Betty1

Thanks, Ira and Michael.

The problem with using Périgueux is not so much the length of the train ride, though 3 hrs is much better than 4.5, it is that Périgueux is much further from Biarritz, at least time-wise. I have to allow C & R time to get there, get their car, put E on the train back to Paris, maybe have some lunch and then strike out for Biarritz. That would put us much later arriving at our house which is about 30 minutes east of Biarritz.

I got a non-answer response from SNCF this morning telling me that I could not buy tickets for May 21 until Feb. 21. I knew that! I wrote back and haven't had a response to that email yet.

wizardofaus

It's now showing direct TGVs to Bordeaux st Jean on the 14 May, for instance:

Depart : 11h30 De la gare de: Paris Montparnasse 1 Et 2

Arrivée : 14h32 De la gare de : Bordeaux St Jean

I had similar problems with Paris - Tours in January: the only route it showed was Paris to St Pierre des corps, change for Poitiers then backtrack to St Pierre des Corps. It would't sell me a ticket for the route (because I was going through the same station twice), and it wouldn't give me a simple route Paris - St Pierre des Corps. It sorted after a couple of days.

Michael

wizardofaus may have pointed to a confusion. I used Austerlitz as the train station and every time I had it confirmed that several IDTGV were going from Paris to Bordeaux on May 21 (but not Libourne).

wizardofaus

Just enter "Paris" without any station details. Ig there is a choice of station it will show you trains from both (or all 3). Only thing to be careful of is when it shows routes from Gare du Nord to Bordeaux - these use an RER train, changing to the TGV at Massy.

Betty1

I always use "Paris (toutes gares intramuros)" as my departure since I don't really care which station in Paris they use, just want the best schedule.

It still looks like my best choice is the IDTGV 8:10 - 11:21 Paris - Bordeaux and then, as a separate booking, a TGV 12:01 - 12:24 Bordeaux to Libourne. I just don't understand why it doesn't seem to offer that as a single booking when you put in Paris to Libourne.

It appears that all the fast trains to Bordeaux on that date are IDTGV's, which apparently do not stop at Libourne.

I could book the IDTGV now for May 21 but I'm going to wait until Sunday evening to see if a direct train to Libourne shows up again. If not I'll book the two trains.

Betty1

New wrinkle - if I can't get C & R to Libourne before 12:00, it appears that they can't pick up a car before 2:00 as the car rental agencies will be closed. Aaaaargh!

So now it looks like they'll have to leave Paris on the IDTGV that leaves at 7:15, gets to Bordeaux at 10:23, then a train back to Libourne arriving at 11:02.

I'm going to wait a bit to see if my original TGV Paris-Libourne shows up.

Michael

Have lunch by the train station and then pick up the car at 2.

Betty1

I'll do that if I have to, Michael, but I'd much rather get the car before we have a quick lunch. If the agency doesn't reopen until 2:00 it will be 2:30-3:00 before we can get away at best. That would put us 5:30 - 6:00 getting to the house. Any hold-up at the car rental counter or any trouble getting back on the road to Biarritz, we'll be even later.

Betty1

This just keeps getting stranger.

My two going to Libourne have about decided, I think, to just take the train all the way to Biarritz and wait for us there.(It appears to be the same iDTGV leaving Paris at 7:15 and arriving in Biarritz at 12:30.) I was ready to buy as soon as they green light it. However...

I decided to check on some other schedules. I went ahead and bought a ticket last Sunday evening for E.(the one leaving our group on May 21) Libourne to Paris 12:27 - 15:50 - fine. Bought the ticket, got the email confirmation but haven't printed it yet. When I checked the "horaires" a couple of hours ago, that train no longer appears. I could understand it not showing up if it were sold out (unlikely) and I was hitting "réservez," but shouldn't it still be there when I hit "Horaires"?

Also, I was considering getting us all back to Paris on May 28 by train, had recently seen a TGV Biarritz - Paris 10:55 - 16:00. That train has also disappeared from the schedule. (I'd about decided to fly back to Paris anyway.)

I've emailed the SNCF (no real answers), emailed the man in seat 61 and called Byron at BETS (both thought they may be working on this route) but why then are the iDTGV's running? Or are they? I think it's time I call the SNCF.

I tried (+33) 892 35 35 39 but that seems to be just for Eurostar. I finally got a human who after I asked "Vous parlez anglais?" either hung up or we got cut off! Does anyone have another number? I'd prefer to explain all this in English but can deal with French if need be.

Christina

I don't know what you are doing, maybe putting the wrong date in or it is random, but I can see that trip on 5/21 from Libourne to Paris just fine, I just looked (in "horaires"). I didn't see anything on 5/28 from Biarritz to Paris at that time, though.

