jennymary

My husband and I are visiting Normandy in early November. We're flying into CDG and are then taking a taxi into Paris -- to Gare Lazare. I've looked up the schedules for trains to Bayeux on www.sncf.fr I'm not sure which train we'll actually make.... depends on how long it takes us to clear customs, traffic into Paris, etc. Is it necessary to make a reservation in advance... or can we just purchase our tickets at the station?

Any information would be appreciated.

Thank you.

rex

<<can we just purchase our tickets at the station? >>

Yes, you can. And it's what I would do.

Best wishes,

Rex

jennymary

Hey Rex,

Thanks so much for the quick reply.

rex

You're welcome.

Keith

WOould buying the tickets in advance save them enbough money to justify reserving a spot on a train that leaves late enough for them to be sure to make it?

Keith

jennymary

Please see my original email from 2004!! I am now assisting my manager with a roundtrip train reservation between Paris and Bayeux. I went to the website listed above and found the schedule. Do you think reservations are needed in advance? Just wondering if the advice from many years ago is still the same. Can they purchase at the station on the day of departure?

Thanks!

Christina

Of course, you can always purchase any train ticket at the station day of departure (in any country as far as I know), if they have some left, of course.

I don't see any reason you have to reserve a train ticket to Bayeux far in advance, they have runs all day. Especially in November. I probably would if I knew exactly what I wanted, but since you don't, you can't anyway.

FrenchMystiqueTours

Tickets for long distance trains are cheapest when purchased up to 3 months in advance. A one way ticket to Bayeux from Paris can cost as little as 15€ if purchased well in advance when tickets are discounted. As discounted tickets sell out prices increase. A one way ticket purchased on the day of travel will likely cost 40€ if the discounted tickets are all sold out.

Gretchen

Are they averse to driving in Normandy? Pick up the car at CDG and head for wherever. Aren't they thinking about going to Rouen, etc.

PalenQ

Do you think reservations are needed in advance? Just wondering if the advice from many years ago is still the same. Can they purchase at the station on the day of departure?>

these trains really can't sell out because reservations are not required and anyone with a valid ticket can board - I've only once seen a train of this type not allow folks to board - because of some cancelled trains causing a big backup - in literally hundreds of rides on non-TGV regional trains - sop yes just bop over to Saint-Lazare and buy a ticket with optional seat reservation for an extra few euros - these can also easily be bought online at www.voyages-sncf.com.

The 15 euro tickets are train-specific, can't be changed nor refunded and as they are sold in limited quantities must be booked in stone weeks in advance to guarantee. If you are not paying for the tickets yourself the easier thing to do is buy a full-fare ticket that lets them board any train to Bayeux or Caen from Paris. If not on a tight budget a first-class ticket on these trains will be guaranteeably comfy and rarely very full - 2nd class can be SRO at times.

For lots of great info on French trains check www.ricksteves.com; www.budgeteuropetravel.com and www.seat61.com - the latter great on discounted tickets which it pushes as the panacea for everyone but IMO cheapest is not always best for the reasons I have given. Now if they will be in Paris already and can set a time in concrete then discounted tickets (which come also in first class usually) may be fine - let them decide because if they miss that specific train they are out and have to buy a full-fare ducat to boot - give them all the options so you are protected if something goes wrong!

Jean

I second Gretchen comments... I would pick up a car at the airport and drive. I think coming off a long flight and dealing with taxi, train, tickets, luggage, etc., is more stressful.

nytraveler

In normandy they will either need a car to get around or sign up for s number of tours to see the various sights. If it were me - and they don't get awful jet lag I would just drive.

