Hi yall

Boy am I frusrated with the trip planning. My ideas seem to be runing into dead ends.

I'm thinking about taking the nighttrain from Paris to Barcelona for the sake of saving money (because that's one less hotel room bill to pay) But I can't seem to actually buy the tickets. I can see the times and schedule but one website was confusing about whether or not people outside of Europe can buy a ticket. Eurail's website sells tickets but not the direct night train. Spains website is confusing and doesn't have links to buy the tickets. So what do I do?

Has anyone got experience with this particular route?

HOw do I buy a ticket before I leave the U.S? Is that possible? Will the trains be so crowded in May that I'll have to get a reservation? If so how far ahead?

Is the luggage secure during the trip?

Does anyone know where I can go to buy a ticket I tried a travel agency and was told to go with eurail and their website doesn't seem to have ANY direct night trains.

I don't know any advice is appreciated.

Terrence

Have a look at sncf.fr (the French website), although it doesn't seem to provide for delivery of the tickets in the US. On the other hand, if you've paid online and have a reservation, I expect that you'll be able to pick the ticket up once you get to Paris.

Depending on your travel dates, May could be booked up and busy. There are three statutory holidays in May in France (also possibly in Spain). May 1, May 8 and May 25. All of France takes super long weekends, getting themselves in shape for the August holiday. This is also a popular time of year for workers in essential transportation services (airline employees, metro employees, train employees) to go on strike, just to mess up everyone's holiday plans. May 1 is also Labour Day in a number of European countries, and in some countries, it has turned into a bit of an "anti-globalisation" day of action. In the few cities in the past few years (e.g. London), some demonstrations have got a bit out of hand, although I think this has become less common in the last couple of years. In Paris, I've been told we can expect some small demonstrations, but nothing major.

i was lookinginto this awhile back. there was a very inexpensive rate for advance purchase ( 60 euros with sleeper.. 4 in room).
i didn't actually buy it though.

got cheap flight on www.vueling.com

in the end you could try calling the spanish website number.
might be worth a call. they speak english or will transfer you to someone who does.

The Paris (Austerlitz) to Barcelona (Sants) is an international train. You cannot purchase an international ticket on-line on either the SNCF or Renfe web sites. You should check with a travel agent for this one.

If nothing else, the try the new British web page (http://www.tgv.co.uk/)

The website for these services is at www.elipsos.com

I have taken this train several times.

As a general rule you cannot book the spaces more than 60 nights ahead; on some night trains it may be up to 90 nights ahead.

You can get these tickets in at least two ways. One is by <b>calling</b>(use the tollfree number; don't waste time with the website)RailEurope or another agency but they will charge a shipping and handling fee.

A cheaper way and for a better fare you should try doing it through the www.voyages-sncf.com site and click on the &quot;English&quot; version. You can pick the tickets up at a ticket office in France; you do not have to collect them from a machine or have them sent anywhere. If you are going to be in Paris a few days before the trip I suspect you could wait and get the tickets after arrival.

You cannot get on this train without a ticket which includes the reservation. I took it most recently on a night in July from Paris and it was not sold out; I doubt it will be in May.

The luggage is secure during the trip.

BTW..when I took this train last year I purchased the tickets on line, through the SNCF site, and picked them up once I arrived in France.

you cannot reserve or purchase tickets more than 60 days in advanceon spanish trains.
thus your booking impossibility.

just to see how it works.. try an earlier date so you can see how to navigate.

I am not aware that the original poster mentioned anything about actual dates of travel so I am very hesitant to blame the &quot;impossibility&quot; of using the booking site on that at this point anyway.

Hi

I really appreciate yall's help. THe elipsos website helped out I did play aroudn with the renfe (spain's train system) website and was linked to elipsos so I guess they're interconnected which linked me to eurail

But I do like the idea of just picking up my tickets in France at will call, you can't do that with eurail (talked to them yesterday)


I'm going to fly on Veuling when I leave Barcelona for Rome it just takes way to long even by train I think it's like 16 hours. But the flight from Paris to Barcelona is pretty expensive especially compared to other days but for some the particular day is exepensive. I guess a lot people start their long weekends on Thursday nights. Taking the train from Paris to barcelona is solely for economic reasons. While I'm not a backpacker I'm only one step above in that I am 24, on a tight budget and traveling solo. Realy the only difference between me and a backpacker is use of a suitcase and staying in private rooms versus hostel dorms.

I've been reading about people being robbed in their sleep so that's why I asked about luggage and stuff. I keep my wallet in my front pocket so if I can get a window and have my wallet in the front pocket against the window I'm thinking that would deter a pickpocket if I'm wrong or yall have anymore advice I appreciate it.

