SNCF March Tickets to the Alps

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:

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

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

(3) Any other tips?

Thanks for your help!

John Saroff

(Saroff) wrote in
om:

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:

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

(2) Is it cheaper/better to buy them from SNCF in France or from
RailEurope here in NYC?
try 2 to three times more from your friends at Rail Europe (and they
often screw up the reservations on the trains not seeing some trains and
the like)

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). Expensive? There are
a number of options available that reduce the cost, such as 4-day railpasses
that often cost less than two round-trips. Even at regular price they seem
fairly reasonable to me. Difficult to get tickets for? Not my experience
at all... you just go into any SNCF station for standard tickets...


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

I believe they offer tickets only 90 days in advance.


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

Yes, it's cheaper, but unlike another poster, I found the difference to be
more on the order of 20%, not 2-3 times as much. And you do *not* need to
make your reservations through RailEurope, just purchase the ticket from
them and make the actual reservation when you get to France. On that you
*will* save about half the cost. For what it's worth, I ran your trip on
SNCF's website in French, and came up with 81.80 Euros each way, with a TGV
leg from Paris to Chambery, and a standard train from there to Bourg St.
Maurice (which is apparently 32km from Val D'Isere). At that price, a 4-day
RailPass will likely save you a fair amount of money.


(3) Any other tips?

Learn a small amount of practical French, and do *not* go to the help
(Accueil) booth! They are most unhelpful, while the agents at the normal
ticketing booths are very pleasant and will either take care of your there
or let you know where you need to go.

--Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles
http://www.ChainReactionBicycles.com


"Saroff" wrote in message
om...
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:

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

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

(3) Any other tips?

Thanks for your help!

John Saroff

"Mike Jacoubowsky" wrote in
om:




Yes, it's cheaper, but unlike another poster, I found the difference
to be more on the order of 20%, not 2-3 times as much. And you do
*not* need to make your reservations through RailEurope, just purchase
the ticket from them and make the actual reservation when you get to
France. On that you *will* save about half the cost.

I was basing my figures on the availability (usually) of discounted tickets
if one buys one line from SNCF.

"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.

Thanks for the info; my information is based on my travels during July &
September, and on the trains I rode, they most certainly didn't allow
"extras" to board.

--Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles
http://www.ChainReactionBicycles.com


"David Off" wrote in message
om...
"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.

Mike Jacoubowsky wrote:
Thanks for the info; my information is based on my travels during July &
September, and on the trains I rode, they most certainly didn't allow
"extras" to board.

But as you said, it is a pretty good way to travel, just need to get to
the station in good time and book in advance. Normally any extras are
confined between the carriages so are not a big issue to those seated.
the 'overbooked' passengers in theory have seats between the carriages,
not the most comfortable but not standing which I maybe implied. Apart
from that there are usually 2 or 3 people per carriage who just jump on
at peak times... again not a big problem if you can stay put for 3 hours.

And just think, every time a non-French taxpayer travels about 25% of
their ticket is paid for by people like me!

Saroff wrote:
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.

March is high season in the alps. On saturday many people travel to/from
the area as for a skiing holiday. For that purpose the SNCF runs many
direct TGV from all over France (and even Belgium and the Netherlands)
to the Alpine valleys, arriving there in the morning, and returning in
the afternoon.
But tickets on these trains are often hard to get, as travel agents
usually buy them up in whole blocks, to sell them as part of skiing
holiday packages.
So only couple of expensive fares might be available when the train
opens for booking... (two months in advance, if I'm not mistaken...)

Krist

On 12/11/2003 09:47, in article , "Krist"
wrote:

Saroff wrote:
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.

March is high season in the alps. On saturday many people travel to/from

No it's not.

the area as for a skiing holiday. For that purpose the SNCF runs many
direct TGV from all over France (and even Belgium and the Netherlands)
to the Alpine valleys, arriving there in the morning, and returning in
the afternoon.
But tickets on these trains are often hard to get, as travel agents
usually buy them up in whole blocks, to sell them as part of skiing
holiday packages.
So only couple of expensive fares might be available when the train
opens for booking... (two months in advance, if I'm not mistaken...)

Krist

Ian Spare wrote:
On 12/11/2003 09:47, in article , "Krist"
wrote:


Saroff wrote:

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.

March is high season in the alps. On saturday many people travel to/from


No it's not.

Is it? I've been skiing in the French alps in march, and it didn't
exactly feel as being anything but high season, which, in my experience,
runs from January till March at least.
The railways seem to disagree with you too, as the special ski trains
run wel into april.


Krist