Purchasing SNCF Tickets
Jun 28th, 2013, 08:34 AM
#1
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Purchasing SNCF Tickets
Hi all,
I'm probably the last person to discover this, but just in case there are others:
SNCF does not accept charge cards other than those issued in France.
If you try to use a foreign card, you get a notice that says it was rejected by your bank.
That is not true. The computer doesn't contact the bank at all.
You can't use foreign credit cards over the phone, either.
You will have to go to www.raileurope.com, where you will be charge 50% more, OR
contact your hotel in France and ask if they will purchase your tickets for you.
I'm probably the last person to discover this, but just in case there are others:
SNCF does not accept charge cards other than those issued in France.
If you try to use a foreign card, you get a notice that says it was rejected by your bank.
That is not true. The computer doesn't contact the bank at all.
You can't use foreign credit cards over the phone, either.
You will have to go to www.raileurope.com, where you will be charge 50% more, OR
contact your hotel in France and ask if they will purchase your tickets for you.
Jun 28th, 2013, 09:10 AM
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That isn't true, Ira, I've used my Cap One Matercard fairly recently. I don't know what your bank is saying, there are always various stories on here about this issue. All I know is I got that message and called up Cap One and they admitted they had indeed blocked it. SO I told them to stop doing that (I had already told them about possible foreign charges a couple weeks before is why I was steamed), they said okay, and when I tried again after 24 hrs, it went through.
Jun 28th, 2013, 12:37 PM
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Inaccurate information such as this leads to confusion and frustration. Many people, including myself, regularly purchase tickets from the SNCF using US credit cards. Raileurope not only charges extravagant prices which can easily be avoided by purchasing tickets elsewhere, Raileurope's websites do not list all of the schedules and never list discount trains such as OUIGO or iDTGV trains. Raileurope should be avoided.
While it is true that some will experience difficulties using www.voyages-sncf.com, the main French Rail website, there are much better ways to purchase tickets than by using Raileurope. Here are two such places:
http://www.kelbillet.com/
http://www.capitainetrain.com/
While it is true that some will experience difficulties using www.voyages-sncf.com, the main French Rail website, there are much better ways to purchase tickets than by using Raileurope. Here are two such places:
http://www.kelbillet.com/
http://www.capitainetrain.com/
Jun 28th, 2013, 12:43 PM
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You will have to go to www.raileurope.com, where you will be charge 50% more>
Misinformation - I did a random check for July 12 and found on RE some trains $103 (requiring a change of trains at Marsellies) for Paris to Nice and $192 on many trains
vs on SNCF site - lowest was 54 euros but that is a TGV-Nuit night train leaving at 21:26 - overnight train sleeping in seats - next lowest wads 122 euros - lots of those
so if RE is 50% or more as ira claims then the lowest RE fare should be 244 euros - yet many fares are $192 - you can see that is way way lower than 50%
Why do folks make these ridiculous claims without checking?
It is no where near 50% more and I found trains at $103 that were cheaper than any day connection on the SNCF site.
Well say something enough and others without investigating it themselves will say it is so.
Misinformation - I did a random check for July 12 and found on RE some trains $103 (requiring a change of trains at Marsellies) for Paris to Nice and $192 on many trains
vs on SNCF site - lowest was 54 euros but that is a TGV-Nuit night train leaving at 21:26 - overnight train sleeping in seats - next lowest wads 122 euros - lots of those
so if RE is 50% or more as ira claims then the lowest RE fare should be 244 euros - yet many fares are $192 - you can see that is way way lower than 50%
Why do folks make these ridiculous claims without checking?
It is no where near 50% more and I found trains at $103 that were cheaper than any day connection on the SNCF site.
Well say something enough and others without investigating it themselves will say it is so.
Jun 28th, 2013, 12:44 PM
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What this has proven to me is to not throw the baby out with the bath water as Ira did but to check both voyages-sncf.com and www.raileurope.com to see which has the lowest fares and for teh times you want - RE can indeed be cheaper at times according to my quick search of Aug 12, 2013 Paris to Nice.
