Rail Travel Websites & Planning

[jxedwards]

It is possible that sometime this year (due to some odd logistical challenges, long story) I will be travelling to and/or from SW France to sunny west Wales by rail.

I have 'googled' and I have viewed  the following websites which appear to be just ok.

 

http://www.raileurope.co.uk/

http://www.raileurope.com/us/index.htm

 

Does anyone have good/bad experiences via rail to France (not the usual London - Paris route)?

Any suggestions for different websites or booking agents welcome.

 

Regards

 

John

[cooperlola]

I love the trains in France but seriously detest sncf's website.[:-))]  Any decent travel agent should be able to book continental rail journeys for you - also booking offices at big UK mainline stations.  If you are in France before then, by far the best service I get is from SNCF's own little shops (in major towns.)

http://www.voyages-sncf.com/dynamic/_SvHomePage?_DLG=SvHomePage&_CMD=cmdHomepageUK&WB=HP&rfrr=4685ac17fd2e7656e4918c53b246a3f7

[Russethouse]

 I agree, I have done Reading to Quimper and booked it by going to the railway station (luckily our local station is large and has this facility)

Crossing Paris (by Taxi) was more time consuming than I thought, not much room for big cases on either train. If feasible I would try to change at Lille next time, which I have heard is easier.

The French leg of my trip was 4 hours which is OK if you say it quickly, take a good book.......or two [:)]

[Anton Redman]

For some perverse reason the German Railways site seems better at French Railway Timetables than SNCF. Link below

Echo the comment on changing at Lille rather than Paris. Sometimes 'Marne La Vallee' which if it were anywhere else in the World would be called Euro Disney also provides an easier option for changing trains that Metro in Paris and does not always come up as an option.

http://reiseauskunft.bahn.de/bin/query.exe/en?newrequest=yes&protocol=http:

 

 

[Ford Anglia]

I'd recommend deciding on approximate times you'd like to travel and EXACT dates, then give RailEurope a ring.

They will book it all over the phone, will suggest best connections with enough time in between, best stations to connect at, and are friendly and very good at their job.

They saved me money and embarrassment when I booked for my wife to do France>> UK, then different station in the UK>> France, and I reckon to be pretty good with timetables.