Booking a TGV journey to Paris and transfer to Orly airport

[Miki]

For 4 days, by way of the internet, I have been trying to book a simple single journey from Rennes to Paris Montparnasse for our daughter in May.

It just stalls at the end each time when one chooses the journey and price.

I have contacted them by way of their online "complaint" form and it just spurts out the usual, "we will get back to you about the problem" message.

Well I guess tomorrow it will have to be a good old phone call or maybe a trip to a station.

The other thing is this, what is the simplest way to get from Montparnasse to Orly ?

I am told on one hand that there is a direct navette from Montparnasse, others have said she will need to take the metro for a few stops to a bus station (to a place I have forgotten now but can easily find again) then on to Orly Southern terminal.

Anyone able to help please ?

[Will]

Hi Miki. I often get the train to Montparnasse and then transfer to the airport. There is a bus from there to CDG, I don't know of one to Orly, though an oldish guide book we have says that Air France operates one. The best way to get to Orly I have found is to take the metro to Denfert-Rocherau (Line 5 towards Nation is the best - less of a walk than the other line) and take the Orlybus from there. It's clearly signed where to go.

I've sometimes found the same thing when boking by internet, it sorts itself out usually in a couple of days, otherwise you can do it by phone (call 3635). Somebody here said you can use the German Railways website to book journeys in France, it's supposed to be easier to use and more reliable. I haven't had any success with it myself though in trying to find international trains from Paris.

[Miki]

Thanks Will,

Yes the town you mention was the one we were told she would have to take the metro to, and then get the navette on to Orly.

I will ring Air France, as it seems that if they still run the navette to Orly, that would be ideal but my fear is, they will only take clients with an Air France flight ticket ?

So at Montparnasse she finds the metro and gets a ticket to Denfert-Rocherau which is on line 5 towards Nation ? Not too hard for her to do I hope ?

I will have another go today at trying to book the TGV but fear it will be out of order again !

Thanks Will, most useful.

[JohnM]

Hi

I've been having trouble getting http://www.voyages-sncf.com/dynamic/_SvHomePage?_DLG=SvHomePage&_CMD=cmdHomepageUK&WB=HP to do anything, but when I select the timeable otion (on that page) it takes me to http://www.voyages-sncf.com/dynamic/_SvTermConsHorSaisie?_TMS=1112460506831&_DLG=SvTermConsHorSaisie&_LANG=UK&_AGENCY=VSC&_TMS=1112460506749 and that seems to work.

Regards 

 

[Miki]

Thanks John,

Sorry but even that simply sticks on the spot when I press search.

They sent me another email this morning stating that the site is having continuing problems ! Only one of the largest sites in constant use in France, why should it work !!

I will probably go to the nearest station on Monday and buy a ticket there.

Edit : Tried it the way you did, worked OK but stuck once again when you try to buy the ticket !

[Deby]

We have had a bit of a mare with the SNCF Voyages site.  Booked a return TGV from Bordeaux to Paris Montparnasse - our account was debited toute de suite but there appeared an error message saying not possible to print out ticket/confirmation - therefore no booking.  However we have paid for it.

Still arguing with them and will have to wait till statement arrives and countless letters until they cough up.  Now we are flying as its not that more expensive.

Have had problems with their website before, come to think of it most French websites are completely crap and un-userfriendly.  Air France are getting better, but on the whole if you want to get the best fares you have to either ring up or go into one of the ticketing offices and queue up with the rest and then take pot luck. 

Just for your information if you are a family and flying with Air France you can get wonderful family tickets which are ultra-flexible and alot cheaper - these are of course not available through the website!!!!

Deby

[Miki]

Hi Duchess, hope the season is looking rosy for you ?

Of course I have to agree about the SNCF site and as you say, so many French sites are just too technical and futuristic to be much use, they tend to slow down and just stop or send you around around !

There are some that are OK, funny enough, we used SNCF to book our Daughters flight to Malta. Mind you it puts you on to their travel agency side and within 3 days the ticket turned up. They asked for 3 euros for postage and strangely, it had 50 or 80 centimes (threw it away)on the letter !! Still it arrived.

I wonder if you get the internet price for the TGV by buying from a train station? It is showing 35 euros for prem and 49 for the next and something else for 1st Class. I used to wait until nearer the time and often a 1st class ticket could be bought for the same price as a 2nd class but I dare not do that this time, as she has to be at Rennes really early i the morning and we need to ensure we get a ticket on the early train, as air Malta insist on check in 2 hours before. Is that normal these days, long time since I have flown and I don't remember it being that early for check in ?