Dave

There is a redesigned website for the SNCF. Previously, the website would not allow payment online. Reservations could be made but the tickets had to be bought within a week from an outlet in France. This was a problem if, like me, you wanted to book further than one week in advance and were located in the States. <BR> <BR>The new website seemingly allows prepayment. I processed the reservation with my credit card (VISA) and got a reservation number. (The site asked if I wished to pay in francs or euros; I chose francs.) It further stated that I could withdraw my tickets from any SCNF outlet right up to the train departure time. <BR> <BR>I then received an email confirmation a few minutes later. It contained the following sentence: <BR> "You may withdraw your tickets from any SNCF train station, sales outlet or ticket vending machine right up to the trains <BR>time of departure (this solution is only available for an amount lower than 5000 FRF and using a french credit card)." <BR> <BR>My tickets were under the price limit, but I have an American-issued credit card. Certainly this credit card can be used to charge in francs; the conversion to dollars is made by the card issuer when generating my monthly statement. <BR> <BR>So, what do you think? Is my reservation good? Does this mean that the reservation is only valid if I used a French credit card? Or does it mean that I can only accomplish a "last-minute" withdrawal if I used French credit card (maybe to afford the SNCF time to confirm the card's validity)? Have I missed something? Has anyone else tried this? <BR> <BR>(My reservations are for August 10, but I arrive in Paris on August 5. I guess I'll find out then.) <BR> <BR>- Dave <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR>

Dave

In re-reading my own message, it occurs to me that the restriction to a French credit card (and the limitation to 5000 francs) refers to the option of withdrawing the tickets from the vending machine. If true, the reservations are valid if I withdraw the tickets at the station or a sales outlet. <BR> <BR>Does this ound like a reasonable interpretation of a seemingly ambiguous statement? <BR> <BR>If true, it solves a problem that several posters have mentioned previously. We can reserve SNCF tickets well in advance even if we're not in France. <BR> <BR>- Dave

Vincent

Dave, why don't you contact them ? There is a "Contact" button on the web site, so you'll e-mail them directly, and they should answer quickly. If it's not the case, tell me, and I'll do it in French.

debbie

Dave, I also will be purchasing SNCF tickets at similar time. Vincent has been very kind to inform me on how to get them at a RER metro station near my hotel. I have decided not to purchase from US. I have done research into buying them in US w/ surcharge + shipping costs. Am glad the SNCF website now allows advance purchase. Is there any type of service charge? However, I have decided to take the chance that the 07:18 train will NOT be filled up when I purchase on Aug. 7 for Aug. 9 as my trip is a simple one, 1+1/2 hrs, Paris to Dijon. Where are you going with SNCF train? You pose good questions; please post the replies when you have them.

Christina

I can't answer your question with certainty, but I think you're ok. I think you're right in that the French CC requirement is referring to the vending machine option. I believe the reason they limit that to a French CC has nothing to do with the francs vs euros thing, but legal ability to collect payments on CCs if there are problems. Who knows, maybe there are automatic credit-checking things, also, but only for French accounts or the machine only recognizes French CCs; anyway, I'll bet it's not because of the francs. For example, someone (a hotel or apt rental agency, I forget) told me that I could not use a CC for a deposit because it was meaningless in France (an American CC could not have a deposit legally charged to it, apparently, in France if something happened and you didn't show up for your hotel room or whatever). Anyway, I know someone on another travel BB somewhere who claimed she did exactly what you are doing and got the email notice of reservation and it was all fine. It was a little vague where she actually was, though -- she lives in US, but could have possibly done the internet reservation thing in Europe, you never know -- I emailed her to ask to make sure she was talking about from the US, but she didn't answer. <BR>

Dave

Vincent: I will try to contact them with my question. And thanks for your offer to translate. I'll let you know if that will be needed. <BR> <BR>Debbie: There was no additional charge whatsoever. I am planning to go from Paris to Munich on August 10, the day before the total eclipse. Both Strasbourg (a stop enroute) and Munich are in the eclipse path, so I anticipate the possibility of a full train. That's why I was anxious to get the reservations in advance. I would imagine that you are pretty safe in going to Dijon. <BR> <BR>Christina: Your explanation sounds logical to me. <BR> <BR>I'll let all of you know when I get an answer. Thanks for your help. <BR> <BR>- Dave <BR>

joelle

Dave (are you the Mr Dave from Miami?), I think that your booking is correct since you have been given a reservation code. I use the system all the time and it works fine. If you want, just e-mail me the code number and I'll check for you on the "Minitel" (another French weird invention but it works fine!). <BR>

debbie

Joelle: Do you know if my Paris hotel uses Minitel if there is a service charge? Our hotel said they could obtain our Paris to Dijon SNCF tickets. Is there any other way they could get these tickets and would a service charge be added? Maybe best to get at metro station.

joelle

I think there should be a service charge added by the hotel for that type of service. Anyway French Telecoms will charge the hotel for using the Minitel (phone connection). Or the hotel may apply with its travel agency, should they have one. On top of that, I am not sure that smaller hotels would provide the service. The best for you may be to go to the nearest SNCF sales point, but there are no such agencies in every metro station in Paris! You can also go to one of the big central train stations (SNCF) in Paris to buy your tickets. <BR>

Vic

My experience is very limited. We recently traveled through France, Switzerland and Italy (mostly in Italy) by train. We purchased Euro Passes in the US and had the travel agent make all reservations. The process of making these reservations was quiet vexing. Finally, our travel agent resorted to using an Italian affiliate who completed the process. We paid surcharges and reservation fees including a substantial commission and an overnight mail fee. Try to find an agent that deals with European trains on a routine basis. <BR>I have no idea whether our experience was typical, but some, certainly not all, of the trains were full. In the one case when we tried to change a reservation, two days before our scheduled departure, our desired train was full and the next one after that was also full. <BR>I guess I'm just cautious. I still would make reservations here and pay an extra commission for the security of knowing that I would be on the train of my chosing. It was worth quite a bit to have actual tickets in my hand weeks before our trip. <BR>You are especially at risk if your travel involves long distances with connections. In some instances such as our ride from Rome to Geneva there really is only one or two acceptable alternatives each day. If even one segment is full, you're out of luck. <BR>For whatever it's worth, there wasn't an empty seat on the TGV that we took from Geneva to Paris in early July.

Dave

I have recently returned from my trip to Europe and can report on the SNCF Web-based reservation system. <BR> <BR>It turns out that you now can, indeed, make train reservations well in advance using the SNCF website. Until recently, you could make reservations, but had to withdraw the tickets, IN FRANCE, within seven days of making the reservation. That restriction no longer exists. <BR> <BR>I made reservations several weeks in advance and, after I arrived in France, I withdrew the tickets at a local RER station (there are several in Paris, all connected to metro stations). My VISA had been debited shortly after I made the reservations, and getting the tickets was no problem at all. And, there is no additional surcharge whatever for the service. <BR> <BR>It was fortunate that I made the advance reservations, because the train was more than full (it was the day before the total eclipse and the train was going to several cities on the eclipse path.) <BR> <BR>Also, the on-line reservation system had a limitation that I was able to adjust for when I withdrew my tickets: I was travelling with my family of four (two adults and two teenagers). One of the kids was eligible for the youth discount, but there was no way to reserve all four seats in one order with different fare plans. Thus, I ordered all four seats as adult fares. (If I had made separate orders, there was no way to ensure that all four of us would sit together.) <BR> <BR>When I went to withdraw the tickets, the agent adjusted my fare and gave me a cash refund on the spot. <BR> <BR>So, it looks like a good system and a reliable method of adding some certainty to train travel plans when they are made from the States.