The end of IDTGV
 

The SNCF is going to end its IDTGV fares by the end of the year because it claims that customers were unclear about the concept which is midway between the normal TGV fares and the low cost OuiGo TGV trains. In any case, there are only 30 IDTGV trains a day, which represent 4% of the available TGV seats.

The SNCF says that this will not affect the customers at all, because there will be just as many trains on the various lines, and the same fares as on IDTGV will just be merged into all of the other TGV fares. One aspect of IDTGV procedures is expected to be generalized to the other TGV lines. IDTGV checked passenger tickets before boarding and did not check them on board. The SNCF is going to be doing this on many of its 'normal' trains, particularly the ones that are nonstop between two points like Paris-Strasbourg and Paris-Avignon.

It was sort of an odd marketing concept, I always thought. I think the concept was to appeal to young people originally, as I recall, being marketed as a hipper train with cars with themes (social, etc).

Oh dear. We have been huge iDTGV ticket consumers for the past 2 years! If the same fares are going to be available, that's good news, but we loved always booking iDTGV fares. It never seemed to me that they were geared to hipper or younger, customers - they had Zen (quiet) cars and Zap (family) cars, but that's all. We loved the fact that you just had to find the right car to board and show our tickets before boarding - no need to deal with the controlleur once on the train. And the fares between Paris and Bordeaux were often only 19€ or so, compared to 80€ or so. Bummer.

I used the iDTGV for a Paris-Nice run and it saved me a lot of money.. it was almost as cheap to go 1st class as it was second.. and we liked the Zen cars.. no screaming kids or crying babies..

One thing that early planners will probably regret the most is that the tickets could be booked six months in advance, compared to 3 months for most SNCF tickets.

The IDTGV trains going to southwestern France will be eliminated in July and the ones going southeast will disappear in mid December.

This is not particularly good news. I liked the iDTGV trains, the Zen/Zap service options, and the idea that the fares where available 6 months in advance of travel.

Interesting as well that they will be discontinued to the south just before the big summer vacation.

The announcement made it sound like TGV was going to conform to IDTGV rather than the other way around and that nothing would be lost. I was afraid that the 6 months ahead feature wasn't being spread to the entire system and it appears that none of you expect it to be. Bummer.

The whole scene for trains in the SW of France right now is disturbing and a PITA We are frequent users of trains in these parts, and it's not good news. JulieVikamis, I think you've got it wrong.

Do the ZEN cars have a no talking on cell phone policy? That can be as annoying as small children, IMO.

Phone calls are more annoying than kids imo.
I used to be a kid myself, I have kids and I much prefer (normal) kids to (normal) guys spending hours on the phone.

I have never taken a TGV whihc had no 'no phone' policy.

I just booked a ticket with a TGV on july 24th. TgvPrems ?
I am using a platform so don't really know what product is proposed. Cheap anyway : 47 € for Paris Toulon.

If I recall correctly, the iDTGV Zen train has a no-cellphone policy, but for me cellphones don't constitute a big problem except for those who talk loudly on them (not that many people).

I did once take an iDTVG car from La Rochelle to Nantes with a small child who screamed and ran up and down the ailes the entire time. I mean every single minute of that journey, and I mean screaming . It changed my mind about never being bothered by babies - he was simply a hellion and ruined the train ride for everyone. It won't change my mind about traveling with young children, but it sure was an eye-opener.

except for those who talk loudly on them (not that many people).


Of course ! you don't take the Thalys with dutch businessmen yelling in their phones constantly.

provocation and exxageration take care of, I don't ride in first class on the Thalys for that reason.

I guess I had the same family on a ride to Lille.
The train was half empy so the kid got us all evacuating the coach - his family had it all for themselves !
But no, they were not bothered in the least.

Obvisouly they must have been dut... err no. French. Northerners. The kind with a flemish name who drink all day.

You're right. I don't take many trains with Dutch businessmen. I imagine they would drive me nuts, too.

This one, and only one, experience, was with a black African woman with a boy about 2 years old. She kept trying, to no avail, to console him, but he was inconsolable. He ran up and down the aisle of the train kicking and screaming for the entire ride. It's OK. I take lots of trains in Europe and one unpleasant ride isn't going to unnerve me. It was memorable, though. And it was an iDTGV train car, so I'd paid a pittance for it.

I guess I pay attention to details more than most people, but every TGV has a pictogram of a "sleeping" mobile phone in the seating section and instructions that calls may be made or received in the end compartments of the cars. There is even seating there for this.

Do many people pay attention to this? Unfortunately not.

The Zen TGV seats were no talking at all, cell phone or otherwise when we took them last fall. We were whispering and we're admonished by an old lady to be quiet. Shhh!

Yes, I couldn't stand that. After choosing "zen" a few times and feeling like I was in a funeral parlor, I chose "zap" from then on.