This is for TER trains only.
I thought I had it down pat but now that our trip is approaching (and old age) I just want to make sure.
This is how I see it:

1) In general there are no early purchase discounts.
2) Tickets bought online at home are for a specific date and time and are not validated using the yellow machines prior to boarding.

The following are for TER tickets purchased in France either using a vending machine or at a train station counter.
3) Tickets are for the source and destination locations printed on the ticket.
4) Tickets can be used on any day after purchase for a certain number of days after purchase (correct? How long?)
5) Tickets can be used on any train (TER for correct source and destinations printed) on the day of travel.

Anything incorrect?
Anything of importance I omitted?

Thanks

tickets bought on day and open must be composted (self-cancelled) by you before boarding trains - return tickets again when coming back. At least always has been.

Palenq,
I don't believe what you wrote contradicts what I wrote. Correct me if I'm wrong.
I believe to only TER tickets that don't have to be composted are those purchased (and probably printed) online.

No it doesn't -sorry but just read it differently but now that you put 'only' in yes. In any case, you probably don't want a specific time so just by at station day of travel - seems only best solution for you.

Cheers - have a great trip and get some great photo shots of those chateaux d'eaux!

No, it doesn't contradict anything, I guess he thought maybe you didn't know you had to compost any paper ticket bought in person. Unless you went to a station and somehow bought a PREM for a specific date/train only, I suppose, which I guess you can do, don't know.

The last TER tickets I bought last summer from a ticket machine in a train station were good for a week, if I recall. these were local TERs in the Loire Valley (eg, Saumur to Tours). Yes, it was good on any TER train on that exact same route during the next week at any time, for the same starting and ending stations.

I think I just read somewhere that TER tickets not purchased online are good for 60 days. However, in any case I believe it's well over a week.
Does anybody know how long TER tickets are good for?

Normally, TER tickets are valid for one week, and the beginning and end dates are printed on them.

I can't remember the exact circumstances, but I used some tickets recently which had the precision "no need to compost." Ticket checkers are relatively rare on these trains, so even if you make a mistake, there is not much chance of any sort of penalty. Obviously, this is not a reason to flout the rules.

So, you can buy all your tickets in one fell swoop for the whole time you'll be there. Now can you get off and on and will with those tickets or do you need separate tickets for each segment?

How do you calculate a week?
We're going to Bruge on the 12th in the morning and return on the 13th in the evening.
We have 1 day in Paris and then leave for Tours on the 15th in the morning and return to Paris on the 17th in the evening.
I will want to buy tickets that I can use on the 17th.
The day in between in Paris is Saturday July 14 which is also Bastille Day. What's it like buying tickets in a train station on Bastille Day? Even possible?
Is it too early to purchase the tickets on Wednesday July 11?

And Bastille Day brings up a few questions that I'll put on a different thread.

Most TER tickets are sold out of machines (in 5 languages).

But is July 10th or 11th too early to purchase tickets for July 17?

Why would you want to? Plans can change unexpectedly. There are so few things left these days that allow us to improvise, I really don't understand people who need every minute of every day plotted out.

<<I think I just read somewhere that TER tickets not purchased online are good for 60 days. However, in any case I believe it's well over a week.Does anybody know how long TER tickets are good for?>>

okay, even though I specifically answered your question from personal experience and knowledge, I guess you are completely disregarding my information as false. You can believe whatever you want but they are NOT good for more than a week. They used to be good for two months a long time ago. I know they were a decade ago, but they are not good that long now. Not sure when they changed that, but that is old information. You can even buy IC tickets that are good for a week, in fact, even online or if you buy them in person close to departure, they can be good for a week. Online, those are called Intercites Tarif Superflex (the price appears in the column modifiable and should state those terms).

A week is calculated as seven days. So if you buy a ticket on Sunday, it will be good through the next Saturday. It will NOT be good the next Sunday as that would be the 8th day. So July 11th would not be too early to use a ticket for the 17th. July 10th would be too early as then the 17th would be over a week, it would be 8 days.

Tickets have terms right on them, including dates of usage. So if you bought one July 10th it would say "utilisable du 10/07/18 du 16/07/18"

Christina.
Thank you very much for the very clear explanation with date examples.

Unfortunately, too many articles, descriptions, instructions, etc don't have dates on them so it 's very difficult to tell which are valid or superseded by other instructions.

I think I much prefer buying the required TER tickets on Wednesday, July 11 rather than on what may be a rather chaotic Saturday, July 14th that is our only day between two overnight side trips.

Again, thank you very much.



.

July 14th will be a very calm day. It is July 13th that could be chaotic, which is when everybody will want to leave.

And if a crowded day just go first class and that should be fine.