nukesafe

I have done this before from the States a couple of years ago, but can't seem to do it this time.

I want to book two tickets from Liege Belgium to Amsterdam at the end of May. I choose Great Britain as my country of residence, chose my schedule, and jumped through all of the other hoops, but when it comes to "Choose how you want your ticket delivered" it only allows delivery by mail. It insists on a mail address, and does not allow either printing out the tickets or picking them up in Europe. It just gives me a screen on which to fill out my address, with "Great Britain" already in the country box.

What am I doing wrong?

StCirq

The TGV is a French train. Are you sure you can use the TGV site to book trains from and to two different countries (Just asking - I've never done this, so don't know)?

nukesafe

Yes you can. They have consolidated the systems to a degree, so you can go to the SNCF (French) site or to Bahn.com (German) and book tickets. I tried them both, and get stymied by both. Neither will give me the option of either printing out my tickets at home, or picking them up in Europe.

Neither site has kicked me over to the U.S. Rail Europe site, so I think my cookies are all right.

PalenQ

Why go thru all this travail to book tickets than can easily be booked I believe at the same price locally than in advance online - these are open tickets, right to be used on any traini? why th worry and fuss and hours spent - just show up in Liege and waltz to the station and buy ducats valid on every train to my knowledge.

"What are you doing wrong" - IMO just not buying once you get to Liege - these trains involved do not even take seat reservations so you can always board...

why book in advance in light of such travails?

nukesafe

Pal, I'm booking 90 days out so I can get lower prices. As a matter of fact, the site said there were only a few lower priced tickets still available this afternoon, so I may have already missed them.

If I wait to waltz up to the ticket counter in Liege the day before I leave, I might have to skip trying any number of those delightful Belgian beers. Quel horreur!

PalenQ

still flummoxed because as st Cirq says no TGVs run between Liege and Amsterdam but IC trains via Brussels or via Maastricht do and I believe they have a flat fare structure - what site are you looking at to get a discount Liege to Amsterdam?

It could be a Thalys train Brussels to Amsterdam I guess but not a TGV???

nukesafe

Damn, but I hate it when someone other than myself is right! My apologies, PalenQ, I was looking at the fare from Liege that included a Thalys segment. It had a note that almost all the seats were taken, and thus I thought it was some sort of PREM fare. When I looked more closely, the "regular" train cost less, only took three minutes longer, and there was no advantage to buying early. I will follow your good advice and just wait until I'm in Europe to book our seats.