This is my first visit to France & Italy, so need some help -<BR><BR>Does anybody know whether the tickets booked for trains through sncf.com website is delivered to USA? <BR>If it is not, then how do we collect it? Can we collect it just before boarding the train and make the payments there itself?<BR>Does anybody know their customer service phone number?<BR>Is it necessary to book it in advance for paris to venice on 24th november and from rome to paris on 30th november or we can easily get it after reaching france and italy?<BR><BR>Thanks much!!!

As far as I know from my experience booking the Thalys from Paris to Brussels on sncf.com, the tickets must be prepaid and you pick them up when you get to Paris. I picked mine up when I arrived in CDG at the station there. It was no problem at all. There is a number you can call and get English speaking operators - this should be it - 011 33 892 35 35 39. Usually the earlier you book, the better chance there is to get some sort of discount fare.

It is not neccessary to book in advance for Paris to Venice on 24th November or from Rome to Paris on 30th November. Few travel in November, and fares are the same now as they will be in November.<BR><BR>Ben Haines, London

As an adjunct to Ben's statement, I was able to order tickets over the telephone from the SNCF, English speaker. I went to Gare Montparnasse to acquire the actual ticket after I arrived in Paris.<BR>When ordering over the telephone or via the web, you must note down and show the reservation code.<BR>Mine was 6 letters long and served as the key by which the ticket agent was able to retrieve my reservation information. <BR>As for discounts, there is one for age, that is available to all passengers. I qualify, and I get 25% off. The ticket agent verified my age by asking for my passport. <BR><BR>I have heard that there is a discount for advanced purchases, but I have simply used my senior discount. Perhaps someone else can confirm or deny my statement about the advanced purchase.

There are indeed advanced purchase discounts on many trains, although it isn't automatic -- the web site tells you when you go through the purchase options if such a discount is applicable: J8 is 8-60 days advance purchase and J30 is 30-60 days advance but only on certain trains and dates--I think very popular routes won't have it. To get those, you would have to prepay when booking. You don't have to prepay if you are going to pick up the tickets in France within about a week of making the online reservation. Time varies, if you reserve online 9+ days before departure, you must pick them up within 7 days of reserving if you haven't prepaid, a shorter time period if it's closer to the date. If you prepay, it doesn't matter when you pick them up. <BR><BR>From others' comments on here, whatever you do, if you prepay online be SURE you indicate your location as FRANCE, not USA because they will not mail them to US but they get lost or something.

Christina,<BR><BR><BR>Actually, the J-8 and J-30 fares only exist on the *popular* routes, not the other way around. I know it's counter intuitive, but it works this way. If you're travelling between two obscure places in France, you won't get these fares, for some reason.

We were in Paris in May, 1999.<BR>We took the train to Venice (overnight). I think we walked into the train station about 3 or 4 days before departure to buy our tickets (and be sure where the station was). No problem - paid VISA, discount for the wife for being under 25, counter help spoke passable English.<BR>Of course, when it was time to go, the railway was on strike, the train was 1 hour late, run by management, 2nd class only, no amenities except the dining car. But we still had fun, and enjoyed our trip...