Where and when to buy tickets for our trip from Paris to Strabourg
Sep 2nd, 2001, 04:32 PM
#1
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Where and when to buy tickets for our trip from Paris to Strabourg
Our family is planning to travel in December from Paris to Starsbourg and back to Paris after three nights. I hope someone will be able to tell us where to buy train tickets. Should we buy them in advance? Whene to buy them? Is it worthy to travel first class or should we go for the second? Are tickets from Paris to Strasbourg expensive?
Sep 2nd, 2001, 04:39 PM
#2
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I would just buy the tickets when you get there unless you are traveling during the same period of time when the French children are in school. <BR> <BR>Please note that there is no high speed train between Paris and Strasbourg. It is just a regular train. The journey is about 4 hours. <BR> <BR>Reserving ahead can save you money but raileurope.com, the way most Americans get their train tickets, does not offer these deals. The best way is to have someone in Europe make the reservations for you as there are advance purchase fares, etc., that can save you money--especially for a family group.
Sep 2nd, 2001, 04:46 PM
#4
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The website for the French rail system is at www. sncf.fr I'd recommend you check it out. <BR> <BR>Strasbourg has a very popular Christmas market, and if you are traveling with a family (i.e., several people) anytime near Christmas, I'd recommend you book in advance (on that website - you can pick the tickets up in Paris that you reserve on the website, and you'll get the benefit of the advance-purchase price), because you might encounter a problem getting as many seats as you like. <BR>I wouldn't bother with first class - on the regular-route trains, the difference is pretty imperceptible. For prices, check the website.
Sep 2nd, 2001, 05:25 PM
#5
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Train? That is a long trip. i think it take about 5 hours. Have you considered renting a car? It may be less expensive and the highway to Strasbourg is a dorect route and a nice drive. Air france also offers low priced flight to Strasbourg at around $99 round trip. You can get them off of Travelocity.
Sep 2nd, 2001, 08:16 PM
#6
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I've taken that train and it is about four hours on most runs. It's not that expensive, maybe about US$40 second class one-way. It's not worth first class for short runs like that IMO unless you can't get second. Second class on French trains is pretty decent.
Sep 3rd, 2001, 02:32 AM
#7
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Thank you all for your great help. Here are other questions related to my original: <BR>Anyone bought tickets in advance from the US? How does it work? Did they deliver to your home? What about payment? Credit card or cash? <BR>I went to the website suggested by SrCirq and found out that it is possible to get them deliver to your home in many different countries but I did not see the US on their list. <BR>Thank you again
Sep 3rd, 2001, 07:30 PM
#10
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I have the same question regarding booking tickets on the SNCF website and collecting them in Paris. The web site doesn't list the U.S. as one of the countries from which you have this option. Has anyone been able to do this from the U.S., and were there any problems trying to collect the tickets in Paris?
Sep 7th, 2001, 06:17 AM
#13
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To order tickets for pickup in France: <BR> <BR>Go to www.sncf.fr <BR>Click on the English flag. <BR>Click on Booking & Information. <BR>Fill out the information regarding your rail route/times, etc. <BR>When you've got the train and schedule you want, click on Approve. <BR>On the next page, which will ask you for your credit card information, there is a box that says Location for delivery or collection of tickets - one of your choices will be the train station you are departing from. <BR>
Sep 7th, 2001, 08:07 AM
#14
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I've used SNCF to book train tickets from the US and pick them up in France. <BR>If you pre-pay for the ticket and select an option to personally collect them, you can do so at any SNCF/TGV ticket counter in France or an SNCF boutique. There are ticket counters at almost every major train station in Paris, including RER/TGV station at Charles De Gaulle airport. There are also SNCF boutiques all around Paris. <BR>All you will need at ticket collection is a reservation number that you get at the time of booking (just print a confirmation page and bring it along) and a credit card that you've used to pay for the tickets. You will NOT be able to use the automated ticket machines for ticket collection - for some reason they only work with credit cards issued in France. <BR> <BR>You can also use SNCF to book tickets for countries other then France, but unless you travel plance include France it will be difficult to collect the tickets at a different country as SNCF may have one or two offices there - list is available on the web site (or it will tell you when you set a pickup country to something other then France).
