It's been two years since I have booked train travel in France, and I'm shocked at the prices I'm finding for June, 2016. Are all the PREMs already sold out? I've looked on both Captaine Train and SNCF. In 2014 I'm sure I found fares around 35-40 euros for this same journey; I now see them from 70 and up; what am I doing wrong? Surely they are not already all sold out at the lower prices? Thanks for any insight into this.

I should add that I know I am too early for June, but I tried the same dates for May, and that is actually where I found the high prices; so perhaps the Prems are sold out for late May but none available yet for late June? Guess I'd better get on this early next month for June. Looks as though I have answered my own question!

Have no idea about the Paris to Avignon route, but I booked Avignon to Paris for June 27th several weeks ago. I paid about €200 for four seats in first class. The first class seats were the same price as second. I used captaintrain website.

Thank you for your response. I'm surprised b/c I thought they weren't available until 3 months ahead. Maybe it is different in high season?

I bought a ticket for July a couple of weeks ago for 25 euros. Not all tickets are available yet but will become so as we reach the 3-month mark. Also it pays very much to be flexible for the day of the week and the time of day. For example, I do not enjoy taking trains at 6:30 a.m. but sometimes the savings justify it.

I just checked and my tickets for Avignon TGV to Paris @ 10:01 on June 27th are iDTGV. I tried several days ago to get tickets from Paris to St. Pierre des Corps on the 29th and was told I was too early and to check back 90 days prior to departure.

I don't know how you're searching, but on www.voyages-sncf.com I'm seeing fares of 19-39 euros for the whole month of June right now. Same for May. Some 19, some 24, some 25, some 29, some 39 euros.

I did a dummy search for 12 mya - found prices of 100 e, looked for 28 may, and found at 50 e.

Didn't spend too much time though.

Thanks, everyone! I appreciate your responses.

Now I am trying to coordinate my trip to Avignon on TGV with a TER train that will take me to l'isle-sur-la-Sorgue, and I don't think that will work on capitaine train. Anyone have any experience with this, how to book on the local TERs, or even if this is necessary? St. Cirq?

There are no reservations for TER trains, so no need to buy tickets online (though you should be able to if you want). The price is always the same. Just check the schedules.

What day and time do you want to travel from Avignon to l'Ile-sur-la-Sorgue?

You have to probably take the shuttle train from Avignon-TGV station to Avignon-Ville, the older in the center of Avignon station to get that TER, which as StCirq says do not take reservations and you can always board.

and I don't think that will work on capitaine train.>

There are no Capitaine trains, right - just a booking engine for SNCF trains or am I missing something?

Capitaine Train doesn't recognize L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue, and I doubt it sells TER tickets anyway.

PalQ, I know that it is the same train; I was referring hurriedly to the website for the booking engine. Yes, I would have to transfer to the in-town gare.

St. Cirq, if I book through SNCF, it looks as though I can buy a ticket from Paris to L'Isle, changing in Avignon. On one hand it would be simpler to have all that taken care of before I arrive, but I know in past the SNCF has tried to kick everyone to Rail Europe--and also there have been problems with it accepting US credit cards. As I remember, it seemed to "like" one credit card over the others, but I've forgotten which one that is.

So--I could book through Capitaine to Avignon and then buy a TER ticket to L'Isle after I arrive. I'm traveling with my 13 year old granddaughter, and I will be "in charge" so I want to make this as easy for both of us as possible!

I will be making this journey on June 23 and returning to Paris on June 30. On the SNCF site I see a train sometime after 2 PM and arriving in ISLS shortly after 6.

The simplest thing to do would be to get to the Paris train station a bit early and buy your Avignon - ISLS ticket there. Then you'll have both tickets in hand when you set out.

On the afternoon of June 23, there are trains from Paris to ISLS, changing in Avignon, at 2:37, 3:19, and 3:37. None of them is open for booking yet, though.

Many TGVs are now double-deckers - when booking your ticket chose the upper deck if you and your granddaughter want to have the best views - the sunken lower level lets you often see only sides of the rail bed, wind blocks, etc.

PalenQ,

Good to know about choosing the upper deck for the best view. According to the iDTGV site, I think I've chosen the upper deck...but it's a bit cryptic IMHO. We chose the iDZAP seats...best for children according to the website. Which seems to be the upper deck unless I'm completely reading the site wrong!

I was able to get Paris to Avignon tickets for June 18 on an iDTGV train for 24 euro per person, the return trip a week later was 39 euro per person. But I jumped on the sale as soon as I received the email that those seats were open.

St. Cirq, that's a good idea to buy the tix at Gare de Lyon; I could probably buy them for the return from ISLS to Avignon at that time, too. Thanks for the suggestion!

Bookmarking - such great info.

Hello,

TGV offers two types of trains:
Classic TGVs and IDTGVs.
IDTGVs booking opens for 6 month periods at definite dates, and they already are opened for the period till the end of August.
Classic TGVs booking open 3 month before, date-by-date. For the 6 of June for instance, you must book your ticket on the 6th of March, at 0:00 exactly. If you connect 5 minutes later, there are no cheap tickets left.
The cheapest tickets are sold under a new commercial offer called Prems Mini Groupe. You must be at least 3 persons travelling and providing you buy your ticket at midnight like explained above, you will usually pay between 12 and 18 euros per ticket.
I am French, lives in Paris and travel every other week to Avignon

When taking iDTGV, I have learned to select iDzap because iDzen is like spending several hours in a funeral parlor. I prefer to have a bit of life around me.