"Mike Jacoubowsky" wrote in message . com...
I've heard that these TGVs are very crowded, expensive, and difficult
to get tickets for, so a few questions:

Not my experience at all! Crowded? If you consider a full car crowded,
sure, all seats may be taken, but as far as I know, they don't allow
non-seated riders (no standing-room-only situations).

That's not true. Grand Voyager can board any train they like, also
you can be on 'overbooking' - I think this is around 4 people per
coach. Also people just jump aboard, on peak periods they have staff
to stop this. They will usually stand between the corridors but
evenings out of Paris can be real chaos if you want luggage space for
lots of ski gear... arrive 30 minutes before the train leaves to make
you life easier. I've been on a train with seating for 800 that
actually had 1200 people on board due to a cancellation of the
preceeding train due to the weather conditions.

Fridays and Saturdays to the ski resorts can be a bit crazy but it
generally works out okay in my experience.

Difficult to get tickets for? Not my experience
at all... you just go into any SNCF station for standard tickets...

You should reserve your tickets at least 2 weeks, and possibly and
month in advance. Since the 35 hour week was introduced it has been
much more difficult to get tickets from Paris.

If you want the best price reserve the second the seats are available
2 months in advance. You can get the tickets sent to you in the UK I
think if you order through the SNCF. Quite a lot of staff speak
English and there is the web site.

I believe they offer tickets only 90 days in advance.

No it is two months, even with my Carte de Grand Voyager.