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-   -   TGV Paris to Avignon/Marseilles (https://www.fodors.com/community/europe/tgv-paris-to-avignon-marseilles-586911/)

miel2384 Jan 31st, 2006 09:28 AM

TGV Paris to Avignon/Marseilles
 
I went to this website

http://www.voyages-sncf.com/dynamic/...geUK&WB=HP

to investigate TGV tickets. I am confused because it does not list USA on the list of countries they service. How do I get my tickets?

Michel_Paris Jan 31st, 2006 09:48 AM

Hi miel2384,
I have bought PREM tickets for the TGV from Paris to Lyon. PREM are nonrefundable, low cost tickets. When you buy them, you get an email from the SNCF, and you print them off at home, and bring this with you. That way you don't need to worry about picking up, getting mailed,etc.. the tickets. PREMs are not avialable for all trips.

Hope this gets you started. If you search on this site, others have experience picking up tickets in Paris at the railway station.

Mike

miel2384 Jan 31st, 2006 09:51 AM

but it says, "Country where you will receive or pick up tickets." Should I just put France, and it'll still email me the tickets?

ira Jan 31st, 2006 09:54 AM

Hi M,

Leave the country as France.

For regular tickets you will get a confirmation number, bring that number and the same credit card to any SNCF train station or boutique to get your paper tickets.

For PREMS fares, you will be given the option to print your own ticket.

((I))

MorganB Jan 31st, 2006 10:03 AM

Dont forget the iDTGV which can be cheaper than the classic TGV. Sometimes the fares dont show up on voyages-sncf.com, not sure why. If you arent seeing them try www.idtgv.com.

benjinho Jan 31st, 2006 01:25 PM

Book, pay, choose France as country, print your reservation (keep in fact the code "JHDGFTE" like) go the first railway station, go to a counter, give them the code, pay. You get your ticket.

Employees from SNCF tend to be rude, not speaking english (sometimes not speaking at all). Don't bother. You'll understand know why booking over the internet saves you a 15minutes discussion with such a guy.

nhs Feb 2nd, 2006 06:00 PM

Living in Canada, I had much the same question as miel2384. Once you print your sncf tickets at home, does anyone on the train check your country of residency, or even care? (I think the restriction is designed to throw business to RailEurope.)

miel2384 Feb 5th, 2006 05:59 AM

I just purchased my tickets. Even though it said they would send the tickets to my house (in USA), I will still be able to bring confirmation number to train station and pick up there, right? I'm so paranoid that they'll cancel the reservation when the tickets come back to them. I had to list my address as France, so NJ, France doesn't exist...

Please put me at ease.
Beth

ira Feb 5th, 2006 06:04 AM

Hi nh
>Once you print your sncf tickets at home, does anyone on the train check your country of residency, or even care? <

Your ticket has your name on it. The conductor will ask to see your passport.

Hi Beth

>Even though it said they would send the tickets to my house (in USA), I will still be able to bring confirmation number to train station and pick up there, right? <

Yes. Give yourself about an hour for standing on line, etc. Bring the same credit card you used to buy your ticket. They will scan it again.

You will not be charged twice.

((I))

miel2384 Feb 5th, 2006 06:48 AM

Thank you so much, Ira. I feel much better.

StCirq Feb 5th, 2006 07:05 AM

Did you buy PREM tickets? If so, you should have printed them out, in which case you don't evenneed to go to the train station to pick anything up - you've got your ticket.

If you bought regular tickets, you should have selected the option to pick up at a train station or SNCF boutique - NOT the option to have them mailed to you. Either way, you should have left the country as FRANCE.

As long as you have the confirmation email you should be able to pick up the tickets at the station. Make sure you have the same credit card with you that you used for the online purchase.

I haven't ever found SNCF personnel to be rude, by the way. They've been extremely helpful to me on more than one occasion, suggesting less expensive alternatives, explaining special discounts to me, and helping me out with tehe best re-routing when I missed a train.


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