JimF

bookmarking

GaryCA

MorganB, I still need to clarify one point. Sorry if I missed it in all of this. If I'm mixing fare types, will I be given the option of picking up the tickets in France or is the only option to have them mailed? Thanks.

GaryCA

After going back and combing all these replies, I got all my questions answered. This is an extremely thorough and helpful thread. Thanks to everyone who contributed! I've been doing some dry runs on the SNCF site and still wonder about one thing. I enter a date within the 90 day period and it indicates there are no fares available in early January for my route. I keep moving up the date to November and it finally gives me fares. I guess they just don't always release the fares within the 90-day period.

Dukey

Gary:

I have found the exact same thing. I keep heraing that PREMs are available 90 days in advance but when I input a date 90 days out PREMs don't always come up.

I suppose one reason might be that for the particular route I am looking for they aren't available..but when I input dates closer in (less than 90 days) they often appear.

GaryCA

Yes, it's for all fares, not just PREMs. I won't worry about. It gives me pretty good fares even a month out.

TimS

Gary - Just a moment ago I did a successful dummy booking for a date in January. (I picked Paris-Avignon and would have been able to book either PREM'S or regular fare tickets.) If you enter a particular route and get a message saying that no trains are available regardless of the type of fare, then the SNCF site is experiencing a temporary meltdown. iDTGV fares can be booked up to 120 days in advance (sometimes more). ALL other fares, regular and PREM'S can be booked up to 90 days in advance.

GaryCA

Thanks,Tim, it is an interesting site to use.

MorganB

They do lots of site work overnight here in France so if you are trying in the evening from the US you may get some odd behaviour. Best to try the site betweeen 6am and midnight french time.

GaryCA

Thanks for the tip, Morgan. You're really providing a great service here.

megamiles

great stuff - thank you!

DNSmiley

Can a child travel on a piccolo or piccolissimo ticket? The website shows them for passengers ages 26-59 but I assume a child (6-9) should be able to use them?

DNSmiley

Sorry, it looks like this was already answered in the affirmative.

sbrindalona

Hi Morgan, Thanks so much for all the great info and clarifications.

I was just in Bordeaux and tried to use the Automatic Ticketing machines to buy a ticket. I wasn't surprised when it rejected my US debit card...but I would still like to know for sure that if I purchase a ticket through the SNCF site if I can retrieve it through one of these machines.

Has anyone tried it?

PalenQ

ttt

Dukey

Topping..hopefully

dutchtrt4u

If I already have a 2nd class reservation on the train and when I get to the station I want to upgrade to a 1st class ticket if available, will there be a fee for that? I have already paid a fee for the 2nd class reservation but wonder if there will be another. I have 1st class rail tickets but only 2nd class seats were available at the time. Thanks

mcnyc

Hello all,

I have a question about taking the TGV from Paris to Lyon, in First Class.

When it comes to selecting your seat arrangement, I see there's window, aisle, upstairs window, upstairs aisle, side by side, face to face, but there's one selection that confuses me.

What's Club Quatre seating? And how does that compare to normal first class seating?

Thanks!

Dukey

Topping

MorganB

Hi mcnyc. Club quatre = 4 seats arranged around a table, two on each side. So its two seats facing two seats with a table in the middle.

mcnyc

Thank you Morgan. We ended up deciding not to go to Lyon this time around, spending it all in Paris.