trouble booking train tix from CDG
 

I'm trying to book train tickets from CDG to Avignon (from the U.S.) but I keep getting routed to raileurope.com, which will only give me information about trips originating in central Paris. tvg.com is the only site I've found that will let me book from CDG to Avignon, but the booking page has no English-language option, and my French isn't good enough to book in French. Can anyone offer any suggestions on how I can get this done? Thanks in advance!!

Don't use tgv.com. Use www.sncf.com, then select Voyager from the icons along the top, then hit the British flag.

Or go to www.sncf.com and click on the TGV icon, which will take you to a tgv.com page that has a English option on the top right-hand corner.

both methods take me to voyages-sncf.com, which requires one to purchase the tickets in french. is there a way to get english on that site? if so, i can't seem to find it.

HI M,

At www.voyages-sncf.com, click the British Flag in the lower left corner.

((I))

oooooh. thank you!!

Another hitch, you will get several options out of Paris. Choose the one that says Roissy. That's the CDG.

If you're travelling from Paris to Avignon next Thursday, I have 2 first class tickets that are non-refundable that I will not be able to use.

Too bad they are not transferrable, but if the train is booked, maybe we can coordinate our times where I can cancel my reservation right before you book it. I'd rather a fodorite get them.

thank you for the offer, but i am not travelling till august.

Unfortunately, the voyages-sncf.com site eventually routed me right back to raileurope.com! so frustrating. raileurope.com does not recognize CDG as a destination.

First of all, you need to read MorganB's excellent instructions on using the voyages-sncf site and I'll top that post for you after I finish here.

The reason you are being "routed back" to RailEurope is because you probably indicated you were picking up tickets in the US.

RailEurope is SNCF's (and Swiss Fed Railways) marketing arm in North America.

You also cannot reserve anything more than 90 days out from your travel date for the most part.

The alternative is to fly to MRS. It looks like AF has a strangle hold in this route.

However, I made up a date of 14 August and found 6 flights, 4 of which were 58 euro, certainly cheaper than the train.

It's always good to keep one's options open.

I'm not the expert that MorganB is, but did quite recently make a successful (well, hopefully!)online reservation for the TGV train from the airport to Avigon for July. I was about to write you with the suggestion about "ticking" the default box (if it's not already done) that you want to pick up the tickets in France on the first page, where you set up everything up. Otherwise, as you already heard, you get booted to RailEurope.

I had luck putting CDG airport Terminal 2 into the first of the search boxes and then, when the message said "choose from these", the dropdown selections included CDG in the correct code as a choice. Just fiddle with it a few times if necessary- that's what I did and it eventually worked!

There was a gorgeous PREM special of an upgrade to first class offered for the same price as a second class reserved seat, which I clicked, but sadly did not appear as my "choice" when the next screen showed up. Maybe you will have better luck, being a month earlier!

In any event, it took a few tries but, keep at it! Bon chance!

HI M,>

>Unfortunately, the voyages-sncf.com site eventually routed me right back to raileurope.com! so frustrating. raileurope.com does not recognize CDG as a destination.<

First, you want to travel from Roissy (95) to Avignon.

Second, leave the Country as FRANCE.

Third, if you find PREMS fares, you can print your ticket at home.

Fourth, If you don't find PREMS fares, you pick up your tickets at the CDG terminal 2 TGV station.

((I))

The official name (in terms of the SNCF site) of the CDG station is "AEROPORT CDG 2 TGV" if you want to save time on the proper settings.