Oh and I'm not going to be in Europe May 1 still in school that's the last day of class I think. I'm going to summer school (my last summer semester yay!) so this is my summer vacation. I'll be leaving Paris for Barcelona May 18.it'll be a Thursday night.

Intrepid or anybody who has done this, did they have anything to say about the type of credit card you used when you booked? Because the French website had a fairly good deal 60 euros 2nd class youth fare, but in the fine print they were saying something about a French credit card. Then they listed all these countries that they deliver too and the United States was on that list. I dont' know it threw me off a bit.

I have a couple more train concerns which I'll probably put in a seperate post I was thinking about the train from Venice to Munich and Munich to Berlin if I do those I might just get a rail pass I'll have to see. But thanks yall.

Terrence

I booked online hrough SNCF last year for this train, selecting the option to pick up in Paris. Initially, the SNCF website gave me trouble when I tried to finalize the sale, telling me &quot;foreign reservations closed&quot;--I posted a query on this forum about it, and was puzzled because I had not said anything during the purchase process to indicate I was foreign, but when I tried again at another time of day it worked, and my best guess is that for some reason the computer system was just having a glitch and not permitting the purchase of international tickets at that moment. Just a guess though. All worked fine, except one of the confirmation documents I printed out incorrectly identified my date of travel as a Friday rather than a Saturday (the day of the month was right) leading me to have a heart attack when I looked at the confirmation that Saturday morning. All the other pieces of paper had the correct day of the week and date and it didn't cause a problem, though. Oh, and my traveling companion and I had a private cabin, so our luggage was quite secure, but the details would vary depending on what class you were reserving, I assume.

The SNCF is notorious for the &quot;foreign reservations closed&quot; business..I got that several times last year but eventually managed to buy the tickets.

Victorius..are you certain that the SNCF site lists the US as a country which tickets <b>can/will</b> be mailed to or did I misinterpret you?

As long as you are not using a mchine in France to pick up tickets I don't see what difference using a US CC would make.


Have you checked the fare Paris-Orly to Barcelona on the www.easyjet.com/en site? Ryanair also flies Paris (Beauvais) to Barcelona (via the airport at Girona).
Have you checked on www.whic

www.whichbudget.com

Be aware of checked luggage restrictions on intra-European flights

To book in US thru RailEurope, which is possible, contact Linda at BETS (800-441-2387) - i've worked with for years and she's an expert at booking these trains - though works thru RailEurope BETS doesn't charge some of their fees. And RailEurope has some special discounted fares on the overnight direct Paris-Austerlitz to Barcelona 'Talgo' night trains, like as low as $75 i think for sleeping berth and ticket.

Hey intrepid no it doesn't list the US at all. I think it's because eurail is supposed to be the &quot;official&quot; ticketers for the U.s. I think I will do that night train like I said to save some money.

And no I'll be travelin in the 2nd class car.

But I will use the French website I just wasn't feelin eurail they didn't list all the train schedules that are on the other country's websites and they want to charge $15 for delivering the tickets and yes I realize that this fee is including booking fees which is how they make their money but understandin the how and why doesn't keep from disliking it.

actually the french website has been the best one so far believe it or not out of spain, italy and germany.

Thanks yall

Terrence

there are no 'second class' cars on the direct Talgo train - you have to buy a sleeping berth on these 'hotel trains' - to economize take the overnight train from Paris to Port Bou, at the Spanish border and transfer in the morning to a local train to Barcelona. Takes about 5 hours longer but this train has second class cars you can 'sleep' in and just have to pay the train fare. Sleeping accommodations are also cheaper on the French train to Port Bou. That said i think there are special low fares for Saturday travel on the Talgo direct trains - i'm sure you'll find good fares on the French site. But compare RailEurope's 14-day advance prices with French site's prices as RE prices can be competitive.

The window for ordering tickets at sncf.com has increased from 60 days to 90 days. I just checked sncf.com and found that I could have bought a PREM (discount) ticket for travel on May 18 for 60 E (Decouverte 12/25 ticket for people between the ages of 12 and 25 is 99 E and a regular 2nd class ticket is 132 E). This would be in a T4 cabin--a compartment with four beds, washbasin, toiletries and mineral water. However, contrary to what is usually true with PREM tickets, I was not given the choice of printing it myself. I would have needed to give an address in France (a hotel, for example) where it could be delivered. FYI, reservations are required on all night trains and there is no open seating on this train. The door to your cabin can be locked from the inside.

that's the fare i posted and found also. a real bargain, IMO.

sure competes with vueling, plus you arrive nice and early for a full day, saving you a night in paris hotel.

Have you considered a budget airliner, go to www.whichbudget.com. probably will cost less than the train

If you ticket it all at once,you can often tack on intra-European flights to your original trans-Atlantic itinerary for a very reduced rate. Check your trans-Atlantic carrier and its partners for info.