If that's an issue they will have to sort that out in Rouen - not sure what car rentals there are in Bayeux.

kja

If there is ANY chance that you will experience jet lag, then <b>please</b> do NOT pick up your rental at the airport! One consequence of jet lag is a substantial increase in microsleep episodes, which are so short that you aren't even aware of them, but they are strongly associated with car accidents. You can't will yourself to not have them, or use caffeine to eliminate them. It doesn't matter how long the drive is -- microsleeps can be less than a second and are almost always less than a minute. And it can take just seconds to set an accident in motion -- one in which not only you, but anyone else on the road, could be injured. Research indicates that driving with jet lag is as bad as driving drunk, and I'm sure most people agree that it's a good thing that we've learned how dangerous it is to drive drunk. Please consider your options for using public transportation for at least a day or two!

fuzzbucket

Is it absolutely essential that you go to Normandy on your first day in France? If possible, you might consider spending the night in Paris and just see how you feel the next day. Depending on how long you will have been in transit - vs just the actual flight time - you might not be in any shape to appreciate going to Bayeux when you have just landed in Paris.

It's a pleasant drive if you're well-rested, though, and you should reserve your car well in advance and pick it up in Paris.

StCirq

Driving after an all-night flight is never a good idea and a potentially diastrous one. I would either stick with your plans to take the train, or stay in Paris that night as suggested.

jennymary

Hi all,

I'm booking this trip for my manager. He and his family are arriving in Paris on Christmas Eve and will be there for 5 nights. They are just taking a quick side trip to Bayeux. They are planning to take a train on 12/29, spend 2 nights in Bayeux, and return to Paris on New Year's Eve. Their main purpose for visiting Bayeux is to go on a D-Day tour and I've already reserved it for them on the 30th. They aren't on a tight budget so I think I will purchase 3 full-fare roundtrip tickets between Paris and Bayeux and give them the schedule. The can decide which train to take. Can someone please confirm that I should purchase TGV tickets departing from Gare Lazare? Just want to be sure I'm clear. As always, you have been very helpful. Thank you!!!

fuzzbucket

Yes, all of the trains from Paris to Bayeux will leave from Gare Saint Lazare. The trip to Bayeux takes just over 2 hours, unless you have booked a trip with a "correspondance", which might mean they have to change trains in a very short period of time, which can be confusing - I recommend a direct trip.

Which website are you using to book their tickets? All this should be very clear when you book, because the appropriate station will appear automatically before you confirm the booking...

PalenQ

The can decide which train to take. Can someone please confirm that I should purchase TGV tickets departing from Gare Lazare? Just want to be sure I'm clear.>

almost but there are no TGV trains TMK on the Saint-Lazare to Bayeux line as it is not built to high-speed operation - just book any train between those two cities no matter how it is labelled. You can make optional seat reservations for a specific train that only cost 3 euros or so and if they want to take another train they can buy reservations once there - no reservations are needed of course - again if not on a tight budget book them in first class for sure - always always empty seats there IME of taking zillions of these trains but 2nd class can always be SRO for a portion - maybe on New Year's Eve - you never know about weird dates like that as maybe lots of folks go to Paris or there are many less trains, etc.

fuzzbucket

For travel around Christmas-time, I would definitely reserve seats. If they want to travel 1st class, that's fine, but there's really no benefit with such a short trip, in my opinion. Not much difference in the seating, for example.

I think a lot of people just assume that all the trains in France are TGV. Most of them are not - most are just regional trains that travel at a normal speed - unlike the TGV, which averages 300 kilometres/hr.

Since the distance by train from Paris to Bayeux is only about 260 kilometers, there's no need for the expense it would have taken to build the infrastructure that would enable anyone to get there in less than one hour.

The TGV is very useful when going to a distant location, such as Marseille, though - the time from Paris is cut in half.

PalenQ

If they want to travel 1st class, that's fine, but there's really no benefit with such a short trip, in my opinion. Not much difference in the seating, for example.>

Being guaranteed of having empty seats is a big benefit IME rather than suffering thru an overcrowded 2nd class car if as at Christmas and later trains are so full - something else I have failed to observe in the several Christmases I have been in France - the few days before Christmas can be hectic for sure but after Christmas it is very slack IME as most folks are on vacation. Trains do run on Christmas Day even as a Sunday schedule, unlike say Britain where no trains run on Christmas Day.