Jun 28th, 2013, 12:59 PM
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Interesting PalenQ. To start with, the 06h49 departure on that date is 66€ on the www.voyages-sncf.com site and $116 on Raileurope. Are you using the <i>new math</i> to tell us that $116 is actually cheaper than is 66€.
Jun 28th, 2013, 02:12 PM
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><<SNCF does not accept charge cards other than those issued in France.>>
says who?<
The agent at SNCF when I called to ask why I could not purchase tickets with 4 different cards.
The reason I placed a call to SNCF was that over a period of three days their computer kept saying that my charges had been rejected, even though the banks kept saying that there had been no queries from SNCF.
<I>Anyway,</i> if I'm wrong, it doesn't matter.
If I'm right, you can use PayPal via the German language site.
says who?<
The agent at SNCF when I called to ask why I could not purchase tickets with 4 different cards.
The reason I placed a call to SNCF was that over a period of three days their computer kept saying that my charges had been rejected, even though the banks kept saying that there had been no queries from SNCF.
<I>Anyway,</i> if I'm wrong, it doesn't matter.
If I'm right, you can use PayPal via the German language site.
Jun 28th, 2013, 02:29 PM
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I have look at this problem carefully ira as you are not the only person who has had difficulty with online purchases. (The error is in stating that foreign cards are never accepted.)
There might be a third entity which is causing problems, SNCF's credit card batch processor. The batch processor is a behind the scenes link between SNCF's online sales and your credit card processor. If the problem is with SNCF's batch processor, who for whatever reason denies the charge, the SNCF could process the charge but your bank would never see it which seems many times to be the case.
You seem to have done all of the purchasing steps correctly but is your Visa card signed up for "Verified by Visa"? This is an extra step in the purchasing sequence that appears to be required by either the SNCF or its batch processor.
The last several groups of tickets I have purchased, all within the last few months, all when through the "Verified by Visa" steps. You might want to ask at your card issuing bank about signing up if you have not yet done so.
There might be a third entity which is causing problems, SNCF's credit card batch processor. The batch processor is a behind the scenes link between SNCF's online sales and your credit card processor. If the problem is with SNCF's batch processor, who for whatever reason denies the charge, the SNCF could process the charge but your bank would never see it which seems many times to be the case.
You seem to have done all of the purchasing steps correctly but is your Visa card signed up for "Verified by Visa"? This is an extra step in the purchasing sequence that appears to be required by either the SNCF or its batch processor.
The last several groups of tickets I have purchased, all within the last few months, all when through the "Verified by Visa" steps. You might want to ask at your card issuing bank about signing up if you have not yet done so.
Jun 28th, 2013, 03:09 PM
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Interesting PalenQ. To start with, the 06h49 departure on that date is 66€ on the www.voyages-sncf.com site and $116 on Raileurope. Are you using the new math to tell us that $116 is actually cheaper than is 66€.>
No I am talking about the ridiculous saying that Re tickets "will be 50% or more expensive" always as understood and if you doube 66 euros you get 132 euros which you can see is way more than $116 but is equal to about $150 - not nearly double for the same train.
And if you saw that same date was not Rail Europe cheaper at $103 Paris to Nice with a change in Marseilles than most SNCF.com trains that day?
Just tired of folks repeating things they heard that are in no way true across the board as the OP indicated - maybe in some rather isolated examples.
No I am talking about the ridiculous saying that Re tickets "will be 50% or more expensive" always as understood and if you doube 66 euros you get 132 euros which you can see is way more than $116 but is equal to about $150 - not nearly double for the same train.
And if you saw that same date was not Rail Europe cheaper at $103 Paris to Nice with a change in Marseilles than most SNCF.com trains that day?
Just tired of folks repeating things they heard that are in no way true across the board as the OP indicated - maybe in some rather isolated examples.
