rail pass or point to point
 

Hi there,
I'm trying to decide between a five-day rail pass for $284 per person versus point-to-point tickets. My husband and I are travelling in August from Paris to Colmar, Colmar to Annecy, Annecy to Avignon, Avignon to Marseille or Nice and then back to Paris. We're not yet seniors.
The sncf site shows most of our journeys are on regional trains where reservations are not accepted. I assume rail passes are good on these routes.
Thanks for any advice.

Yes railpass is good on all trains and only TGV and CORAIL TEOZ trains require reservations - 3 euros a seat and pass don't pass for those.

For your trips i think the pass is a good bet since you are not taking mainlines out of Paris where sizeable discounts are available at voyages-sncf.com and the pass is good for walk up - just board and full fares are rather pricey

but you have all the fares at voyages-sncf.com so easy to compare.

i always recommend two sites for lots on european trains and passes - www.ricksteves.com and www.budgeteuropetravel.com - two sites that have much more than the usual pass prices and 'add to cart' button. Passes are not sold in France and cannot be used by French folks.
5 days = $57 or so a day or about 35 euros a day - 35 euros is very cheap for any French train, even at the online discounts it seems which also lock you into non-refundable non-changeable tickets i think.

You will be using TGVs, at least for journeys from Nice or Marseille to Paris. The SNCF allocates a limited number of seats for pass holders, and if you book at short notice, you may have to pay the full fare, even if you have a pass.

Geoff is right IME about the Nice-Marseille-Paris TGV lines having a limited number on railpass holders

you should make that reservation when you buy your pass and see if it's available as otherwise the pass may not be cost-effective (have the agent check to see if passholder space is available and have them book it - costs more here but may be the only way). Buy the reservation and pass at the same time IMO - you should have no problem getting on the other trains, many of which do not require reservations i think.

Go to BudgetEuropeTravel.com and call their 800 number. They have very knowledgeable and helpful people who can answer your questions and get you the most cost-effective tickets/pass.

Many thanks to everyone for your responses.
I tried the budget site, but as I'm calling from Canada, the number doesn't work.
Do you find that when you search the voyages SCNF site and list France as your pickup, it switches to French only? In fact, Canada isn't even listed, but fortunately, for all those travellers from Bhutan, Vanuatu and Greenland, they're covered. :-)
My French is okay, but I just need to be doubly sure I know what I'm booking if I do take advantage of the sales prices.
Again, my thanks to you all.

Yes, the newly-revised SNCF site switches to French if you leave France as the default country for picking up your tickets. Since you can handle French, take advantage of the discount fares by booking now online.

If the pass is not much more than the online restricted fares - and i do not know what they are - then opt for the pass IMO

In Canada:

Eurail Canada 2007 Web.indd
File Format: PDF/Adobe Acrobat - View as HTML
Canada 2007 - All prices in Canadian Dollars. www.Eurail-ACPRail.com. Showcasing. Europe’s Railways. Around the. World. Featuring. ACP SECRETS add-ons ...
www.eurail-acprail.com/pdf/EurailCanada2007.pdf

US & Canada Inquiries. 1-866-9EURAIL (938-7245) [email protected] ... Taiwan, province of China, Thailand, United Arab Emirates, Canada, USA, Other ...
www.eurail-acprail.com/contact.html -

ACP Rail may not sell the France Pass come to think of it because it's marketed originally by arch-rival RailEurope (largely owned by the French Railways or SNCF) so if interested in pass prices in Canada:

http://www.raileurope.ca/canada/index.htm