Train question
 

Can anyone tell me if there is much difference in the train classes of economy, comfort, and Premier? Looking at a 5 hr train ride down to Avignon and don't want to waste money but need to know if there is a big difference in comfort level. I especially cant figure out between comfort and Premire.

As far as I know Comfort is first class and Economy is second class. The Premier designation is not a class of carriage, but a type of ticket, i.e., Premier = Prem, which is a ticket that you can buy months before your travel date for very little money. The price goes up the closer to departure you buy them. They are non-changeable, and non-refundable, however.

In my experience the difference in comfort level is hot huge. Sure, 1st class seats are a bit plusher and wider, but for me not worth the extra money. There is nothing "2nd" class about the 2nd class carriages. But if you're flush with cash, by all means splurge on 1st.

Please immediately peruse a prior post on this very topic - including the advice to buy at official prices directly from SNCF <i>(or providers like trainline.eu, who do not levy charges)</i> and transparently show full schedules

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...rt-premier.cfm

I see the difference mostly in seat arrangement.

The second class is either two side by side facing forward or backward, or four seats facing each other across a table.

The first class is either two side by side facing forward or backward, or four seats facing each other across a table, or one single, or two singles facing each other across a table.

The difference comes in depending on the size of the group I am traveling with as well as how crowded is the train.

If I am traveling in a group of four, it makes least difference between the two. We book four facing each other across a table. The two classes are virtually inter changeable.

When traveling in two and don't care to share a table with someone else, I have a choice of two side by side. The big issue with this is my wife not wanting to travel backwards. The booking engine does not always give choice of the direction of travel. Additionally end of the line station, such as Marseille, turns the direction of the train in mid stream.

The best solution for us when traveling in two and with my wife who hates traveling backward is to book 1st class duo face to face across a table. One of us is always traveling forward. If the train changes the direction of travel, we merely switch seats between us.

When traveling alone, I would book 1st class, single row side but not sharing a table to play tootsies with a stranger.

Where are you departing from that it's a 5-hour train ride to Avignon? It's just a bit less than 3 hours from Paris.

There is a negligible difference between 1st and 2nd class, IMO. I never travel 1st class.

There are only two classes. Premier is not a class designation. It's a type of ticket - purchasable in advance at a discount.

First of all, stop looking at reseller sites that confuddle the issue by making up class names that are NOT the actual names used by the operator.

You are clearly looking at Rail Europe or some such!

For French trains I'd use ww.trainline.eu or www.loco2.com - same prices as SNCF themselves but easier to use, and no fees (Loco2 charges no fee if you use a debit card)

French trains only have 2 classes, 1st and 2nd.

The difference is purely in the seating, there is no included food or drink in 1st class on domestic French TGVs.

1st class has 2+1 seats across the car width, 2nd class has 2+2 so straight away you can see there's more elbow room, and solo seats and face-to-face tables for two on one side of the aisle in 1st. And more laptops tapping, fewer families with loud kids (unless I'm on board with my kids, obviously...)

I always book first class for trips of 3 hours or more in France. It's just "nicer", that's all, and often the price isn't hardly any different at all. Less crowded often. I've gotten stuck next to noisy kids and animals in 2nd too often, maybe I just have bad luck (meaning someone with a dog). If it were noticeably more expensive, I'd reconsider, but it isn't. And I can easily afford an extra few euro. I really like solo seats, also, some don't want them. If this is a big deal to you, then no, don't book first class, I wouldn't say there is a "big" difference in comfort. But the price difference from Paris to Avignon is only about 5-25 euro, really low at certain times of day (midday).

It isn't a 5 hr train ride, though, as someone noted.