SNCF

[Just Katie]

I went to book a ticket on the internet at work the other day and went onto the english speaking site.  My colleague intervened and told me that I should only book on the French site as it is cheaper. 

I could do an experiment to check if this is true but I hate the website, and besides it gives me a good reason to make a serious post and get in Ron Averyon's good books.

So, I wonder if anyone could confirm if my colleague's query is correct?

[Will]

It's the same price on both parts of the site, so your colleague is incorrect.

Still a crap site though.

[Just Katie]

Cheers Will [:)]

[Gardian]

I was about to wade in and contradict Will, but thought that I'd better check first! He's right. 

For a straightforward Eurostar Paris - London return (which is no doubt what you're after), the prices are indeed more or less identical, depending on which ex rate you choose to use (at least they were for the sample dates and times I just plugged in). 

However for journeys from the provinces, it can vary and sometimes quite dramatically and there's no knowing which one will be the cheaper. Believe me, I know, having booked quite regularly.  Guess that won't worry you though JK, being a Parisienne.

However, if you qualify for a Carte Senior (60+), it could work out a lot cheaper! [:-))]      

[Will]

Which sites are you using Gardian? I always use www.voyages-sncf.com, for tickets being sent to France. It used to have an English language option that let you book tickets in France, in English, if that was what you wanted.

However, now if you click on the British flag on the SNCF site, it opens www.tgv-europe.com, which when I tried just now it didn't seem too happy about booking Eurostar journeys, and will only send tickets to Britain. If I want tickets in France, or to book an internal journey in France other than TGV lines, it redirects me to the voyages-sncf site in French.

Trying a TGV journey, both sites quoted identical prices, both in euros.

I do recall that last time I wanted to book a cross-border rail journey, in England, involving both Thalys and TER trains (Rotterdam to Vire if I remember rightly) it proved impossible to do so online, and I ended up calling in at the SNCF travel centre in London which did it very efficiently.

I can well believe that you could get variations in prices depending on which country you book through. That certainly applies to ferries, where although basic standard prices are virtually identical, allowing for exchange rates, different offers and discounts apply.

[Gardian]

Will ..............

For 'France', it's www.voyages-sncf.com , as suggested above.

For 'UK', it's the Rail Europe one (can't check it, because I'll have to bail out and re-start this reply, but everybody knows it or can find it easily).

I think that whichever option you use, you end up on the diabolical SNCF site. It has improved a bit, but even for those who have occasion to use it reasonably regularly, it's not the happiest experience. You have to be patient, but sadly that's not my strongest suite.

My most recent problem, when booking son No2 to come down here at quite short notice, is that they will no longer accept cards with non-UK addresses on the Rail Europe site. "Why?", I asked the Call Centre indignantly. "Fraud - too much", was the answer.

Well OK, fraud is a worldwide problem, but why especially with non-UK addresses for UK cards?  And how many fraudsters are going to target UK - France rail tickets as a source of fraudulent revenue?    

[Just Katie]

Watch it Guardian [:$]

Also, when I book a tgv to travel in France, the secretary insists on making a big pullarvah in which she insists that I book online, then walk over to the SNCF office with the reference number to collect and pay for the tickets.

Surely, there must be an easier way

[Cat]

Cripes Katie, whose bottom did you have to kick? [:)]

http://www.metrofrance.com/fr/article/relaxnews/2008/10/15/751_20081015182424_xml/index.xml

[Just Katie]

Sorry Cat, that site is too much French for me. I will be here until next tuesday reading that. 

As for kicking bottoms, me and Sandrine lock horns and kick each others bottoms every month over this but she always wins because she gets all Latin about it and I get all embarrassed.  Like this look............[:$]

[Will]

I have just received a mail shot from Rail Europe which says it is improving its web site and booking system. Apparently more routes are available, and they ask you to e-mail them to book journeys that are not available on the web site. I've found that by calling into the SNCF/Rail Europe travel centre in London I've been able to book journeys within France that I couldn't via SNCF, so with luck the e-mail service will be similar. The site is www.raileurope.co.uk .

[Gardian]

To give credit where it's due, I've just had an excellent experience in our local SNCF boutique.

I've been messing around on the internet for the last week trying to book our Christmas journey back to the UK.  Usual nonsense: a reasonable price on a particular train will be there on day and gone the next, only to reappear the following day. I'd managed to get a good price in 1st class (only marginally more than the price in 2nd), but couldn't get a comparable deal for the return journey.

A friend had told me that the 'boutique' people were good, but I had been in 'I want to be able to see what I'm doing myself / not be forced in to something I don't want' mode.

Anyway, was nagged by OH to give it a try when passing this afternoon. Done & dusted in 10 mins flat! I explained the problem, the young lady got us the same price in 1st for both journeys, on the trains that suited us.  She explained that she has visibility of all the timing and pricing options on one screen (a bit like the Eurotunnel and ferry systems). I guess that SNCF will make a similar version available on the internet soon, as per Will's comment above.

Professionally done: me a happy bunny (rare in itself). OH smug at being right (also rare).