More SNCF confusion
 

I'm sure it's me, but I am having the darndest time trying to figure out the SNCF site.

I considered buying train tickets for a day trip to Reims through the SNCF site, but decided that it would probably be easier to just buy them that morning at the train station. However, I figured it would be a good idea to know the various train departure times in advance, so I went to the SNCF site to do some research.

Date of travel: June 5, 2006. I want a direct train to Reims, and it appears that I must take the one departing at 8:40 am. I was a bit surprised to see that the only option for the next train after 8:40 departs at 1:00-something in the afternoon. 8:40 works, though.

Return train I chose the 4:22 pm direct back to Paris. Then, becuase I wanted an idea of how much the fares would be, I plugged in people traveling - 1 adult, 2 srs, 1 child (2nd class) and hit "Search".

To my surprise, an "error" type message appeared (in bright red) - indicating that the only outbound train to Reims available for my tickets was one after 4:00 pm. Now, I figure that this is highly unlikely, but I did this several times, and came up with the same thing every time.

I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong. Does the SNCF site limit the amount of tickets they sell online - meaning, that even though the site says "no tickets available", I should be able to walk up to the ticket window that morning and get on the train I want?

Also, is the SNCF site schedule a complete one - is there really no train from Paris to Reims after 8:40 am until the one departing at 1:00-something?

Any insight into this is appreciated.

Problem is your date. It's too far out to look for definite schedules and fares right now.

But since the schedule is usually pretty constant, you can search for a date closer - something in April, for example. On weekdays, I see a 11:16 after the 8:40.

I considered that it might be because my date was a bit far out - when I initially tried this exercise a month ago I didn't get any train info at all.

Maybe the closer I get to the travel date (as with your April example), I'll get more departure time options and the ability to "purchase" tickets.

The German site is easier to dink around on for timetables, but you can't get fares for French trains on it...

http://reiseauskunft.bahn.de/bin/query.exe/en?

I don't think you can buy tickets online this far ahead, but those schedules sound accurate. There aren't that many direct trains to/from reims, they don't have the volume. You aren't going to find one every hour, although there are a few others that involve changes at Epernay.

I think there is only one in the Morning around 8:40, as you found, and two returns in the late afternoon.

The problem with the fares may be that you can't purchase them this far in advance -- I think sometimes SNCF doesn't have the proper error message, so you can't tell that. There are also some short trips where you just can't buy them online, they won't sell them that way, ever.

However, I know the fare is around 40 euro for adults roundtrip, as I took it about two years ago. That was probably second class as I always buy second class for short trips like that. You can be sure you won't have any trouble getting that ticket later on in Paris.

Station/Stop Date Time Platform Products Comments
Paris Est 06.05.06 dep 08:16 1821 Schnellzug
Number of bicycles conveyed limited, Please reserve, space for wheelchairs

Reims 06.05.06 arr 09:54
Duration: 1:38; runs not every day, 4. Mar until 27. May 2006 Sa, Su; also 17. Apr, 1., 8., 25. May
Show intermediate stops top of page

Station/Stop Date Time Platform Products Comments
Paris Est 06.05.06 dep 11:16 1623 Schnellzug
Number of bicycles conveyed limited, Please reserve, space for wheelchairs
Reims 06.05.06 arr 12:57

Go to the German rail web site and they have schedules for June 5, 2006 - like i copied above - an easy way to reach the German rail site's English page where you just put in Paris and Reims and the date is to go to: www.budgeteuropetravel.com and on their home page click on the link "All european train schedules" and pops up the English schedule page - the home page also details several valuable tips to novices to fully use the German site's many informative aspects - the German site has schedules for all of Europe and is the easiest one i've seen to use. As you can see their is a direct train at 8:16 and 11:16 and more.

Thanks for all the help. I think we'll have to take the 8:40 train so that we don't get into Reims too late.

It is also encouraging to hear that I should have no problem purchasing tickets that morning for same day travel.

