RailEurope - hopeless. Please help!

[Febs]

Hi all,

(OK, I'm stupid for leaving it to ~10 days out)

I'm heading to Paris next weekend (3-6th Oct) and I was planning to take the TGV from Paris to Bordeaux on Sat 4th, and return on Sun 5th. Found the RailEurope Australia page, checked out the prices...all good.

Went to book today, and it appears tickets are paper tickets only. Argh! I'm in Mexico and US for the next week and a bit, so have no hope of getting tickets delivered to/from Australia.

So I checked out the UK RailEurope site. Much cheaper, and they allow e-tickets! Perfect...except they need a UK credit card.

...so I checked out the US RailEurope website. This was the worst of all of them - by far the most expensive, US residents only (actually, residents of a number of countries, but not Australia), and no e-tickets!

Anyone know how I could go about booking the tickets? At the moment my only hope is asking someone from the UK to book for me (e-tickets are self-serve at the station, so you don't need to present the card used to pay....I think). If that doesn't work though (I'll ask tomorrow)...I'm a bit stuck!

(To make matters trickier, the cheaper non-flexible tickets can only be booked 10+ days out, and tomorrow is 10 days out for the return leg!)

Would really appreciate any advice.

Cheers,
- Febs.

 

[simongr]

Have you tried TGV Tickets Online For TGV Rail Travel From Paris, Lille and Brussels Across Europe - they can only post tickets to a UK address - not sure if taht is an option for you?

 

[Febs]

Have you tried TGV Tickets Online For TGV Rail Travel From Paris, Lille and Brussels Across Europe - they can only post tickets to a UK address - not sure if taht is an option for you?

Unfortunately not. I know people in the UK, but given the short timeframe (travelling next weekend) and my movements before then, I really need an e-ticket or pickup option. Thanks though!

Cheers,
- Febs.

 

[Febs]

Hmm...$29USD for overnight delivery within the US. That's an option I guess...but a pricey one - the ticket price is the same in USD as it is in AUD...which is a good $60 more than in Euros!

You really expect everyone to be into e-ticketing these days...

Edit: Could always try my luck in person the day before...don't like my chances though.

 

[opusman]

I always book TGV tickets direct through the SNCF website - they have e-ticketing so just print your own tickets out and go.

Réservez votre voyage : billets de train et d'avion, séjour, hôtel avec voyages-sncf.com

 

[medhead]

I'd recomend the SNCF website as well.

I also use the DB website which will sell tickets for most places in europe. DB-Konzern - Home

I'd also guess you'd have no problems picking up tickets the day before.

That's a nice trip, did it last October. We went on a friday and trained out on a Sunday. Bordeuax train station was really busy but that wasn't helped by all the trains being delayed by an accident. They have a decent tram service that goes from the station through the old city. Stayed at a quality hotel in the old city

 

[vitaminp]

I'm another one for the SNCF website. I did Bordeuax - Paris last year, booked on-line using my aussie cc and picked up my tickets at the station.

Just did a dummy booking on the SNCF site for 01/10, and it gives you the option of picking up from machine or agent. The machine didn't work with my cc, so I just went to the agent who gave me the ticket.

And I agree with Medhead, the tram service in Bordeuax is excellent.

 

[medhead]

And I agree with Medhead, the tram service in Bordeuax is excellent.

just make sure you have change for the ticket machine.

 

[Febs]

Thanks very much everyone. I used the SNCF website and (I think) I was able to purchase the tickets. Google Transltor certainly helped!

I've e-mailed my itinerary to a French colleague, but I think all went smoothly. Pity you can't book an IDTGV outbound and non-IDTGV inbound trip on the same booking though.

Cheers,
- Febs.

 

[serfty]

... Google Transltor certainly helped! ...

Look for the little

flag towards the lower left of the page & click on it.

 

[Febs]

Look for the little

flag towards the lower left of the page & click on it.

Found that straight away serfty, but as soon as I said the tickets were for travel in France, it reverted me to the French page (all in French).

Oh well, done now.

 

[serfty]

Well there you go ...

Hmmm ... well I did not try to purchase any so thatat's that.

 

[opusman]

Luckily I did French in high school to a standard high enough to book train tickets with