Jun 28th, 2013, 03:45 PM
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I bought tickets last week on the www.voyages-sncf.com website with no problems, using my American bank-issued Master Card. It was totally in French, but I don't have problems with that.
Jun 28th, 2013, 06:59 PM
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Avoid Rail Europe. Avoid advice from Pal, who fancies himself some sort of train expert but who is nowhere near as cogent as Man in Seat 61 and others. Listen to Sarastro and The Man in Seat 61. There are at least a half dozen people who can give you better advice. You can easily buy train tickets on the SNCF site with an American credit card. I did it a couple of days ago with my U.S. Visa debit card.
The Verified by Visa thing is a new concept to me. I haven't had to do it yet, but it seems easy enough if it's necessary. I bought French train tickets last week with my VISA debit card without it or any other hassles.
The Verified by Visa thing is a new concept to me. I haven't had to do it yet, but it seems easy enough if it's necessary. I bought French train tickets last week with my VISA debit card without it or any other hassles.
Jun 29th, 2013, 02:27 AM
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I have been buying French train tickets for several years now using an Australian issued credit card - in fact I bought some just earlier this month.
I have never had my card denied nor have had to try several times for it to be accepted. This year I used a different card from the one I used last year. When the purchase was going through, I received an SMS on my cell phone from the issuer, and had to insert a code,
I have never had my card denied nor have had to try several times for it to be accepted. This year I used a different card from the one I used last year. When the purchase was going through, I received an SMS on my cell phone from the issuer, and had to insert a code,
Jun 29th, 2013, 02:53 AM
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OK, so here's the full picture...
1) www.voyages-sncf.com SHOULD accept all credit cards. I have a UK card and it works fine on voyages-sncf.com. Always has. You cannot conclude it doesn't take non-French cards, just because your card fails. Nor from what you are told by staff. Renfe staff say the same thing, and Trenitalia staff used to do - it's just what telesales people often say, to get you off the phone.
2) Having said that, voyages-sncf has recently tightened up fraud checks on cards, and this is indeed generating a stream of 'my card didn't work on voyages-sncf' emails. And your card is much more likely to fail if it is non-European. But many non-European cards DO still work. Just try!
3) Raileurope.com (the North American RE) has been known to suppress the cheapest price levels for the US market. They also don't give you any seating options, whereas voyages-sncf.com does. So there are definite advantages in using voyages-sncf.com, or a site which sells at the same price as v-sncf.
Note that Raileurope.com (RE Incorporated) is not to be confused with Rail Europe LIMITED which is a separate UK organisation (raileurope.co.uk) charging similar prices to v-sncf.com, or Rail Europe 4A which is a third Rail Europe, serving the Australians, Asian, African S American markets with their raileurope-world.com and raileurope.com.au, .co.nz, etc websites. All three Rail Europe organisations are subsidiaries of SNCF French Railways.
THE SOLUTION: HOW TO BUY FRENCH TRAIN TICKETS AT CORRECT FRENCH PRICES...
4) You can buy French train tickets, or international tickets starting in France, at competing website www.capitainetrain.com. It's in French, but SO easy to use you won't notice (use Google's Chrome browser to automatically translate anything you don't understand).
Capitainetrain.com is a private website which links directly to the SNCF's ticketing system to sell tickets in competition with SNCF's own websites. They were allowed to do this after SNCF lost a court case about anti-competitive behaviour. They are the David to SNCF's Goliath.
5) Also make a note of www.loco2.com. This is a UK site, so it's in plain English, but it accepts any credit card and charges the same price at voyages-sncf.com, give or take a % or two lost in conversion to pounds. As long as you get a self-print ticket, it doesn't matter where you live.
6) Finally, iDTGVs deserve a special mention. iDTGV-branded TGVs are one or two special extra-cheap TGVs on a few key routes, not to be confused with the regular TGVs. iDTGVs are not sold at all on loco2 or any of the three Rail Europes, but DO appear on voyages-sncf.com and capitainetrain.com.
