travelling from paris to avingon and back in May...what is the major difference between first and second class on the TGV...is it worth it to buy a France Flexisaver Pass? Should we purchase through railEurope or thru sncf's website? what is dcouvert a deux or decouverte sejours..i cannot find options for J8 and J30 on sncf's website that everyone else refers to...<BR><BR>thanks all in advance

Not worth going first class for a 2 1/2 hour journey. Buy from SCNF--RailEurope has huge surcharges.

What makes it &quot;not worth it&quot;? i still dont know what features you get in 1eme vs 2 eme?<BR><BR>Rail europe seemed to quote the same prces as sncf...did i just not make it to the part with hte surcharges?<BR><BR>what about a local travel agent?

sbrownpac,<BR><BR>Forget about the pass!<BR><BR>The decouverte fares offer a limited amount of seats at 25% discount off full-fare (1st or 2nd class) if certain conditions are met (i.e. 2 people travelling together for decouverte a deux, minimum stay for decouverte sejour).<BR><BR>The J8/J30 fares have very recently been replaced by so-called Prem's fares, which have the added advantage that the ticket can be printed out at home. They are non changeable non refundable however and only available in 2nd class.<BR><BR>All these fare types will be shown automatically for a particular train if they are available and your booking is eligible for them.<BR><BR>Difference between 1st and 2nd class is mostly the number of seats in a car (3 abreast in 1st and 4 abreast in 2nd), so 1st tends to be quieter and more pleasant.<BR><BR>Hope this helps,<BR>Andre

From a FaAQ: First class is more spacious and quiet with fewer seats per compartment or car. The seats are larger, sometimes more plush. There is more room for luggage and generally will be less crowded as most Europeans using the train travel in second class. <BR><BR> Keith

will there be a problem if my soon to be wife's passport shows her maiden name and i book our reservation together with her soon to be new surname when we pick up the tickets at the station? the website doesnt allow for two separate names in the booking...and we want to sit together...does a reservation give you a specific seat as on an airplane?

also what are yor experiences booking the tix online thru tgv.com or voyages-sncf.com (same sites)<BR><BR>thanks for the advice so far

sbrownpac,<BR><BR>All TGV tickets include a specific seat reservation.<BR><BR>When you pick up your paper tickets at the station, all the clerk cares about is checking that you are indeed in posession of the credit card you prepaid the reservation with. The name on the tickets is totally irrelevant. <BR><BR>HOWEVER, if you book one of the Prem's fares which you print out yourself, the train conductor will want to see ID and it must match the name on the ticket. Why can't you just indicate your future wife's last name european style, i.e. (married name)-(maiden name)?<BR><BR>The SNCF site is used every day by thousands of people in France and works fine.<BR><BR>Andre

Your wifes ticket should be in whatever name shows on her passport