Hi all,
I am traveling to Paris in a week and will be traveling to Bayeux to see Normandy beaches for a day-trip and also Paris>Brugge and back to Paris. I planned on taking the train, but I have never been to France and am not familiar with how easy it is to buy tickets at the stations. Also, I don't want to be forced into paying a very high price at the station. I have looked at passes and, for the amount of traveling I am doing, it seems excessive. I have also heard some negative things about websites like raileurope.com etc. and don't really want to go that route. Any comments about buying tickets at the stations and how easy/hard/cheap/pricey that is will be greatly appreciated!

>I planned on taking the train, but I have never been to France and am not familiar with how easy it is to buy tickets at the stations.

It´s not the question of ease. The French ticket pricing is similar to the airlines: the earlier you book, the cheaper it gets. If you buy at the station on the day of travel, only the most expensive full fare tickets will be left.

For good fares you have to buy 1-2 months in advance (online at www.voyages-sncf.com or at the station - doesn´t matter). If you book online, choose your country as France. if there are cheap advance tickets (PREMs) left, you can buy and print them yoursleves; otherwise you can pick up the ticket in a station on the day of travel.

Don´t choose your country as USA or Canada if you buy online, or you will be redirectd to raileurope.com.

If you book immediately on the SNCF link above, you will still save some money over trying to buy them upon arrival next week.

Different languages are available on the site by clicking on the little flags in the lower left (instead of the upper right like most sites).

You may have missed the opportunity to get a PREM (the cheapest fares, but nonrefundable and nonexchangable tickets), but you'll still get a better fare booking online now.

I believe if you click on the English flag, the site will default to the RailEurope site, which partners with the SNCF and marks up tickets for sale in the USA. You don't want that.

Buy on the French site now. Use www.seat61.com to figure out how to do it in French. If you do it in French, you have more options (times) and more prices (cheaper). You can print the tickets off in the US. You will have reserved seats and no worries except to get to the train station on time. The ticket tells you what car to get on and which seat to sit in. You don't need to validate if you are using TGV.

Are you going with a tour group to Bayeaux and Normandy or driving alone for the day? We rented a car and did the driving option and got to see alot although staying a day or two would have been better.

Good luck, you will have fun. All places are wonderful.