PREM Fares...One more question
 

I'm planning a day trip from Paris to Chartres in October. On the SNCF website, I see an offer at 10.20€ in the orange box , i.e. the cheapest fare. Is this a PREM fare? Does it say PREM when it is?

Thank you for your help.

It says Prem's, loisir, picolo, normal (most expensive), etc. I have bought Picolissimo tickets many times that were cheaper than Prem's.

I have checked every day for which you can today purchase a ticket from Paris to Chartres (tickets are available up to 3 months from any given date, I have check October 1-6).

I have found no fares for October other than the standard 13.60€ <i>normal tarif</i>.

What day are you checking? Orange fares are the least expensive offered. They may be PREMs, they may be something else but whatever they are, the fare type will be clearly indicated.

Sarastro: I'm checking for Friday, Oct.9. I should have mentioned that when clicking on 60+, I see an orange fare at 10.20€. Is this a PREM fare? Would it say it is if it were?

Thank you for your help.

Several Points:

1. It cannot be a PREM as PREMS are not available more than 90 days before departure (or 3 months depending upon where in the SNCF literature one refers). When PREM fares are offered, they are clearly marked as PREMs.

2. To my knowledge, PREM fares are only offered on TGVs, Lunéa, Téoz, or Corail trains. None of the trains to Chartes are so classified.

3. The fare to which you refer (10.20€ Découverte Senior) requires: (a) your being age 60 or more and (b) your purchasing a Carte Senior, valid for 1 year and cosing 56€. Otherwise the fare is 13.60€.

Thank you, Sarastro.

Paris to Chartres is just a commuter train.

No, it's not a PREM fare because it's just a local commuter train and those don't offer PREMs.

> PREMS are not available more than 90 days before departure (or 3 months depending upon where in the SNCF literature one refers ..

By my experinces, it has ALWAYS been 3 months and NOT 90 days. e.g. my last Prem's ticket for 13SEP, I bought it on 13JUN. That's 92 days as I just counted.

<i> it has ALWAYS been 3 months and NOT 90 days. e.g. my last Prem's ticket for 13SEP, I bought it on 13JUN. That's 92 days as I just counted.</i>

You're an excellent counter kappa1, but there are numerous references to the 90 day limit throughout the SNCF publications. Here is but one from the SNCF publication entitled <i>Les Tarifs Voyageurs</i>:

<i>Accès aux Prem’s
Les tarifs Prem’s sont accessibles, hors périodes de forte affluence, par anticipation, à partir de 90 jours et jusqu’à 14 jours (sauf sur certaines relations où ce délai peut être inférieur) avant la date de départ du train. La réservation est obligatoire.</i>

To preclude someone's taking issue with one limit, I referenced both possibilities as the purpose of my post is not to debate when PREMs are or are not available but rather to illustrate that they are not at all available from Paris to Chartres.

Thank you all for your help regarding Chartres.

FYI, I was able to get PREMs for Reims on Oct. 7 today. That makes it 3 months before the departure date.

> but there are numerous references to the 90 day limit throughout the SNCF publications. Here is but one from the SNCF publication entitled Les Tarifs Voyageurs:

Yes, I know that. No argument there from me. That's why I wrote specifically "always - in my experices - " that's more than a few times. Isn't that good to know for other people who read this thread ?