Hi, 1st time traveller to Europe, travelling in mid-May for 3 weeks in France. I am investigating in buying the France Flexi Saverpass (any 4 days of travel within France in 1 month). I've done various reading, but still have a few questions that require your expertise, so please help. Thanks!

1)TGV trains included??
Some past threads said we'll need to pay extra to get on TGV trains. But quoting from RailEurope, under France Saverpass-Special Bonuses, "Access to high speed TGV trains Reservations are compulsory." So do we need to pay extra or not? If yes, then where can I find out how much?

2) RER Line B & C - free??
From the same site, RailEurope quotes, "Free travel on the RER Line B between Paris Charles de Gaulle airport and Paris-Nord station requires the use of one day of the pass. The France Railpass is valid on the whole RER Line C".

I'm confused. First it said it's "free", then it said "requires use of 1 day of the pass". So is it free from CDG~Paris Nord Station or not??

So the "whole RER Line C" will be free anytime without using up my date, correct? Other than Versailles, are there any other places worth a visit using RER Line C?

3)Limited seat availability for rail pass holders
Do anyone know approximately what's the % of seats designated to rail pass holders? Anyone had a very difficult time reserving because this?

The price difference between 1st & 2nd class is $35USD. Will I get a better chance of reserving a seat in 1st class? Or that won't make any difference.

4) Reservation on trains
From what I understand, all rail passholders must go to the window to reserve a seat (3euro/reservation). I have a friend who lives in Paris, can I just give her my rail pass number (is that such a thing?) and ask her to make a reservation for me in advance, or it has to be done in person by the passholder?? So that I won't have to wait hours in line.

5) Validate pass at home or abroad?
There seem to be some controversy in whether one can validate their pass at home by their travel agent (ie.BETS) We booked our non-refundable air tickets already and doesn't look like there'll be any forseeable changes. Will it be more convenient for us to ask our agent to validate here at home?

I also heard someone saying about not getting the "official" stamps if validate here? Is it safer to do it in Paris?

6) 7pm rule
Is this rule only applicable for overnight trains? If I travel after 7pm, but get to my destination or connecting station before 12am, will I still be charge 1 full day?

7) Any other things cautionary thing I should keep in mind when using this pass?


So sorry for asking so many questions. But I really appreciate all your advices!!! Thanks again!!!

topping for lee

Hi LLL,

Before buying any railpass, enter your itinerary at www.railsaver.com and click "only if it saves money".

1. You have to pay a supplement for high speed trains because they are "reservation only". This will be around 10E.

2. You can ride the RER if you use a day of your pass. You can ride other trains that day, too. If you are using it only for the RER, that's a $20 ride.

3. Will I get a better chance of reserving a seat in 1st class?

Usually. You will have to pay for the seat reservation. About 3E on regular trains.

4. The passholder has to bring the pass to the train station to make reservations.

You can have Raileurope do it for you for about $12.

5. You don't want to validate your pass until the day you use it.

IIRC, once it's validated it's no longer refundable.

6. Yes. You traveled on that day.

7. Any other things cautionary thing I should keep in mind when using this pass?

Don't buy it until you've gone to www.railsaver.com.

I can't address all your questions, but I have had a France Railpass so can respond to a few things, maybe. TGV trains were included on them as any other train. The only thing I had to pay extra was a reservation fee. I have never read anywhere that you have to pay extra to be on TGV trains, but things can always change I suppose, and maybe you would for some routes that were really popular. I would not take anything you read on a forum like this for fact rather than just asking Raileurope. They should be able to tell you.

I don't know if someone else can do that for you, make a reservation. I don't know what good giving them a railpass number will do (and I'll be honest, I don't remember if there is one, but maybe), it's just a number someone could make up, without any evidence you had one. I would imagine French railclerks have no access to specific railpass numbers, so wouldn't know if you really had one or not. Well, sorry, someone else will have to help on that one, I don't know.

If the difference in your entire pass cost is only $35, I sure would buy the first class one for a variety of reasons. I think on some trains you will have a greater availability of seats, but that seems a minimal cost for upgrading a four day pass.

I don't know the percent of seats allocated to passholders.

As for the RER thing -- the thing is that the pass is good on lines that SNCF runs, and SNCF manages some RER lines, as noted. If you are using your pass to ride those lines, you will have to use a date on the pass. That is free in Raileurope's terms, they just mean you can use your pass on those lines if you've already used that day, without an extra RER fee, you don't have to pay money. You would never want to use an expensive rail pass to ride the RER alone, and you'll have to have some tickets or transportation pass for use within Paris anyway, so I don't think you should place any importance on having a railpass for use on the RER in your plans. I suppose it might be of use in some limited circumstances where you arrive in Paris by TGV train having used your pass, and you arrive at the CDG TGV station (don't know why you would), and then can use the pass to get to Gare du Nord where you then can buy only metro tickets for within the city. That's one possible use I can see, but about the only one. Or, if you arrive in Paris at Gare Austerlitz (the only one on RER line C), and somehow need to get to a hotel that amazingly is right near some other stop on line C.

If you think you can use your pass to get from the airport into the city upon arrival, without using a day, you can't.

As far as the 7 pm rule, that mainly applies to overnight trains, but if you take a train ride one day solely within that time frame (ie 8-10 pm), yes, you have to use a day on the railpass, you don't just get that day free. If you've already used that day on the pass, you don't need to use another day.

In short, I don't think there is ever a case that you can ride any train for "free" without using that day on the pass in some way (other than the overnight train thing).

YOu don't have to wait "hours" in line to make a reservation. Whether your friend can do it or not, basically you are asking your friend to spend her time in line instead of you, because your time is more valuable. I wouldn't do it if I were her.

Thanks for your replies!

Christina, the only reason why I asked if my friend can make TGV reservation for me is because she kindly offered. She lives in Paris and passes by the stations daily, so she thought maybe she can make them for me when she sees the line empty.

I value everyone's time and patience when they provide assistance to me in any way or form...especially all your experts on the forum. Thanks again!