SNCF Boutiques
 

I always hear about SNCF Boutiques, but have never seen one, and after searching all the messages on Fodors pertaining to SNCF boutiques, the only one I found mentioned was the one at CDG. I found two listed on the SNCF website in the 6th arrondissement, but when I checked out the addresses on Les Pages Jaunes, they didn't say they were SNCF boutiques. Has anyone used an SNCF boutique at 79, rue de Rennes?

Best,
Sandy

ttt

Not that one, but we've used the boutiques in Brussels and in Angers, France. We like them, they're nicer than the ticket offices at the train stations. The staff were helpful and pleasant at the two boutiques we used. You may have a bit of a wait, depending on when you go. We had no wait at the one in Brussels, but had to wait about 15 minutes or so at the one in Angers.

Sandypaws3,

Yes, I've used that location several times!

It can be quite busy - there's another location nearby at 17 rue Littré, but it's smaller, so in my experience the wait there is not much shorter. You take a number and wait till it's called.

Full details (including opening hours) on all the Boutiques in Paris are available here (in French):
http://www.voyages-sncf.com/info_res...?NumAdress=198

Hope this helps,
Andre

Thanks so much for the help with my question about the SNCF Boutique at 79, rue des Rennes. Andre, glad to know you've used that one, as I wasn't sure it was actually an SNCF Boutique. Thanks for the website!

Best,
Sandy

Hi, Ira... don't mean to seem dense, but I'm not sure what you meant by ttt. I know it means "to the top", but not sure what you were saying. I should have added it to an older topic, looked at an older topic? I did go through all the information and didn't find the answer to my question.

I'm not ira, but I don't think that he had anything in mind beyond bring your post to the top so that someone could look at it and possibly respond.

Thanks, 111op...again, don't mean to seem dense, but how does one bring their post to the top? I'm afraid I'm technically challenged when it comes to using Fodors :-(

Ira,
I hope my response didn't seem rude... it wasn't meant to, but I accidentally hit the wrong button on my computer, and it sent before I had even read over it. Just stream of consciousness writing. What I was trying to say was...I wasn't sure what you meant that I should do by ttt :-) I think 111op has answered that question for me.

Sandy

Oh sandy, each time someone responds to a post (as I'm doing now), the post goes to the top of the list. So if someone has nothing to add but just wants to bring a thread to the top, (s)he can just type something random (like ttt, for to the top).

If no one responds to this post after me, then it will fall further and further back (basically the threads are listed by the order in which they're last updated).

Hope this helps.

111op,
Thanks! Yes, it helps a lot :-)

Best,
Sandy

There are SNCF boutiques all over Paris; once you have spotted one of them, you will start noticing them more easily. One of the most convenient ones is at the Châtelet-Les Halles RER station. I have noticed, however, that the SNCF boutiques are so popular that the lines are often longer than in the train stations.

Kerouac,
Thanks... I will have to start paying closer attention :-) I like the idea of sitting down with an agent as opposed to standing in line at a window. I usually buy tickets through raileurope.com, which is very easy, but quite a bit more expensive, I think.

Sandy

You're very welcome, Sandy!

The Boutique on the rue de Rennes is actually quite pleasant and you indeed sit down with an agent, much like in a travel agency.

That said, your best bet by far for both price and convenience is to snag a Prem's fare on
www.sncf.com
and print out the ticket at home on your own printer. Try to book your trip as close as possible to 60 days before travel, when the trains first become available on the reservations system.

If no Prem's fares are available, select ticket pickup in FRANCE and prepay. You can then get your tickets issued at any train station or Boutique SNCF by providing the confirmation number as well as the credit card you used to pay for them.

Hope this helps,
Andre

Andre,
Thanks for explaining the process of purchasing a PREM's ticket :-) Not sure I trust my current printer to print up tickets, but maybe I'll get a new one before then. Otherwise, I'll pre-pay and pick the tickets up in Paris.

Best,
Sandy

Sandy,

You can do a "test run" here:
http://www.voyages-sncf.com/dynamic/...mp;_AGENCY=VSC
Click on the "try now" link.

Also, you have until departure to print out the tickets, so I wouldn't let any technology worries discourage you from purchasing the lower Prem's fares - unless you need a flexible fare of course.

Hope this helps,
Andre

Andre,
Thanks for the link! I'll definitely give it a try :-) I did a trial run, but it turned out the tickets I'm looking at aren't available for purchase on the internet -- Paris to Versailles. We may be going for a day trip to Honfleur also, though, so will do a trial run on tickets for that trip -- tickets to Deauville or Le Havre from Paris.

Sandy

I ordered my tickets on line then went to pick them up near our apartment in the 7th. I think the boutique was down the street on St.Dominique. Anyway, there was a big crowd and I even had to wait for a chair to wait in. Then when it was my turn there was lots of "oh no, you can't do this", refund, recharge, much swiping of credit card. We were family of 6 with seniors, children & middle age. What started as a very nice schedule with 2 TGV legs, ended up a mess of only 1 & a slow train and new train stations to go to. I was very upset but couldn't argue with "no you can't do it that way." I had already spent $28 on the phone trying to do it from US. I was a real flop at getting tickets no matter how I did it.
If we hadn't been on such a tight schedule, I would have waited until we got to France to get tickets.
Better luck to you.

Sandy, they don't sell some tickets online that are really short runs.

Do you really intend to take the SNCF train to Versailles? You can, but most people don't think it as convenient as the RER (suburban light rail line that has separate stations than the regular train). You don't need to reserve tickets for that or buy ahead of time. They have RER trains from Paris to Versailles all day long, every 15-20 minutes or so.

Some people buy metro/RER passes that cover Versailles (zone 4), but if not, you just buy a cheap ticket at the ticket booth when you want to go. It only costs a few euro (I don't know exactly how much, maybe 4-5 euro).

Sandy,

As Christina says, Versailles is best reached with the RER line "C" train (make sure you take one that terminates at "Versailles R.G."), although there are also normal SNCF commuter trains from Montparnasse station, which AFAIK stop at Versailles Chantiers station, which isn't as close to the Chateau as the Versailles Rive Gauche station the RER uses.

In any event, these are all commuter trains - you cannot purchase tickets for them online ahead of time, as they are not part of the long-distance "grandes lignes" network.

For Normandy, there are currently Prem's fares available to Trouville/Deauville station, although I'm not sure about your public transportation options from there to Honfleur. To be honest, that would not be my choice for a day trip from Paris however, as it's already a 2 hour journey each way just from Paris to Trouville or le Havre.

Hope this helps,
Andre

Christina,
Thanks for the information about the RER. We were looking at both RER and SNCF to see which one was the most convenient. Looks like the RER is the most convenient :-)

Andre,
I know... it is a long ways to Honfleur, but we want to see some of the countryside. I also think we may drive. Our hotel is in the 6th, and there's an Avis car rental at Saint Sulpice. My husband is a little nervous about driving out of Paris, but he's highly motivated, as he really wants to see Honfleur. We're thinking of leaving early, stopping at Giverny, then Rouen, and finally Honfleur. We won't have much time in any of the places, but they should be pleasant stops, and we've been to Giverny before.

Sandy