The SNCF Web Site
 

Until this past week, I was able to use the SNCF web site with no difficulty to find schedules and fares. Now, I find it totally impossible to use. I hit a total dead end after I click on Information and Booking. <BR>Anybody else had that experience within the last 48 hours (counting from April 16)? <BR>If you have any magic words to pass along on about using that thing, please cue me in because right now I am unable to get anything from it. <BR> <BR>

They made a change in their address. Try this: <BR>http://195.101.72.23:80/dynamic/_SvT...S=986822669425 For more Paris information e-mail me- [email protected]

As I guess you know, they just redesigned it recently and I don't find it as usable as before (not that it was that easy to begin with), but I just used it and it worked fine for me. I checked an itinerary I was interested in and it gave me schedules and prices with no problem, I did not then click further to buy the ticket because I didn't want to. I'm not sure what you are referring to as "booking" as I use it in French and I'm not clear on what that would be a translation of -- maybe just the "buy" button (achetez?). I did click on "information" and got the schedules okay, although it is confusing as you can click in several different places and get the same thing. The only thing I noticed was that it would not let me check schedules past June now and it did just a few weeks ago, as I have a printout of the train schedule I wanted in July. Sometimes certain web sites are sensitive to browsers if they are reall hot-shot; if you have a very old browser version, you might upgrade. Or just try again. I will admit I got one of those server can't be found error things on SNCF when I first clicked on it to check a certain schedule, but I just sent it again and it worked. The new URL for that stuff is apparently www.voyages-sncf.com, but it takes you there automatically, anyway, from www.sncf.fr.

any luck, Bob -- I was thinking and my previous schedule info may not have been for July as I think they usually don't have schedules past May at this time of year; anyway, I might have printed out the same date of the week for planning purposes from May, my printout doesn't have a date on it, only a schedule. In any case, I tried the English language section just now and it is a little flakey but is working for me -- I see the Information and Booking section, and I can get schedules out of it although it won't let me do anything more than two months ahead; it did let me put in July at one time and then balked and said it made a mistake I would have to start over. Very mysterious. But, when I click on the Information and Booking part in English I then get a form to fill out for schedules, so it is working. I think it's one of those sites that can work sometimes better than others and can be down a lot, etc, maybe whatever connections or servers it is using are touchy; I have known a few other mystery web sites like that (not to mention Fodors which has tons of server problems), just try again. Are you going to Paris again? I am in July. If you need help I have a new email address at [email protected]

We had similar problems with sncf, but found that DeutscheBahn http//reiseauskunft.bahn got us detailed train schedules all over. We didn't try booking, just wanted information. I thought it was me!!