Train trips from Paris to nearby countries
 

How would I find last minute deals on train travel from Paris to Brussels, Geneva, Luxembourg, Vienna etc ?. I would like to avail of any such opportunity if possible, while in Paris for a few weeks. Is there a particular website where such opportunities are posted?, or should I just troll the scnf.com sites ?. All help is appreciated.

www.tgv.com; www.voyages-sncf.com have so-called PREM fares that are deep discounts off regular fare but these are not last minute deals but are sold in limited numbers and typically sell out far in advance of the train - weeks or months sometimes. And they also cannot be changed nor refunded.

For Paris to Brussels also check out www.thalys.com - Thalys being the name of the train that rolls between Paris and Brussels - walk up fares can be $100 or so more than the deep discounted fares. Early bird gets the worm!

For lots of great dope on French trains check out these superb IMO sites - www.ricksteves.com; www.seat61.com (great info on discounted tickets) and www.budgeteuropetravel.com.

Thank you so much. I will take a look.

On the voyages-sncf.com website look at the menu on the top where it says "Bons Plans" and click on that link. You'll see a menu that says "Dernière Minute" and these are last minute deals on train travel and other types of packages. For train travel on those trains that require seat reservations you need to book as much as 3 months in advance to get the cheapest prices.

Here are some tips on booking tickets on the tgv-europe website:

If you use the website www.tgv-europe.com don't forget to uncheck the box marked "Direct Trains" to see all possible options. If the TGV site redirects you to the RailEurope website then try again and enter Great Britain or Antarctic as your ticket collection country. Other countries may also work but just try to find a country that doesn't get you redirected to RailEurope. The RailEurope website often doesn't show all the trains and generally has higher prices but you can check just to compare. For trains that require reservations you can buy tickets up to 3 months or more in advance and the earlier you buy them the cheaper they will be. The discounted tickets are known as PREM tickets but these are non-refundable and can't be exchanged.

Here is a website that will tell you how to navigate the TGV website:

http://www.nickbooth.id.au/Tips/FrenchTrain.htm

ttt

If doing many such day trips or more than day trips consider the France-Benelux Railpass that cover most trains in Netherlands, Belgium and Luxzembourg - if doing sore than a fe such jaunts check it out!

How would I find last minute deals on train travel from Paris to Brussels, Geneva, Luxembourg, Vienna etc >

well Vienna is way too far for a day trip and since there are no direct trains would be expensive even with two separate discounted tickets (Paris-Munich; Munich-Vienna).

Thanks to all for your replies. Trips to Brussels or Luxenburgh seem doable.

Trip to London is also doable - about two hours each way and you gain an hour after you come out of the Chunnel on the Chunnel trains. www.eurostar.com has some special day-return fares.