Just got an email and the SNCF (French rail) has opened reservations on its trains up to Jan 11th 2006! So much for the convential wisdom of booking two months in advance. So anyone that was holding off for that 2 months, book away!

Does this include all sleeping accommodations on night trains as well such as Elipsos services?

I would assume it is for travel within France only. The routes they mentioned in the email were only within France.

Thank you for the clarification.

For info, I just booked train tickets from Brussels to Lyon over the New Year period so yes, it does apply to at least some non-French destinations.

Actually, the Thalys and the Eurostar have always opened reservations 3 months in advance.

Just to clarify - my tickets were for the TGV, not the Thalys.

Ah okay, wow good news then

Not to prolong this unnecessarily, but I was under the impression that TGV-level services between Brussels and Paris ARE thalys trains?

Not trying to be destructive; rather trying to learn. Please explain and thanks.

Eurostar tickets can actually be booked nine months in advance!

Yes, the trains operating between Brussels and Paris Gare du Nord are Thalys trains.

However, there are also various TGV services that operate between Brussels and French cities such as Lyon, Montpellier, Grenoble, Lille, Poitiers, etc (I'm not sure of the complete routes).

Rather than terminating at Gare du Nord like the Thalys, these TGVs skirt around Paris (though some of the trains do stop at CDG, Marne la Vallée(Disneyland) etc.).

Hope that makes sense!!