My flight will arrive at Paris CDG at 11:30AM and I am taking the TGV to Colmar right after I landed. I purchased the 2:49PM TGV Pro 2nd Ticket to Colmar, which cost 122.50Euro (Ouch!), just in case my flight was delayed and I missed the train.

I am wondering, if my flight landed on time and everything went smoothly so I was able to catch the earlier train (at 12:50PM, shorter traveling time, and the ticket only costs 66.50Euro!!) am I allowed to exchange/cancel my TGV Pro 2nd ticket for the earlier and cheaper ticket for the 12:50 train? Is there any policy against it?

Thanks a lot!

You may be able to take that train but i doubt if you will get a refund - read the conditions for the 66.50 euro fare - if that fare is still available perhaps - otherwise you are moving a full fare ticket to another full fare ticket - the reason full price tickets cost more - fully flexible subject to their being seats available on that train.

This is how it works generally in Europe but I am not sure about this case just seriously doubt it - will be interested to hear if it is so - getting a refund like that.

Did you buy a TGV Pro Flexi? If so, you can change it right up until the last minute.

http://tgv.voyages-sncf.com/services-train/pro-flexi

You DO need to read the terms and conditions of every train ticket you buy.

Having been through CDG umpteen times I think your chances of making the 12:50 train are very small.

Is your seat at the front of the planes so you can rush off and beat all of the other travelers to Immigration?

Do you have an EU or US passport?

Do you have carry-on only or will you have to wait for luggage to appear?

Is your luggage small/light enough that you can easily jog/rush with it - or will you have to make your way through the airport more deliberately.

Where is your landing gate in relation to the train station?

If you check these out it will give you a better idea of how long it will take you to get to the train.

st-cirq the question was not if they could change the ticket but if they would get a refund between the lower price they saw for an earlier train - I think not but waiting for a definitive answer from someone who is sure.

I doubt it but not 100% sure - getting the 68 euro fare if available and getting the refund from full fare.

PalenQ, the link I provided explains in great detail that a Pro Flexi ticket is completely refundable and exchangeable. The only problem I can see would be if the earlier train were full, which would be doubtful.

My question would be could the person buy the 68 euro ticket on short notice - in effect then getting the difference between prices - I assume the 68 euro fare is some special deal that must have been booked earlier or that fare category is no longer available even though there may be seats available at full price.

No debating the full refund and exchange of a full fare ticket but I think OP wants to get the difference in price of the 68 euro fare she/he saw available - thinking they could change to that fare at CDG - I think no but not sure.

I also question how this could be possible as real cheap tickts are limited advance purchase fares, not last-minute walk up fares. Sometimes different times of day are cheaper than others, sure, but not that much. Sylvia didn't say what kind of fare this 66 euro ticket was, which is the key. From looking at fares for that rate, I imagine the 66 euro fare is a Loisir Reduit fare. There is a 90 euro fare at the earlier time for a Pro ticket, though, so it is cheaper than 122 euro on the date I looked but that doesn't mean much (as the later train is also only 90 euro for the Pro ticket).

But if they had a cheaper ticket available on the earlier train, sure, you could buy it. It's possible, they seem to have some cheaper ones for that route for tomorrow.

My big reason for doing that would be the schedule, it appears the later ticket has two transfers.