The problem with iDTGVs is that whichever site you use, payment for iDTGV tickets ALWAYS goes through iDTGV's OWN payment system, not the normal payment system of the site you are using. iDTGV's payment system is fussy, and rejects most non-French cards - I haven't had the opportunity to test my UK yet, though!
The solution is to go to www.idtgv.com and email their customer care department with the last 4 digits of you card number, asking for your card to be unblocked. Then you can book at www.idtgv.com.
1) www.voyages-sncf.com SHOULD accept all credit cards. I have a UK card and it works fine on voyages-sncf.com. Always has. You cannot conclude it doesn't take non-French cards, just because your card fails. Nor from what you are told by staff. Renfe staff say the same thing, and Trenitalia staff used to do - it's just what telesales people often say, to get you off the phone.
2) Having said that, voyages-sncf has recently tightened up fraud checks on cards, and this is indeed generating a stream of 'my card didn't work on voyages-sncf' emails. And your card is much more likely to fail if it is non-European. But many non-European cards DO still work. Just try!
3) Raileurope.com (the North American RE) has been known to suppress the cheapest price levels for the US market. They also don't give you any seating options, whereas voyages-sncf.com does. So there are definite advantages in using voyages-sncf.com, or a site which sells at the same price as v-sncf.
Note that Raileurope.com (RE Incorporated) is not to be confused with Rail Europe LIMITED which is a separate UK organisation (raileurope.co.uk) charging similar prices to v-sncf.com, or Rail Europe 4A which is a third Rail Europe, serving the Australians, Asian, African S American markets with their raileurope-world.com and raileurope.com.au, .co.nz, etc websites. All three Rail Europe organisations are subsidiaries of SNCF French Railways.
THE SOLUTION: HOW TO BUY FRENCH TRAIN TICKETS AT CORRECT FRENCH PRICES...
4) You can buy French train tickets, or international tickets starting in France, at competing website www.capitainetrain.com. It's in French, but SO easy to use you won't notice (use Google's Chrome browser to automatically translate anything you don't understand).
Capitainetrain.com is a private website which links directly to the SNCF's ticketing system to sell tickets in competition with SNCF's own websites. They were allowed to do this after SNCF lost a court case about anti-competitive behaviour. They are the David to SNCF's Goliath.
5) Also make a note of www.loco2.com. This is a UK site, so it's in plain English, but it accepts any credit card and charges the same price at voyages-sncf.com, give or take a % or two lost in conversion to pounds. As long as you get a self-print ticket, it doesn't matter where you live.
6) Finally, iDTGVs deserve a special mention. iDTGV-branded TGVs are one or two special extra-cheap TGVs on a few key routes, not to be confused with the regular TGVs. iDTGVs are not sold at all on loco2 or any of the three Rail Europes, but DO appear on voyages-sncf.com and capitainetrain.com.
The problem with iDTGVs is that whichever site you use, payment for iDTGV tickets ALWAYS goes through iDTGV's OWN payment system, not the normal payment system of the site you are using. iDTGV's payment system is fussy, and rejects most non-French cards - I haven't had the opportunity to test my UK yet, though!
The solution is to go to www.idtgv.com and email their customer care department with the last 4 digits of you card number, asking for your card to be unblocked. Then you can book at www.idtgv.com.
Jun 29th, 2013, 04:14 AM
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After reading Seat61's very helpful notes and exploring Capitaine Train. I finally decided to try to buy my tickets for our trip in September on voyages-sncf. For one journey I used an AMEX card with no problems at at all and printed them out. For the second train trip I used an Andrews chip and pin card which I had registered with Verified by Visa. This also worked with no problems although I could not print out the tickets which were PREMS with no connections. ( I thought these might have been printable at home but did not happen..) So now I will have to see if I can extract the tickets from a kiosk when we are in France.
