TGV/SNCF Train Question - Urgent, easy question
 

I'm getting ready to purchase tickets from Strasbourg to Avignon TGV.

Departing at 08h33 and arriving at 14h36. TGV 5405 Direct.

For 2 passengers the price is 132 and for 1st class for 2 passengers the price is 128. The seats that are showing for the 2 tickets for 1st class is:

Coach 2 - Seat 11
Coach 2 - Seat 14.

I'm assuming these two seats are not tear to each other?

Also, is Strasbourg Station the main train station in Strasbourg, France? I think it is but would like to confirm before purchasing tickets.

I also read on another post that the TGVs have "upper deck" seating. How do we go about getting this or is it luck of the draw? Are these good seats?

I hope to hear some feedback as I'd like to purchase my tickets tonight. Thank you for the help!!!

It might help if I gave you the date. August 13, 2006
Thanks!!

I also noted on MorganB's thread which has been very very helpful ... that if you use Safari (mac users) then it's best to download mozilla? I do have a MAC which uses Safari. I wanted to confirm that was true. If so, I will have to wait until tomorrow to print my tickets.

Thanks!

Is there a difference between Strasbourg Gare and Strasbourg Station? It seems the TGV is Strasbourg Station and all other trains show up under Strasbourg Gare. I want to make sure I have the correct train station in Strasbourg.

Anyone??

I think Strasbourg Gare is closer to the city center than Strasbourg Station. But I am not certain. Usually if there are two train stations, one is closer to the city than the other one.

Thanks Francophile! The 1st time I tried pulling up my tickets Strasbourg Station came up and now I just did the same exact thing and Strasbourg Gare came up. It's very confusing.

From what I can tell Strasbourg Gare is where I need to be in order to catch the TGV 5405 train departing at 08h33 and arriving Avignon TGV at 14h36. :) I hope this is right!

Hi there. The TGV with an upper deck have a logo that says TGV Duplex when you book. For your train , its not a duplex so no upper deck. Seats 11 and 14 are both single seats. First class is 2 - 1 config so thats on the "1" side. A seat with both window and asile access. These two seats could possibly be facing each other with a table in between or they could be one in front of the other or perhaps seperated by no more than one seat. If I had to guess I would think they might be facing each other.

It probably read Strasbourg station on the english version and Strasbourg gare on the french version of the sncf site. To the best of my knowledge there is only one station in Strasbourg.

As far as printing is concerned, just give it a try. I have a mac and have had trouble in the past with printing from Safari but the last tickets I tried to print worked fine. You can try and just do it again with another browser if it doesnt work.

I've had no problem getting PREM tickets on Safari.

Thank you very much MorganB!!!! I am going to go ahead and book our tickets - 1st class. If the seats are across from each other maybe someone will be kind enough to switch with us.
Maybe the duplex (double decker) are from Avignon TGV to Paris? I'll have to remember to check that out when it's time to book those tickets.

Michael, thanks for reconfirming regarding Safari. I'm going to give it a shot on my MAC and hopefully I don't get stuck in a position where I've bought the tickets but can't print them out!

Thank you again for your help!!

Update: I was able to print both tickets off of my MAC. I bought (2) 1st class from Strasbourg to Avignon TGV for 128 euro total. I'm assuming all I have to do is show up at the train station with my ticket and ID and we'll be set?

MorganB, it did say Strasbourg Gare and then went I booked the ticket it read Strasbourg Station so I'm thinking they are one in thet same, as you mentioned in your post.

Thank you for all the help!!

Grats on the tickets and glad the printing went smoothly.

Just show up at the train station with the printed ticket and ID. Odds are they wont even check until after the train is on its way. Have a nice trip.

Thanks MorganB! One more question regarding 'upper deck' on a TGV for those of you who have ridden up there or know the trains ... my next train ride from Avignon to Paris will have an upper deck. I noticed at booking that it has an option for 'upper deck required.' I'm assuming this means I will definitely get one?

What are the seating arrangements like (2 on each side?)

Is upper deck seating (view wise) better than lower deck? If we didn't purchase the upper deck (2nd class) we would purchase the lower class 2nd class. I read one post that mentioned upper deck seating was great .. so looking for a bit more about it ... again, scenic wise. :)

Thanks!

Upper deck seating is 2+2 in second and 2+1 in 1st. If you put upper deck required on the seating selection then the computer will put you upstairs unless there are no more seats upstairs. When you select the fare it will tell you the seat location so you will know before you complete the booking where the seats are. If you dont like them then you can try again.

View is MUCH better out of the upper deck. It also tends to be sunnier. The only connection between cars is on the upper deck. Those going to the snack car from the lower deck must go upstairs first. This does increase foot traffic in the upper deck. The lower deck is more quiet and darker with very little foot traffic as you dont connect to the other cars.

Thanks MorganB!!

MorganB, what are iDTGV trains like? Why are tickets so much cheaper (on some routes)than on the normal TGV?
It may be cheaper for me to take the idTGV ... but i'd like to know the difference or why someone would choose this train over the regular TGV other than price.

Thanks!

The physical train is identical to that of the classic Duplex TGV. The seats are the very same. The staff is organized a bit differently and are not government employees so are paid less. There are additional services on the iDTGV such as movie rental, music player and game rental. Its divided into two "atmospheres". Basically the lower deck is quiet and the upper deck is where they rent movies and offer games and things.

The only other difference is iDTGV tickets are sold only on the net. You cannot buy them in the station or over the phone. You must print your ticket at home. If you can get the iDTGV for cheaper, I encourage you to take it.

