanks

ira

Hi trumps,

You can purchase train tickets up to 60 days in advance online for the same price as in country at

France http://www.voyages-sncf.com
Italy www.trenitalia.com/en

TopMan

To answer your question: if you use an agency such as RailEurope to make a seat reservation alone that will cost you approximately $11.00 per seat/per train not including additional shipping and handling fees. If you made the same seat reservation IN Europe (and the cost DEPENDS on the type of train you are using sometimes) the cost drops to a couple of €'s.

I would wait until I got there to buy tickets and book seats (you do realize that we are talking about two different things, right?) On some trains such as Eurostars in Italy the seat reservation is part of the ticket itself whereas on others the seat reservation is additional to the cost of the ticket to ride.

You should be able to book all your seats from any rail station at the same time.

trumps

Thanks
After going on Railsaver to see which was the best for us as we have 6 train trips during our Holiday they recommended that we got the France Italy pass but there is 1 leg we really need to get . This is the 1 that we have been quoted $100 to reserve 2 seats from Australia . The 6 days travel is $483 each so an extra $50 per person for 1 leg seemed a bit rich.

ira

hi trumps,

>...there is 1 leg we really need to get .<

From where to where?

TopMan

Yeah, I'd be interested in that also...seems like a lot of money for seat reservations. Are those Australian Dollars we are talking about?

trumps

Hi Ira & Topman,
Yes it is Australian $ so $11 US = $15 Australian. The trip is from Avignon to Venice which I have discovered requires changing trains 3 times which if they are charging per train explains the cost. So I guess we have to make up our minds whether to wait & book there or have the piece of mind that we can get all of the connections hang the cost.
Thanks.

ira

Hi trumps,

Try it again.

I went to http://www.voyages-sncf.com/
and looked up Avignon to Venice.

You can leave from either Avignon Ville or Avignon TGV at about 16:20.

128E and up depending on accomodations.

TopMan

Yes, you have to pay for each seat reservation, for EACH rail segnment separately, whether you book it outside or inside of the country.

The question that really needs to be answered is whether or not you really NEED seat reservations on these segments (I assume you are doing this portion during the day).

Frankly, after many years of train travel in Europe I have rarely been on a train that a seat wasn't available. I've been on a couple where people who didn't have a seat reservation were standing in the corrdiors, too, but that has been the exception rather than the rule...and I've traveled at all different times of the year, obver holiday periods, etc.

I wish I could offer more other than to say if anything I think you could probably wait until you get there to do the seat reservations if you really feel you need them or if it seems economical and can be done do it over the internet on the SNCF site.