(Saroff) wrote in message . com...
Hello!

I am going to Val D'Isere in March and was planning on beginning and
ending my trip in Paris. I am likely going to take the TGV down and
back on the twin Saturday's that bookend my trips.

I've heard that these TGVs are very crowded, expensive, and difficult
to get tickets for, so a few questions:

March will be low season in France, so you should not worry too much.
Beware however that those TGV are going high speed most often only
till Lyon or Geneva, they "convert" in a "stop at each resort" tramway
as of the first resort on the line.

(1) When does SNCF makes these tickets available for public sale? The
website currently only allows you to purchase tickets until January.

You can book exactly 2 months in advance (today, last booking day is
January 12, 2004). If you want to get the best buy, you are better off
buying your tickets on exactly the dates (for both going and return)
that are 2 months from your journey. E.g. yesterday, I got excellent
deals on tickets going back on January 11th. The first leg of the
journey (on jan 3) was still a good deal.

(2) Is it cheaper/better to buy them from SNCF in France or from
RailEurope here in NYC?

I am using the SNCF site very regularly (5 to 10 times a year) for
travelling from Brussels to either Paris, Geneva or Cluses, and always
found them very professionnal. I would encourage you to go through
them. You can probably choose to have your tickets delivered by mail
to you in NYC or waiting you in Paris.

(3) Any other tips?

Make sure you have all necessary information on the connections you
will require when arriving at the train station that serves your
resort. Most often, coaches are connecting with TGV's, so it shouldn't
be a problem, but it's always safe to check with the resort's Tourist
Office.

Thanks for your help!

You are very welcome !

John Saroff

Dominique Foucart
Skiing and Hiking in Haute Savoie
www.samoens.int.ms