Thank you MorganB. I did check and unfortunately they didn't have the time we needed. We are taking the 07h09 out. I didn't see any morning for the iDTGV train. Thanks again for your help!

yeah usually there is just one iDTGV a day in each direction. Thats a difference I forgot to point out :)

francophile03 offers this brilliant flash of insight:

"I think Strasbourg Gare is closer to the city center than Strasbourg Station. But I am not certain." Well, that really nails it down. It's really great to get input from a truly knowledgeable traveler.

"Usually if there are two train stations, one is closer to the city than the other one." Well, yes, that would be true, wouldn't it? Unless they were the same distance, of course.

Robespierre, you gave me a good chuckle. :) I was able to purchase my tickets ... so I'm happy! yes, I am the type of person who likes the nitty gritty specifics .. as you may be able to tell with some of the threads I've posted on here. :)

Katzen, It does appear that I am following you around on this board, and we do have a very similar initerary!

I just found a fare for 2 1st class tickets of EU128 from Paris direct to Avignon on Aug 13th. These are prems (cheaper than the 2nd class prems even), and I am wondering if I should pounce on these tickets or hold off.

Hi CarolineM, yes, we do have a similar itinerary. :) We are taking the TGV from Strasbourg to Avignon TGV so our fare may be a bit different. On the Strasbourg/Avignong TGV we were able to get a fare of 128 euros in 1st class. Our fare from Avignon TGV to Paris was 50 euros 2nd class. We chose 1st class for the longer ride (about 6 hours) and since Avignon to Paris was only 2.5 hours we chose 2nd class on the upper level of the duplex.

If it's cheaper to get the 1st class prem than it would be to get the 2nd class prem I would definitely get the 1st class! It was like that for our trip from Strasbourg to Avignon TGV on the 13th. 1st class prems were cheaper than the 2nd class prems.

One concern if you wait is that you may not get seats next to each other. I have seat 11 and my sister has seat 14 in 1st class so we are hoping they are across from each other.

Hopefully this helped a bit!

<<<"Usually if there are two train stations, one is closer to the city than the other one." Well, yes, that would be true, wouldn't it? Unless they were the same distance, of course.<<<

They ARE the same distance : there in only one railway station in Strasbourg !

Robespierre, are you a 'truly knowledgable traveler'? Knowing about public transportation alone does not make one a 'truly knowledgable traveler'.

I may not be as knowledgeable as some, but it should be obvious to the most casual observer that my offerings are invariably more relevant and useful than <b>&quot;I think Strasbourg Gare is closer to the city center than Strasbourg Station. But I am not certain.&quot;</b>

The last 50 threads I've contributed to have been a typical mix for this forum, no more or less about one subject than the average. But I think it's safe to say that I consistently express ideas considerably less obvious than <b>&quot;Usually if there are two train stations, one is closer to the city than the other one.&quot;</b>

Carolyn, buy now. They wont get cheaper.

Okay, R., I'm very happy to assist you in your constant quest to get attention virtually. God knows, you sure seem to be missing that in reality, and I am always glad to help the needy.

You can't have the slightest inkling of what my reality is, so your gibes are meaningless.

I would not want to know what type of life you have which I suspect is nothing substantial judging by how you treat anyone who disagrees with your thoughts.

Also that could be why you're not comfortable posting at Trip Advisor. I see that your pattern is the same over there.

Btw, R., you do realize that you were the one to cap on my comments to this thread. This I am sure is payback to my disagreeing with you regarding taking Paris public transporation-ok that is my choice not yours. And I guess it's also payback due to my disagreeing with you on that pathetic, belittling thread you wrote regarding how French words are pronounced by non-French speakers.

Have you felt better by doing this, R.? So cowardly you are.

That's not me at TripAdvisor. The tone, mood, style, and vocabulary are obviously uncharacteristic of my writing.

There! Now I've been called a coward. Don't forget Fudd's Law: <b>If you push something hard enough, it will fall over.</b>

That's not me at TripAdvisor. The tone, mood, style, and vocabulary are obviously uncharacteristic of my writing.

Yeah. I did think your <i>ad hominem</i> outbursts on the language thread were way out of line. When I am pushed, I push back.

There! Now I've been called a coward. Don't forget Fudd's Law: <b>If you push something hard enough, it will fall over.</b>

Now, how about some more 5&cent; psychoanalysis?

Gee, how many posters would choose the handle 'Robespierre'? So you mean to say that that is not you who is posting not only at Trip Advisor but also at Frommers. The tone and attitude are definitely you. In fact, have you closed your eyes to the reactions you received at Trip Advisor? Yes. They are the same that you get here. Posters are offended by your putdowns when they do not share your views.

R., this is certainly your style:

http://www.tripadvisor.com/SearchFor...de_France.html

Note these threads: Montmarte hotel, catacombs, and Templar Knights as examples. They are putdowns so much so that your posts got removed on the Templar thread.

I categorically deny that I post at TripAdvisor. Now, in order to preserve whatever credibility you think you enjoy, you'll have to prove that it's me for all the world to see. Or shut your yap.

That <u>is</u> me being my typically helpful self at Frommer's.

What is my 'yap'? How to pronounce that?

I've no need to prove anything since it's proven itself.

Thank you for your time. End of this thread I hope!

Whoever Robespierre is, one thing is clear from this and other threads is that he is a very rude &amp; unpleasant person and I hope he gets deleted soon.

Faux, I never attack anyone without provocation. I am a most cheerful and friendly person. But when someone starts an <i>ad hominem</i> riff on me, s/he is repaid in kind.

In short: when pushed, I push back.

Well, this thread certainly got waylaid... I happen to disagree with the anti-Robespierre sentiment. He often gives LOTS of good information, especially about the rail system, and patiently provides specific links that I for one would have a lot of difficulty finding on my own. As for the occasional strident remark, it's an online world - there's no bite in a bark. You can just as easily ignore it rather than get defensive...