Does arriving at Gare de L'est around 8:00 am to take the 8:40 train give us enough time to purchase our tickets and get on the train without being too rushed?

It should but you can also buy these tickets at any train station in Paris - Montparnasse, St Lazare, etc. in case you pass by one earlier. Buy an 'aller et retour' ticket so you need not buy a return ticket in Reims - same price as two one ways usually but a round trip is more convenient - ACHTUNG! Any train ticket purchased at stations must be 'composted' in self-cancelling machines before boarding the train - you'll also have to cancel the tickets when returning even on round trips (you'll probably get two tickets, one for going, one for returning) so be sure to stick the ticket into the orange (old being replaced) or new yellow composteurs - cancelling machines all over the station and at he entrance to tracks. Not doing so could be construed as being a scufflaw and being fined for not having a valid ticket.

Oh and the German site for June 5 says 8:15 train and no 8:40 train so you better check which is right - i've found the German site to be usually right on - you don't want to show up at 8:00 for an 8:15 train if you have to buy a ticket - probably make it but not necessarily - in a pinch hop on the train, find the conductor before he finds you and buy a ticket on board at perhaps a supplement for doing so.

Personally, I would trust SNCF for French train schedules rather than the German railsite. After all, SNCF makes them. IN any case, they often change them around May 31st anyway, so I would check more when you are there.

I always like to buy my tickets a day or two ahead just so I have them, and I can never predict the length of lines in train stations at any time. They can vary from a few minutes to a half hour. Now that train didn't even have reservations, so the return ticket could be used on any train you wanted, which was nice, you don't have to specify a particular time (well, you can and then if you don't make that train, use it for another).

I remember I got some kind of special discount when buying them in Paris, even though it was just a few days ahead. I don't know why, but I accidentally bought two return tickets rather than one (obviously I used the wrong lingo, I think I asked for two tickets meaning one aller and one retour and got two complete aller-retours), and when I searched the folder and found that out after leaving the counter, I planned to get a refund as I really didn't need two. But I was in a hurry so didn't do it that day, and when I came back in a week or so, they told me there was something special about my fare and I couldn't get a complete refund, but got a partial one (it was over 50 pct as I recall).

PalQ, didn't you enter the wrong date on the German website, reversing the month and date? I believe they use day month as is usual in Europe and the 8:15 train is a Saturday train (which would be right for May 6th, which is what is shown on the stuff you copied above) whereas June 5th is a Monday and would be 05.06.06

oh BTW chepar, I think there is one direct train earlier than 8:40 (but then none until after noon) if you prefer that. I think there is one at 7:16 which arrives in Reims at 8:51.

Yes indeed i stupidly mixed up the date and June 5 is too far out to have schedules - on May 6 there is the 8:15 train but on other days is says 8:41 - i assume the bahn site gets schedules from sncf so they should be the same - only human error would provide a difference! Besides direct trains, changing off the main line to Strasbourg is a snap so connections with one change would not be so bad.

Thanks for reminding me about 'composting' those tickets before getting on the train - although I will admit that when in doubt, I'm a stamping fool and will stamp whatever I've got when I see those machines. :)

I like the idea of purchasing the tickets a day or so in advance, but I'll have to check my city map to see if we'll be near a train station on any of the days prior to our daytrip to Reims.

chepar - you don't have to go to a 'Gare', you can go to an SNCF boutique just as well.

http://www.voyages-sncf.com/info_res...r/Adresses.htm

Travelnut - the idea of going to an SNCF boutique was ideal, since they are all over and it appears that there's one located in the 7th relatively close to our hotel.

However, it appears from the list of boutiques that none of them are open on Sundays. We're arriving late Sunday morning and plan to visit Reims on Monday - so I think it's either make a trip to Gare St Lazare sometime on Sunday (which appears to be the closest to our hotel in the 7th) or just picking the tickets up the day of travel at the station.