I just tried my hand at checking for train ticket prices to Tours (we will join a tour to the Loir valley there) . Our dates can either be April 4 th or 5th... and the cheapest ticket I found was approx 76 roundtrip. ( Tour starts at 9:30 so we would want to leave Paris at 8 am, and then return 6 or 7 pm)

Are there any tricks to getting a cheaper fare? The tickets show it is second class refundable fare...usually refundable fares are more expensive, right?

ttt

Hi LL,

www.voyages-sncf.com says it is 27.5E ($33) each way from Paris Austerlitz or Paris Montparnasse to Tours.

This is the regular 2 cl fare.

Where did you get your fare info?

hi ira
thanks for checking for me. i did go to the same website you did and chose the date of 4/4 for a second class leaving Paris Montp to Tours at 7:50 and was quoted 37.6 and similar price for the return. How did you get 27.5?

37.60 E is the regular price for the TGV from Gare Montparnasse to Tours. 27.50 E is the regular price for a slower regional train from Gare Austerlitz to Tours.

The normal second class fare is cheaper if you take the regular or slower train, not the TGV. That fare is about 27 euro and takes about 2:20 hours. The TGV fare is around 38 euro but only takes 1:10 hours. I would go for the faster train myself, but if the extra 11 euro each way is worth more to you than the extra hour, you can go with the regular train. I do not think there is any cheaper fare or slower train from Montparnasse, only Austerlitz.