Kitty Posted March 8, 2006 Share Posted March 8, 2006 1. I need to know a website for finding out details of catching a train from a British station e.g. Bristol to a French station e.g. Bordeaux - all on one ticket.2. Do the ticket prices vary throughout the year?3. Can tickets be bought at the last minute?4. Are tickets transferable? e.g. if you buy a return and then decide to extand your stay, can you change for another day?With thanks in advance for your advice, Cathy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterG Posted March 8, 2006 Share Posted March 8, 2006 Hi Cathy,I don't know whether this site is worth looking at but it could help.http://www.raileurope.com/us/index.htmGood luck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bakerino Posted March 8, 2006 Share Posted March 8, 2006 I booked a ticket through rail europe last year from Waterloo to Angouleme changing at lille. As far as I remember the train went on to Bordeaux. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anton Redman Posted March 8, 2006 Share Posted March 8, 2006 The best site for finding out about trains in France I have found ishttp://reiseauskunft.bahn.deAfter you have the information you need go down to a local station, not during the Monday morning rush hour, and then talk to them about fares. It is the only website I have found which gives Marne la Vallee as alternative for changing trains at Lille or Paris if you start at Waterloo and want for instance to go to Poitiers or Angouleme. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
josa Posted March 8, 2006 Share Posted March 8, 2006 Try http://www.raileurope.co.uk/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KathyC Posted March 8, 2006 Share Posted March 8, 2006 You have to book the UK sector separately but the above site will let you book from London to Bordeaux.(via Paris or Lille) Fares are not so much seasonal as dependent on the time of day and the speed of the train, although popular holiday periods get sold out more quickly. It is usually cheaper to start your journey from late morning onward as these tickets are not bought by people going on day trips.The cheaper the ticket the less flexible it will be as you have to have a reservation on most fast continental trains; you can't just jump on any train you like as you do in the UK.If you are able to commit to catching a particular train on a particular day you can make great savings, if you need full flexibility it can cost you 2 or 3 times the price. Good luck, it's a great way to travel! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Debra Posted March 8, 2006 Share Posted March 8, 2006 Any idea of the cheapest for a family of five? I just had a look there and it looked very expensive! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KathyC Posted March 8, 2006 Share Posted March 8, 2006 Difficult to say without knowing when you'd be travelling, but I could see adult return fares from £99. There is also a Carte Enfant that gives you reductions for a family with at least 1 child under 12. (Available through SNCF) I don't think that the fares compete with the budget airlines but as I have a phobia about flying any amount is worth paying to keep me on solid ground! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Debra Posted March 9, 2006 Share Posted March 9, 2006 Ah well, if they don't compete with flying they won't compete with driving when its a family of five involved, but it was worth a thought! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Riff-Raff Element Posted March 9, 2006 Share Posted March 9, 2006 I am happy to spend hours or days looking out of a train carriagewindow in the company of my own thoughts (something impossible in aplane, I find - one cloud very quickly looks like another), so I'vealways rather fancied that idea of travelling back to the UK by train.Unfortunately, every time I try to use the SNCF sites they eithercrash, or no seats are available or they want about €600 return. Arethere any other sites that might handle rides FROM France? I had ratherhoped that Thomas Cook might do something being as what they used topublish their incredibly useful European timetable (is that stillavailable? Got me out of a few holes in the past...), but I can't findanything from them either (I may be being stupid). Ideas anyone? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alcazar Posted March 9, 2006 Share Posted March 9, 2006 AFAIK, Thos Cook still publish, but timetables are updated monthly, so work out dear if you need to travel at different times of the year.Having said that, a) most trains DON'T alter.........but what would you like to bet that YOUR connection would be one that DID?b) Thos Cook will almost certainly post you a timetable, or I could if you really want one?Jeff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blanche Neige Posted March 9, 2006 Share Posted March 9, 2006 Lots of excellent replies here and I think Kathy C in particular has really summed things up very well.The Lille transfer is easiest but if you do the Paris Gare du Nord to Montparnasse transfer I would be inclined to take a taxi across Paris, if there is one that will take all of you with you luggage.I once cashed in a single tickets that I didn't need to use, Strasboug / Paris / Angouleme, I went into a local (Fr.) station a few days before the date of travel and they just credited the amount to my credit card, no problem. as others have said, it depends on the type of ticket and the conditions that go with it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Riff-Raff Element Posted March 9, 2006 Share Posted March 9, 2006 [quote user="Alcazar"]AFAIK, Thos Cook still publish, but timetablesare updated monthly, so work out dear if you need to travel atdifferent times of the year.Having said that, a) most trains DON'T alter.........but what would you like to bet that YOUR connection would be one that DID?b) Thos Cook will almost certainly post you a timetable, or I could if you really want one?Jeff[/quote]Thanks Jeff - and thanks for your offer. We've got some friends comingover in three weeks, so I will ask them to bring a copy. People oftenask what they should bring that "you miss from the UK" and I don't havethe heart to say that the only thing we miss is them, so I always askfor Marmite. We currently have six pounds of Marmite in stock (enoughfor about 4 years as I am the only person in this household who eatsit) so henceforth I shall ask for the latest copy of Cook's.I had another look as thomascook.fr - it is possible to book trains onthere...but the reservation is done through a window from the SNCFsite, so it amounts to the same thing[8o|] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kitty Posted March 10, 2006 Author Share Posted March 10, 2006 Thank you everyone for helping me on this question. I have been debating whether to fly, drive/sail or take the train to my French house near Bordeaux and this has helped me. The problem with flying is the cost of parking the car. Even though I use a B&B place to store the car near Bristol airport, the cost still mounts up. I ask friends sometimes to take/collect me but how often can you do that?Another question: does anyone know the rough cost of a taxi from Gare de Nord to Gare Montparnesse (if that is the station that goes to Bordeaux)? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blanche Neige Posted March 10, 2006 Share Posted March 10, 2006 CathyI have sent you a PM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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