JulieVikmanis

We will be in Marseille area in April. I would like to take a train trip from Marseille to Cassis, on to Bandol and then on to Sanary sur Mer. Must I buy tickets for each ride separately or--since they are all stops along a single route--may I just buy one ticket to Sanary (the furthest stop) and get on and off using the same ticket in the other two? Thanks for enlightenment. I love train travel but always feel a little stupid about how it all works.

spaarne

<i> Getting on and off French trains on a single ticket
Posted by: JulieVikmanis on Mar 1, 17 at 8:28pm</i>

If the train does not require a seat reservation get on board any train going in your direction. You probably need to stamp your ticket in the "Compostage de billets" machine before getting on the first leg. See http://www.enjoy-europe.com/trains-in-europe.htm.

Sarastro

<i>Must I buy tickets for each ride separately</i>

Yes, unless you purchase some time of pass.

fuzzbucket

You must always "composter" your ticket in the machine, before accessing the platform.
If you do not, you risk a hefty fine.

JulieVikmanis

Thank you for the info but I am still wondering a bit. If my trip is all in one day (which it will be) and each of the stops I want to make are along the same route to the ultimate destination, if I composter my ticket at the beginning of the day do they care if I spend some time in towns along the way before completing my journey since I ultimately ride the train only for the same total amount of time? Or do they sell the ticket on a timed basis requiring that I get on at x and depart at y? I think I've bought tickets that would let me take any train on the day of the ticket but I've not stopped in between. (Can you tell that I've gotten kind of used to the lovely Swiss pass system that allows almost anything?)

kerouac

According to this link -->

http://questions.sncf.com/questions/...le-meme-billet

you can get off a train and take a later one as long as you are not using a Prem's ticket and complete the trip within 24 hours.

JulieVikmanis

Thanks Kerouac, I like that answer. The price difference is minimal but the convenience is great and since i'm not sure I'll make all the stops I'm looking at, it gives me much more flexibility. Sometimes it's the little things that count on a trip. Appreciate your help--and your knowledge of French.

kerouac

My reply was a bit incomplete. Excluded are Prem's fares and any train that requires reservations (such as the TGV). You can take Intercités and TER trains.

JulieVikmanis

works for my needs completely. thanks.

Christina

You've always been able to do that on that type of ticket. It used to be a valid for a long period of time, as I recall (like 30-60 days), and then it was changed to 7 days to guard against fraud a couple years ago, and the same day in some areas. I think it depended on the region or itinerary. The ticket always tells you, though, it is marked right on it.

That linked posted by Kerouac is five years old, it was before they changed some of the customs (such as reducing the validity of TER tickets to 7 days), though. I think they are not necessarily good for 24 hours, but are good the same date. In other words, I don't think you can start your trip at 6 pm one day, stop overnight somewhere, and complete it the next day.

Intercites tickets are not automatically good for 24 hrs, some are limited to the time purchased for, it depends on the fare. You can buy reduced fare Intercites tickets, for example, and they are not flexible.

If you plan to do this the same date and it is not a reduced fare, should be okay.

tomboy

"You must always "composter" your ticket in the machine, before accessing the platform."

Does that French verb mean what it sounds like in English, to turn the ticket into compost, i.e., shredding it to prevent future usefullness? Or is it stamped and returned to the traveler?

kerouac

composter = punch

There are machines to punch your ticket which print a code onto it.

StCirq

It means to stamp or punch. You stick your ticket into the (usually yellow) composteur and it imprints a code on it that shows what date and time you are about to get on the train.

spaarne

<i>tomboy on Mar 6, 17 at 4:14pm
"You must always "composter" your ticket in the machine, before accessing the platform."</i>

See the composter machine at http://www.enjoy-europe.com/trains-in-europe.htm. You find these machines on the platforms so you can't stamp the ticket "before accessing the platform."

PalenQ

You find these machines on the platforms so you can't stamp the ticket "before accessing the platform.">

are you sure of that? If I recall correctly large stations may have them outside the platforms - are they not at entrances to platforms>

and only refundable flexible tickets that can be used on any train need be composted - discounted tickets that are train-specific need not be.

StCirq

Composteurs are ALL over the place, depending on whether you are in a large station, a medium-sized one, or a tiny one. They're yellow. They're obvious.

Pal, I don't think that's true. When we travel from our tiny train station in either Les Eyzies or Le Bugue with discounted tickets (which we are often entitled to because we have SNCF voygeur cards and are seniors), we still have to composter nos billets.

JulieVikmanis

Let's see if I can revive this thread a little and ask the same question about train travel in England. On a single day I would like to hop from one town to another along a single route getting off at 2 or 3 towns and continuing on after a short "look around" visit on the next train through?. Can I do that by purchasing a round trip ticket to the furthest destination? i.e. if what I want to do on French trains is possible, is it also possible on English trains? Thanks.