Hi Dona,

Since your French is not good.

Go to www.voyages-sncf.com
Go to the lower left hand corner and click the British flag
Click "Back" on your browser
Click "toutes nos offres PREMS"
The PREMS Fares page will be in English
Click "L - O"
Click "Munich"
Click "Paris"
Choose your date and time of departure
Look for PREMS fares.

If you find one, you can print your ticket at home.

PREMS are not always available.

((I))

Yesterday I reported that I would post a note here when I got an answer from SNCF about printing PREM'S for Paris-Munich.

Here is what I wrote to SNCF: "Your site shows PREM'S for Paris-Basel and Paris-Munich and indicates that printing them myself is one of my options. However, when I get farther in the booking process, the only choice given is to have them sent by post. I did NOT choose cancellation insurance. In the past I have printed PREM'S for other routes. Why can't I do it for either Paris-Basel or Paris-Munich?"

Here is SNCF's answer: "We acknowledge receipt of your message concerning the Printed Ticket® and thank you for your interest in our services. At the moment, the Printed Ticket is only proposed with Prem’s, Last Minute Offers, Smilys, Print & Gos and ®iDTGV fares. However, if you choose to subscribe to the Elvia Insurance you can print your ticket, you have to receive it at home. We are considering extending this service to other SNCF fares. You will be kept informed by our newsletter. However, you can ask for free delivery at home of your tickets if your departure takes place in at least 4 opened days for France and 7 for a delivery abroad. You can also choose to put a single option on your tickets, which enables you to make your booking on the internet and collect your ticket in an SNCF outlet (railway station, ATM or SNCF outlet) till the deadline indicated on the website."

While I appreciate the quick response, you can see that SNCF didn't give me a direct answer to my specific question about Paris-Munich and Paris-Basel. However, since the note indicates that self-printing may be expanded, we'll all have to wait and see what the future holds.

Hi Tim,

I've spent some time on this.

It looks like you can't print out M/P or a P/M PREMS ticket.

Why not have it delivered c/o your hotel in Munich?

((I))

PS,

They will let me print a ticket for P/Marseilles.

((I))

Hi, Ira.

Actually, I won't be traveling between Munich and Paris anytime soon. I spent a lot of time on this because European train travel has become sort of a hobby. For one thing, I like trains. For another, finding out the cheapest way to travel by train from A to B both helps other travelers and helps me dream about returning to Europe. When will that be? As many times as possible between tomorrow and the rest of my life. <g>

Hi Tim,

I think it safe for you to enter in your files that you can't print your own PREMS ticket from www.voyages-sncf.com if you cross a border.

It wouldn't work for Paris to Albi, IT either.

((I))

I seem to recall from MorganB's excellent primer on this subject that

"Only PREM fares for the ENTIRE ORDER are printable."

So if you have a combination fare, which is likely on something like a Paris-Albi route (can't believe the TGV goes through Albi - does it?)or on a cross-border route, you won't be able to print out a ticket for the entire journey.

So if I've understood MorganB correctly, you can always book and print out that portion of the ticket that is TGV/PREM and buy the remaining portion of the journey from a station once in France/Europe.

Hi, Ira.

Sounds logical. I'll make a note of it.