My mother in law is traveling back to Paris CDG and taking the train home. She got a non direct ticket which I want her to change upon arrival to get a direct train. She is very anxious about where to do this. At the train station, at a particular desk in the terminal? She arrives at 1005 Term 1 and will need to change her ticket to get the 138 train to Nantes.. Advice? Merci (she is French but elderly and traveling alone)

The SNCF station at CDG airport is in Terminal 2, so she will have to take a shuttlebus from Terminal 1. Unfortunately the bus system is a bit confusing, and if she has a lot of luggage she may not be able to manage it. In that case she could try for a taxi, but the drivers usually balk at taking intra-airport fares so she would have to be insistent and maybe get a dispatcher involved. If she does take the bus, tell her to be sure that upon boarding, she verifies with the driver that it is going to the "Gare TGV," and asks him to signal the stop when they arrive. Once inside the train station, she will find a long counter with several agents on duty, and they can change her ticket. (Alas, sometimes there are terribly long lines, though.) Hope this helps -- bon courage!

Hi D,

You can cancel your current reservation and buy the ticket you need online art www.voyages-sncf.com.

If the current ticket in non-cancellable and nonrefundable, you will have to buy a new ticket.

Ira,
I know you can book a ticket online at SNCF Voyages, but from my experience the only way to actually get the ticket is to have them mail it to you, or else pick it up at a train station or one of the SNCF boutiques. I gather the traveler here is returning to France from overseas, so it would be hard for her to get the ticket. N'est-ce pas?

Yes, she is visiting us in Dallas. She took a ticket for 5 in the evening, which was bad advice from her agent. Good lord, 7 hours at CDG!
She is traveling light, but the cab option is an excellent suggestion, also the detailed advice on the navette, which I have taken and hate, actually in general I loathe CDG. Usually she goes to gatwick then nantes by GB Air but that connector no longer exists. This has been my first try at this and I really appreciate everyone's time and thoughtful suggestions. I think she will feel better about handling this now!
A bientot!

I don't think the cab is a good option. Like others have said, all she's going to get is an angry cabbie.

With that much time, just go find the shuttle. Lots of people fly into CDG1 and transfer to the TGV. Shouldn't have any problem.

The bus-stop for the TGV station should be the one after 2F for most shuttles. It'd seem like you're stopping on the roof of something, and you are indeed on the roof of the train station. It's also the stop for the Sheraton above the train station.

Hi ML,

My point is that instead of bothering to change her ticket at the CDG train station, she can cancel the cutrrent one, for which she will get a credit to her cc, and buy the one she wants online.

Then, when she arrives at CDG she can get her new ticket from the vending machine or a ticket agent.

She will have to have the same cc that she used to buy the ticket with her.

I think the internet change is best but she is worried with bad weather here in Dallas that if she does arrive late she may then need to go thru the change process again. I agree that as long as things roll along normally she should be in good time to change her current ticket.

I have never found a cabbie who would drive me between terminals, and Ihave tried on several occasions.

The shuttle from Aérogare 1 to Aérogare 2 leaves fromthe lower-most level of the airport. After landing and going through immigration, your mom should take the elevators down the the lowest level and follow the Navette signs.

I believe the shuttle that goes to Aérogare 2 is yellow. The drivers all speak Englishin my experience. The TGV stop is either the second-to-last or last stop that the shuttle makes once it reaches Aérogare 2. I believe also that from the shsuttle you can see Hall C, Hall D, and so forth on the outside f the building as landmarks.