France train ticket help - TER trains
 

Hi, I am booking trains within France for our September trip. Some of the trains are TER, is it correct that there is no benefit to pre-booking? Do prices always stay the same with TER? Will we always be able to get on a particular train (it won't sell out)?

One TER train I am looking at seems to be a sale ticket and is non-refundable (La Rochelle to Nantes 17 Sept, dep 5.56am, 20 euro each one way). I guess in this case we should book in advance to secure the sale price?

Thank you
Kay

I've never seen a TER ticket with a changeable price because you an't reserve seats. But I guess there are some somewhere, maybe that's a real popular train for some reason (can't imagine why, maybe holidays or something). There are no other pricing options on that train anyway, though, which I think is due to the internet (if you buy a TER in person, it isn't good just for one day and time). But the price might go up even for the nonmodifiable ticket, of course, but I doubt it. That same ticket is the same price if you bought it for next Monday, for example, just a week away.

That is a very odd train as it basically doesn't exist on other dates I checked (on Monday at that time). There are very few/no TERs on that route.

I don't know what to say except if you are sure you want that train anyway, why wouldn't you book it? If it's all about the price, I wouldn't expect that to change much, though, if at all. I've never seen a TER sell out because there are no seat reservations, and I'm not even sure they regulate the number they sell as I've been on TERs where people where standing in the aisles due to no seats.

How much would you save by taking that 6 am train and having to get up and get to station over later train? Yes TER trains can't sell out and as tickets are valid on any TER train I believe yes could be crowded but for a little extra you could go first class and usually have ample empty seats even if SRO in 2nd class. www.seat61.com has lots of adroit advice on booking French trains (so does Christina above as she travels regularly on them. General info on French trains also check BETS-European Rail Experts and www.ricksteves.com.

Thanks for your advice. That train I mentioned is the only one which is direct so a quicker journey. The other trains that day are much more expensive too. I did thinkof the bus but can only find one that leaves at 1.55pm which is not ideal. Not sure what to do, if a sale price then probably book it now.

Kay

I don't know when you have to travel. If you poke around www.oui.sncf, you will find somewhat interesting pricing depending on the travel date. There is IC3852 at 9:37 also not requiring changes. However, the earliest available for purchase at this point is August 19th.

Looking at www.oui.sncf on June 25th.

Sept 17
5:56-8:32 TER859800 20EU
9:57-12:32 IC3852 not yet open for purchase

Aug 19 (The future most IC3852 can be booked online on June 25th)
9:57-12:32 IC3852 15EU 2nd class, 16EU 1st class (This 1st class price is not typo.)

Aug 6
9:57-12:32 IC3852 14EU 2nd class

July 3
9:57-12:32 IC3852 17EU 2nd class

June 27
9:57-12:32 IC3852 10EU 2nd class

Thanks Greg, though I'm more confused than ever. What sort of train is IC? Is it a TGV or TER? I guess if there is no advantage in pre-booking train tickets then we'll wait until we're in France. With TGV I believe the price can go up substantially so if we book early we save money (always a plus). With TER it seems there is no advantage, usually, to pre-booking. The train I found with a sale price (departing 5.56am on 17 Sept) seems to be an unusual case? With an IC train, is there any benefit to booking early?

A 9.57am departure does sound a lot nicer than getting up at the crack of dawn.

Thanks,
Kay

IC or Intercités trains run on France's standard rail network, so not as fast as the TGVs which (mostly) run on seperated high-speed lines.
So ICs are a product in between the super fast and expensive TGVs and the TERs.
IC should be booked in advance when possible.
Voilà:
https://en.oui.sncf/en/intercites

Thanks everyone. So...

TGV - book in advance
TER - buy tickets on the day of travel
TER - book in advance if special sale price??????????
IC - book in advance
Bus - buy tickets on day of travel????????????

