this is a good idea i think. buying tickets at the window is always time-consuming. i think the SNCF modulates window personnel on purpose so there will always be lines and thus motivate people to buy online, which is in everyone's interest. but even if extra trains are running the opening times for sales/information/buffet almost certainly won't change. there are automatic ticket machines but these will be under a lot of pressure with no ticket windows open, and mostly from people not used to using them. you can always buy a ticket from the conductor on the train. but there's an added fee, i think for this distance it would be 7€... and the normal fare is only 10 or 11€. there’s not even any need to change. on trains w/o reservations you can use your ticket for any train of the day that’s in the same color period (blue or white depending on how busy) and all the trains we’re talking about will be the same color.
Yeah I've just been schooled on SNCF. I've been booking TGV's around France with great success as I've been securing match tickets and booking accommodation in the host cities. I started this process in March. Last on the list was accommodation in Marseille for the SF and then a return to Paris via TGV. As you can imagine seats on trains the day after the SF are very popular and a lot of people will be travelling to Paris for the Final. SNCF have even put on extra trains especially for Euro for that route. Still prices are high. Now I've learnt that idTGV (budget version of TGV) are real particular about accepting bookings on foreign (non EU) credit cards (it's a common thing according to google). The Mastercard I've booked every trip successfully so far on SNCF's website was declined several times, as was my Visa and no paypal option for idTGV. I'm over this so I just booked a TGV for 90 €. It better be the best train ride ever!!
Yeah thanks, other advice I'd read online indicated that was an option, I was planning on doing that but just bit the bullet. Cheapest idTGV ticket was 67 €, the best thing about a 90 € ticket is it's refundable if I go for the cheaper option.
One potentially huge spanner in the works... The French rail unions have decided to go on strike every Wednesday and Thursday until July. Add to that, on the 14th of June, there's a call for a national full-on general strike. I deliberately avoided the ferries as I knew there was a high risk of ports being blockaded due to strikes, but didn't anticipate this. The French strikers can be very calculating, targeting tourists and the interests of other nations, as they know it'll put far more pressure on the government than actions that just inconvenience France itself.
There's some info here about checking whether trains are running and what to do in the case of cancellations: http://help.en.voyages-sncf.com/en/disruption-information-latest-update-exchanges-and-refunds
a little perspective: - a grève reconductible doesn't mean they'll be on strike every wednesday and thursday, simply that the union has announced the possibility of a going out on those days (public employees are not allowed to strike with giving advance warning). - in the case of your train not running you're allowed to board any TGV (though you're not guaranteed a seat). - only about 15% of personnel observed last week's strike call, and about 80% of TGV's ran normally, and 100% on the Paris/Lyon/Marseilles corridor. TER (local trains) were only at about 50% in province and 75% in Ile-de-France. - considering the capacity of the SNCF to run the majority of trains they'll concentrate on those affecting the Euro. unless there's a huge upturn in participation the strike will not make much difference to fans.
How far ahead does this work? Do we know that in June the worst that can happen is strikes on those days, or could it escalate by then? Because as it stands I only have one train to catch on a Wednesday or Thursday anyway.
Anybody heard anything yet about proposed special train/bus services post match for Lens-Lille and St Etienne-Lyon?
NickK posted details of a couple of St Etienne trains on the previous page. I assume there's similar for Lens now, but I'm not going there so don't actually know. This (new?) bit of the SNCF site looks like it should have timetable details of all trains, but I haven't checked it out. http://www.sncf.com/en/passengers
St Etienne is fine, but there's still nothing at all showing for Lens after the game. I've emailed the Lens tourist office again to hopefully find out. Given the problems with a lack of hotel rooms and a lack of transport, how difficult would it have been to have arranged things so games in St Etienne and Lens weren't scheduled for 9 pm?
That's just ridiculous. For what it's worth I've found this conversation: Matt, we have a good news. There will be an additional train for the 21st & 25th June between Lens & Lille. Have a good day.— SNCF Voyageurs (@SNCFVoyageurs) May 19, 2016
Thanks. I was just coming here to post up the reply I've just received from the Lens tourist office... Maybe I'll let the Lens tourist office know! I actually changed a hotel from St Etienne to Lyon because I knew I could get back, and also because I noticed my hotel was a bit weird in that it was unmanned outside 6 am to 11 am and 5 pm to 11 pm. You had to enter security codes to get in, or even to check in, and I just had visions of being locked out. I had to go back to Lyon early the next morning anyway, to catch a train to Avignon, so it's better all round. I also won't be staying on an industrial estate either.
http://marseillevillehote.marseille...u/guide-euro2016_def-engversion25-05-2016.pdf It is a really good guide. Do you know if there is a similar one to other cities as well??
So this potential massive strike on 14 June could cause issues....any locals keen to shed some light on how we could be impacted? I've got to get a train from Paris-Lyon-St Etienne on this day lol.
I am in the same boat... For now I'm just praying lol but it might be worth looking into renting a car or even a van if enough of us forums members can get together Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
With the threat of strikes and terror (Paris cop chief wants to close fan zone at Eiffel Tower when games in Paris are on) it's making it hard to remain excited about this tournament. Get your ********ing shit together France FFS
yesterday was a pretty heavy strike day so it may give an idea of how Jun14 may go: my son’s train from paris to lyon was cancelled as well as the next one so he was shuffled onto one 60 minutes later – no big deal for him but if you’re on a tight schedule it’s rough. the advantage is that he got his ticket reimbursed so in essence rode for free. when your train is announced as cancelled you are also allowed to board an earlier train but you need to really be on top of things for that.
he's an asshat, he's just saying that to further enflame public opinion against demonstrators (his rationale is that the strikes have unduly fatigued the forces of law and order). there's no possibility of closing the fanzones. he knows as well as anyone (we hope!) that the fanzones only exist to make security EASIER.
Trains back to Lille have made it into the timetable at last. 00:36 on the 22nd 01:08 on the 26th http://www.sncf.com/en/sub-home/17389
One question about trains... I've bought a lot of train tickets online, but as it happens none of them are TGV trains, so no seat reservations. When I received the tickets it said that you need to validate them before boarding the train. Now, these tickets all have times marked on them. If I've validated a ticket, do I still have to get on the train my ticket is for, or can I get on any like-for-like service? e.g. if they are both TER trains, can I get on one that leaves an hour earlier (or later)? I'd have thought you would have to get on the exact train if you didn't validate a ticket, but it seems a little pointless if you have to validate as well.
the date and time on a non TGV ticket don't really mean anything, you just get on the train you want IF it's the same "color" (I think there's only white and blue but there may be a third one for superüberpeak travel dates) but you do need to punch it in the little yellow machine before boarding. [edit] it's easy to know what color the trains are too, it's right on the departure boards around the station.
ah, I just realized that blue and white periods only apply to people who have reduced priced cards; if you pay full fare you can ride anytime