Getting to Reims?
 

We are planning a day trip to Reims from Paris this Spring. We will be staying in the 6th near St. Sulpice. What is the best way to get to Reims by train? Would we need to buy train tickets in advance? Any information or resources that you can recommend would be greatly appreciated.

www.voyages-sncf.fr

If you buy PREM tickets 3 months or less out from your travel date, you get major discounts. You print them out at home and take them with you.

Read all the threads here about using the SNCF site and how to make it work if you don't read French.

The best way by train is to take a TGV but there aren't hardly any other kind of trains now, anyway, so you probably won't have much choice (TER trains may transfer at Epernay and take longer). It takes less than an hour.

You don't have to buy a ticket in advance, it is just cheaper if you buy online far in advance (but a lot of people mess it up or can't do it), but then the ticket is nonrefundable. it's not that expensive, anyway (about 15 euro nonrefundable in advance vs. 34 euro normal, one-way, 2nd class). You do have to buy a ticket before getting on the train, of course, and the ticket will have a seat reservation included, you must have an assigned seat. But you can buy it the day you go if you want.

We went on the local train from Gare de l'Est and did not buby tickets in advance. Did not require any transfers.

45 minute train ride.

Thanks everyone for the info - but can anyone tell me how to get to the train from the 6th (near St. Sulpice)?

www.ratp.fr is the good site.

http://www.ratp.fr/plan-interactif/ is a good interactive map

If you click on the purlple Line 4, direct form St Sulpice to GdE

If you are spending time in Paris, recommend a good street and metro map. I like Michelin Blue, there are some other good ones.