I have to say with all my reading I knew to book some trains in advance as we can save money but nowhere did I read that more trains become available if you WAIT. The days long gone of booking a flight then winging the rest are sounding pretty good. I am just feeling grumpy that it's more complicated than I first envisioned:worry:

Kay

In the old days, when you winged it, I doubt you could travel cross-country by rail for €10.
In addition, you had to line up at train stations, trying to communicate your travel plans to railway employees who did not necessarily were able to understand English. Today, you can navigate whatever major railway or bus company's website in 3-5 languages and actually see in advance what connections are available and hit the ground running in the foreign country with the tickets already in your pocket (or rather: on your smartphone).
If you dislike the lack of flexibility of low fare train tickets there should always be an option to buy more expensive flexible fares, though.

Long-distance bus tickets (FlixBus or similar) are also usually much cheaper when booked in advance.
Though buses usually have a much lower peak "same day" fare than trains, especially than highspeed trains.

What are your other French or European train trips?

More trains become available because some aren't open to booking as soon as others.

<<The train I found with a sale price (departing 5.56am on 17 Sept) seems to be an unusual case? >>

There is nothing to indicate that is a sale price, I think you are just presuming that for some reason. As I said, it's the exact same price next week. it is nonmodifiable but that doesn't make it a "sale."

For that short trip to Nantes even walk-up fares are inexpensive so I would not lock myself into some ungodly departure hour but for longer trips on faster trains like TGVs the difference between booking early and walk-up can be huge. But if just that trip I would forget all the worries and just take a more convenient departure hour train unless you really can save a bundle.

I see your point Cowboy. I'm having trouble with our Paris hotel too so the whole trip is just giving me the pip at the moment. The hotel took one night's deposit, they said to test the validity of our credit card, then said they reversed it. The reversal has never come through. Now they have cancelled our booking. It's so annoying.

PalenQ - we are travelling by public transport - London to Paris, Paris to Bordeaux, Bordeaux to La Rochelle, La Rochelle to Nantes, Nantes to Vannes, Vannes to Rennes, Rennes to Dinan and Dinan to Paris. We have a month in France.

Christina - the reason I said it was a sale fare is because that is what is said on the website.

Kay

London -Paris via Eurostar book of course at www.eurostar.com and check on how your Eurostar tickets can be used for 2 for 12 entry at some Paris sites like Musee d'Orsay: https://www.eurostar.com/us-en/deals/2for1

Thanks PalenQ, we have booked our Eurostar tickets. I checked the conditions of the 2for1 and we can't use it unfortunately. We arrive in Paris by Eurostar but are not staying in Paris until the end of the trip. We head straight out again to Bordeaux. The offer needs to be used within 5 days of travel. Thanks for the thought.

Kay

Curious as to what you paid for Eurostar tickets?

We paid GBP56.00 each, one way. Why are you curious?

Kay

Oh I always wonder for some reason to see what really can be booked - guess I could go on site and see - anyways meant nothing! Cheers!

KayF-what did you pay for which train Paris-Bordeaux? Did I understand you to say you could not use the 2 for 1 deal or was that for a different leg of your journey. I am hoping to get a TGV midmorn on 9/1 to Bordeaux and return midmorn-midday to Paris on 9/8.

I can't tell if you are from USA, but years ago someone told my husband not to use USA as our home base or the prices were higher. I am wondering if this is still the case.

<<I can't tell if you are from USA, but years ago someone told my husband not to use USA as our home base or the prices were higher. I am wondering if this is still the case.>>

Nonsense. The prices are the prices, no matter where you come from, as long as you use legitimate websites like SNCF or Trainline. It has never been the case, to my knowledge, that you are overcharged for having the USA as your "home base." If you use Rail Europe or some third-party operator, you're always going to be overcharged, no matter where you come from.

My husband and I just used the 2 for 1 deal to buy tickets from Bordeaux to Paris and back the first week in August - 118€ RT for the two of us, in 1st class, upper deck on the way back because it was only 2 € more per person for that.

I think the 2 for 1 deal has expired.