Hello. Are there any slow ( nonTGV) trains that go from Paris to either Toulon or Nice or St. Raphael? I cannot find any on the internet but perhaps I am doing something wrong!
Thanks in advance.

On the German train site (http://www.bahn.de), you can select to limit the search and exclude ICE, which are the German equivalent of TGVs and coded as such. A quick search for Paris-Toulon (for a random day -- tomorrow) shows 4 trains, _BUT_ these take a total of 12-13 hours instead of 4-4.5. I guess they qualify as "slow".

Paul

Why don't you want to go on a TGV? The supplementary fare is relatively small. There are overnight trains with sleepers and couchettes, and these are probably the only non-TGV trains from Paris to the south of France.

Yes, there are some leaving around 9 pm from Gare Austerlitz and Bercy. They take 10-12 hours.

If you go to the French RR web site www.sncf.com, they list all choices within your dates and time frames. If none are listed during the time and date you want, there aren't any. I found 3-4 trains very easily by putting in 9pm-1am as the departure time for searching for Paris to Nice. I suspect there may not be many in the daytime, but you'll have to do the search.

This message board is very helpful, as I have another train question. How do I purchase tickets from www.sncf.com?
They will only mail tickets to an address in France.
I am trying to find a youth fare for Paris to Amsterdam. This fare is not listed under "point to point" on the raileurope website. How do I go about getting the tickets? (I am travelling in less than 2 weeks) or, is it cheaper to buy the train ticket when I am in Paris?

I am sure someone who knows the answer will help you with this so I am topping it....I am one of the few people here who don;t seem to mind using Raileurope because they are convenient for me...BUT DON'T fool with their website..CALL their toll-free number. I suspect if the youth fare is available it is probably ultimately cheaper to get it once there. You do not mention your origin other than Paris..are you flying into CDG? If so, SNCF has an office at the airport (not the one at the airport train station)itself where you can buy tickets.

Hi Nancy,

You do not have to have your SNCF ticket mailed to you.

When you get to the confirmation page on the website you will find an option "To withdraw your ticket in Automatic ticket machines (ATMs)". Choose this and pick up your ticket at the train station using the *same* credit card with which you made the reservation.

You will get the Youth Fare when you choose your train. Identify the passenger as "adult between 12 and 25".

You can get an additional 25% discount if you buy the Youth Card.

You can buy your ticket in Paris as well, but I think it will be more convenient to get it through SNCF online.

The through trains from Paris to Amsterdam are Thalys high speed trains which have special fares. There are high speed trains from Paris to Brussels, I think, every half hour, then normal (cheap) trains (without seat reservations) every hour from Brussels to Amsterdam. From Brussels to Amsterdam, the Thalys go on the same tracks as the normal trains, so are hardly any faster. You can check details on the train operators' web sites, www.sncf.fr, www.b-rail.be and www.ns.nl.

Thank you so much for the information.
One more question: What is the best place to buy train ticket from Amsterdam to Leipzig? or is there a discount airline that will fly this route?

Nancy,

Paris-Amsterdam;
As Ira mentions, you should buy your Thalys tickets from Paris to Amsterdam on www.sncf.com, with pickup in FRANCE - you must prepay, your tickets will then be issued when you show up at any train station or "Boutique SNCF" in France with your credit card.

The youth fare on Thalys does not require the purchase of any additional reduction cards, nor would these provide any further discounts (they are only valid on domestic french trains).

You could save some money by only taking the Thalys to Brussels and changing there to a normal IC (intercity) train to Amsterdam, but that seems like a hassle to me and I assume that the savings will be quite small.

Amsterdam-Leipzig:
I don't know of any convenient low cost air connections on this route.

However train schedules are OK with quite a few good connections generally involving 1 change in Hannover and taking about 7.5 hours. Schedules and some fare info at www.ns.nl.

While there do not seem to be any youth fares available on this route, if there are at least 2 of you travelling together, only the first person pays full fare, the rest pay half - ask for the "samenreiskorting" (pronounced suh-men-race-corting).

Just purchase your ticket once you arrive in Amsterdam. You might want to reserve seats, shouldn't cost much extra to do so. Connections involving ICE (InterCity Express) trains will cost a little more than those on ICs only. ICEs are much more comfortable though.

Hope this helps,
Andre

thank you, Andre. I have trouble with the www.ns.nl site. It kept telling me that I made an error, and no fare prices. Any other suggestions for Amsterdam - Leipzig?

Nancy,

Don't know why the NS site is giving you error messages. Checked on the dutch version, where there is an online purchase module (not useful for people who live outside the country though) and was able to get a fare quote of EUR 83,40 for Amsterdam-Leipzig one way on the direct IC train in 2nd class including seat reservation. As mentioned, tickets would only cost EUR 126,60 for 2, as the 2nd person travels 1/2 price (except for seat reservation cost).

The faster and more comfortable ICE connections - which do involve a train change however - will cost a little more but not much (probably less than EUR 10).

You can also check www.rail.ch for train schedules (but no fares for your journey).

Hope this helps,
Andre

The reference library of a city near you may have the Thomas Cook European Timetable. This shows two trains to interest you.

Fast, but not TGV, is the Blue Train from Paris Austerlitz at 2117 to Marseilles at 0522, Toulon 0612, St Raphael 0703 and Nice 0750. It has 1, 2 and 3 berth sleepers and crowded 6 berth couchettes.

By day the Cevenol buffet car Express leaves Paris Gare de Lyon at 0847 and reaches Marseilles at 1918: you change to an evening train to your destination.

I found nothing from Paris Bercy.

Welcome to Europe

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Thanks again, Andre.