greg

Here is a discussion from 2009 on the subject of <i>surréservation</i> at SNCF forum:

http://debats.sncf.com/feedbacks/432...ur-reservation

A poster vents that even when the seats are not guaranteed, people had to pay the full price.

ColdPeppers

Thanks You everyone for all your help


Looks like all the Pass-Holder tickets were sold-out. And sadly so were all 2nd class tickets

So sadly, I had to buy a ridiculously expensive first class ticket. (I had to make it to nice by a certain time on this date)

So for anyone who reads this. MAKE SURE YOUR BOOK YOUR TGV RESERVATIONS Well in advance! OR you will end up like me. Sad,Bitter,and more broke.

Thanks Again All

greg

I think the take away for booking train tickets in France from this type of experience is to actually compute the cost and test assumptions, such as availability of seats or ticket price trend, early so one has an option of waiting or acting ASAP.

People come to this forum after getting rule of thumb advices recommending certain way to do things. With internet, one can easily compute the ticket prices and availability at www.voyages-sncf.com, etc. to see if the rule of thumb is applicable for the particular trip before committing any fund.

Before the days of analytics, the vendors had little empirical data or the computational capabilities to dynamically shape the price to maximize the revenue. They used simple last minutes sales to try to fill empty seats. I don’t think this is the case with astute businesses anymore. Now, they have data to estimate how many of these last minutes people would have paid tickets at any price anyway.

Sarastro

<i>MAKE SURE YOUR BOOK YOUR TGV RESERVATIONS Well in advance!</i>

I could not agree more with your conclusion ColdPeppers but if you are going to make reservations well in advance, why not simply purchase tickets will in advance? PREM tickets are sold starting 90 days before any given travel date and fares typically begin at 25€ and increase as the travel date approaches. iDTGV tickets start at 16€ for night trains and 19€ for day trains and are available for purchase starting 4-6 months for any given travel date.

The need to make reservations early, generally required for TGV travel in France, erodes the flexibility offered by rail passes which is really their only obvious advantage.

PalenQ

The need to make reservations early, generally required for TGV travel in France, erodes the flexibility offered by rail passes which is really their only obvious advantage.>

No not only advantage but they can be cost-effective if you do not automatically assume you can get the 25 or 19 euro tickets which are sold in very limited numbers - and the majority of TGVs and trains in France are NOT a problem to book passholder fares on - I have years of experience using passes in France that proves this. the problem is largely on the TGV Sud-Est line Paris to Avignon and beyond and then in times of peak travel - yes anyone buying a France Railpass should indeed book a reservation on that line when buying their pass - but otherwise most other TGV lines passholder reservations in my experience of literally taking dozens and dozens of rides on TGVs with a railpass shows they indeed are usually readily available and thus a pass can offer flexibility as well as saving money, especially first class passes compared even to PREM first class tickets I might think.

and not everyone wants to book a non-changeable ticket 4-6 months in advance! that is required often to get those 18 or 25 euro fares and again they are sold in very limited numbers - kind of a come on if you ask me. Expect on the average to pay much more even at a discounted rate - but if you do want to lock your train trip in stone 4-6 months in advance then you if you hop on it as soon as they come on the system then that would work. But even then at times of peak travel like OP is doing do not count ever on getting those hypotethically dirt-cheap fares - the SNCF is in business to make money and the majority of seats cost much much more.

easytraveler

Coldpeppers: did you book your RETURN seat?

PalenQ

I would assume he/she is going onto Italy and not returning to Paris - has a 4-country railpass and it is easy to get on Italian trains with a railpass - assume they may be going to Ventimiglia and on into Italy.

adrienne

The OP stated that he is returning to Paris (from Nice) on August 10.

PalenQ

adrienne - thanks for correcto - I assumed wrong and did not read carefully enough and yes OP will no doubt face same problem - the overnight train remains an option that may be more available?

But perhaps OP should just re-oriente his/her trip, leaving Nice for the last part and France for the last country on his/her Eurail Select - I know he said he must travel on the same train as family - wonder what kind of tickets or seat reservations family has?