They have special phone numbers within France to call SNCF, so I don't know how that would work elsewhere, I think it costs per minute or something (3635). I think the full number is 09-80-98-36-35, you can try that but I don't know if that prefix works outside France, and you'd have to call during French working hours. I think from outside France, the number is similar to the one you have, but diff last digits, try this
08 92 35 35 35

Betty1

Christina, you see a TGV Libourne to Paris leaving at 12:27 and arriving at Gare Montparnasse at 15:50? I do not and no, I'm not putting in the wrong date. Could it be a problem with my computer, cookies or something? I see other slower trains from Libourne to Paris on that date, but not that one which is what my ticket confirmation has.

I realize it's too late now to call but hoping to do so tomorrow morning. I have that last number you gave which is for French. I'll use that if necessary. (I still get nervous speaking French on the phone!)

Betty1

I just called using the French number and was given the option for English (press 2).

A nice young lady explained that they are indeed working on that line and the train I bought a ticket for will be running on that date but may be delayed "5 minutes." She also said that the updated schedules will be posted on the website Mar. 1.

I may go ahead and buy the iDTGV Paris - Biarritz since it doesn't seem it has been affected and because the price has already gone up a bit. But I'll wait to decide about Biarritz - Paris (train or plane) until they post the new schedules.

Thanks to all who've tried to help.

Christina

well, I did indeed see that exact train when I was looking that day, 12:27-15:50. Maybe things will be better for you after March 1st, that sounds hopeful. Today I don't see it.

Betty1

Just in case anyone is still interested...

It is now March 5 and none of the trains I was interested in has reappeared on the SNCF schedules for my dates. Last night I gave up and bought tickets on Air France, round-trip Paris-Biarritz for my two coming in from Paris and one-way Biarritz-Paris for the rest of us. Unfortunately, not all on the same flight as the 11:10 flight could only take 4 at a reasonable price. The rest of us are leaving at 3:00 pm.

Still don't know about the ticket I have for E. Libourne-Paris. If that train doesn't reappear in the next few days, I suppose I'll try calling again. I do wish the SNCF would get their act together for this route in May or at least put something on the website to explain what is going on.

StCirq

I've lost track of what dates you need to get from where to where, but checking May 21 I see a whole bunch of trains from Paris to Libourne - not all of them TGVs, but some of them.

Betty1

Thanks for your interest, StCirq.

The problem with Paris-Libourne on May 21 is that I needed to get them there before noon so that they could pick up a car and follow the rest of us to the Biarritz area. The train I had seen in Nov-Dec (7:45 - 10:51) would have worked but now I see nothing that would get them there in time. But that's moot now since I've bought the plane tix.

Just to make sure there is nothing weird going on with my computer, would you mind checking Libourne-Paris on May 21 for me? I have a ticket for the person leaving our group that day to return to Paris and then home the next day. The ticket is for a TGV 12:27 - 15:50 but I see no such train on that date. I see one leaving Libourne at 14h36 but it doesn't arrive in Paris until 18h55.

Thanks!

StCirq

Here are the trains listed for May 21:

7:27 am - Libourne, arrives Paris Montparnasse 11:40
7:55 am - Libourne, arrives Paris Austerlitz 13:40
9:41 am - Libourne, arrives Paris Montparnasse 14:40
11:12 am - Libourne, arrives Pris Austerlitz 17:06
12:52 pm - Libourne, arrives Paris Austerlitz 18:51

There are earlier and later trains as well.

Betty1

OK. Thanks for checking, StCirq. Those are the ones I see as well. But none at 12:27, arriving at Gare Montparnasse at 15:50, as her ticket says. I'll wait a bit longer and then call again if necessary. I assume that if the train she has a ticket for isn't running, they will transfer her reservation to another train.

StCirq

No, I didn't see one for 12:27, either. She should have no problem getting ticketed on another train if they've changed the timetables.

StuDudley

>>The ticket is for a TGV 12:27 - 15:50<,

Strange !!! The Germain/bahn site displays that train - but the SNCF site (I used both Mozilla & IE) does not.

If you look at the Bordeaux to Paris schedules on the bahn web site, that train departs Bordeaux at 12:01. But there is no 12:01 train on the sncf site. There is, however, a 11:25 departure from Bordeaux that gets in to Paris at 14:40 - but this train does not stop in Libourne.

I would assume (unless you hear otherwise) that the 12:27 train was cancelled after you purchased the tickets. Better call someone (I know - you have). If you can't talk to a live person, make other plans, then wait till you get to France & go to a sncf boutique or a train statin to resolve it & hopefully get a refund.

Isn't travel planning fun !!!

Stu Dudley