French Railroad (SNCF) Money Saving Tip

Greetings,

This post is intended primarily for we North Americans who want to reserve (and purchase) French Railroad (called the SNCF) tickets. The RailEurope web site is somewhat of a "rip off" because you will pay a premium (sometimes double the cost) when buying tickets on RailEurope. So you should consider just going to SNCF.com and you can then click on the upper right corner to change the language to English.

When you go to search, reserve, and purchase it will ask where you intend to pick up the tickets. Make sure you say "France" since if you put in the USA or Canada it is going to immediately link you to the more expensive RailEurope site. When you say "FRance" you will stay on the less costly SNCF site. You can reserve your seats (if applicable) and buy your tickets on line. It is possible to pay by major credit card although some North American credit cards do not work. Another option is to simply pay via Paypal (international travelers should consider getting a Paypal account since it can be very useful).

The SNCF site will then give you the option of printing-out your train tickets (a good option). You can opt to pick up your ticket at a European ticket vending machine, but you will need a EMV compatible Chip/PIN credit card which many Americans do not have.

Hank:)

Thanks, Hank. More very useful information.:)

Thanks Hank for pointing this out to others. I was doing some research on train tickets based on some info from Tom's website and was totally confused when the route cost displayed as $11 vs. the 1.7 Euro he said it would cost to go from Villefranche to Nice. Only after staying on the SNCF and switching the county to France did the 1.7 Euro tickets display. My thinking was that I would be in France at the time of purchase:)

I do have a question now after seeing you post about purchasing tickets ahead. With respect to this trip there is no need to pre purchase tickets is there?

Thanks for sharing your wealth of knowledge!

Sheal

I actually could not get either of my CC's to work on the SNCF site but was able to purchase tickets with no additional fees at capitainetrain.com

Don't let the low rent looking website fool you as it is a fairly new startup site, the process worked perfectly for my tickets from Barcelona to Toulon post cruise. I was able able print from home the PDF tickets with no hassles.

I could be wrong but I think that the man in seat 61 is tied to this site as well. He has a great website for everything train related.

Thanks Hank for pointing this out to others. I was doing some research on train tickets based on some info from Tom's website and was totally confused when the route cost displayed as $11 vs. the 1.7 Euro he said it would cost to go from Villefranche to Nice. Only after staying on the SNCF and switching the county to France did the 1.7 Euro tickets display. My thinking was that I would be in France at the time of purchase:)

 

I do have a question now after seeing you post about purchasing tickets ahead. With respect to this trip there is no need to pre purchase tickets is there?

 

 

Thanks for sharing your wealth of knowledge!

 

Sheal

My goodness, you do not want to buy, in advance, a ticket on this train line. The trains that run from Villefrance to Nice (they come from Monte Carlo) are TER (or regional) trains. These are more like an elevated subway/commuter train then a true train. In fact, you will even see folks bringing their bicycles aboard. There is no need to reserve in advance (there are no reserved seats) anymore then you would reserve a subway train :). If you decide to take the train you just hike up the steps to the Villefranche station, buy a ticket from the vending machine (or ticket office) and hop on the next train.

You might also want to consider taking the #100 bus rather then the train. The bus runs more often and is cheaper. For those who want to go to Nice's Old Town or Flower Market the Nice bus station is in a more convenient location then the train station. If going on your own, make sure you download (and print) a decent map. Trying to get through the windy streets in the old town can be a bit difficult for some.

Hank

Hank,

I'll add the bus to my notes. Maybe a bus ride to and a train back to get the full experience. With respect to the train and bus, do the schedules change twice (or more) each year? I do look just to get an idea of the schedules but then wait until closer to departure date.

Thanks again!

It's been over 15 years since we've traveled to France and am a bit overwhelmed with the process of train travel!!

We are planning on traveling from Paris (Gard du Nord) to Liege, Belguim in July. Since it's still more than 90 days out, I was not able to find ticket availability. I've done a "dummy" booking for earlier to see all the options.

Is it possible to use the "Ticketless" option. Then do you just show these onboard or at the station? Still trying to decide whether to get the cheaper non-refundables or the more expensive 50% since it is still so far out from travel.

It's been over 15 years since we've traveled to France and am a bit overwhelmed with the process of train travel!!

 

We are planning on traveling from Paris (Gard du Nord) to Liege, Belguim in July. Since it's still more than 90 days out, I was not able to find ticket availability. I've done a "dummy" booking for earlier to see all the options.

 

Is it possible to use the "Ticketless" option. Then do you just show these onboard or at the station? Still trying to decide whether to get the cheaper non-refundables or the more expensive 50% since it is still so far out from travel.

It has actually become much easier in the past year since SNCF now allows us to use their site. I will give you all the steps and you hope for the best :). Open up the SNCF.Com site and then go to the top right of the screen and use the small drop down box to change the language from "FR" to "EN." Then you just start by typing in the date and to and from stations (when you type in Paris just accept the Paris all option). At the lower right you will see a box asking where you are from and you should use "France" in order to avoid being steered to the more expensive RailEurope web site.

Once you find the train you want and choose your class of travel (if you are 60 make sure you use that box since it gets you a nice discount) you can go through the steps to buy your ticket and have it delivered electronically (you just print it out). The key is how you pay for the ticket. SNCF will accept some US credit cards, but many get rejected. If none of your credit cards are acceptable there is another option to pay using PayPAL. Personally, we think all international travelers should set-up a PalPal account since it is a very useful way to transfer money between countries (we use it all the time to book apartments in Europe). Once you have paid for your ticket just follow the instructions to get your ticket which you print out. That print out is your actual ticket and no need for anything else.

There is also an option if you want to pick-up your ticket in France. This would allow you to get your ticket out of a ticket vending machine....but (and this is very important) you need to use the same credit card you used to purchase the ticket and YOUR CREDIT CARD MUST BE A CHIP/PIN EMV CARD. Very few Americans have an EMV Chip/PIN card (although this will change in the next 2 years). This is why it is smart to just print out your ticket at home.

Just a further note. If the SNCF does not accept any of your major credit cards and you do not want to use a PayPal account you have other options. You can use the Raileurope.com web site (your credit cards will always work here) but you are going to pay a premium for your tickets. Or, you can just wait until you get to any European country and stop at a train station (or travel agency) and buy/reserve your ticket.

Hank

Thanks, Hank! I'll be able to book in about a week (90 days out) really appreciate your step by step input! Will use Paypal if my credit card is rejected. thanks again! :)

Thank you for all the information about the SCNF website. But after a long struggle I was finally forced to book my train reservations on the rail europe site due to the fact that SCNF would not accept my credit card and Paypal was not an option on the tickets I purchased. I emailed them for confirmation and apparently not all train tickets are available for purchase thru Paypal. Will certainly try using them again another time, though!

Thank you for all the information about the SCNF website. But after a long struggle I was finally forced to book my train reservations on the rail europe site due to the fact that SCNF would not accept my credit card and Paypal was not an option on the tickets I purchased. I emailed them for confirmation and apparently not all train tickets are available for purchase thru Paypal. Will certainly try using them again another time, though!

We are not totally surprised as we had to try 3 credit cards before we found one that worked. The situation when we travel in Europe is even worse since it has become increasingly difficult to use a US issued Magnetic strip card. Fortunately we now have managed to obtain a Chip/PIN EMV card which will work anywhere in Europe..but getting these cards is still not easy in the US.

As to the SNCF site, they really try to kick folks to the Rail Europe site where ticket prices can be quite a bit more expensive then buying them direct from the railroad. For many folks we suggest just waiting until you get to Europe where you can easily buy train tickets unless you are buying tickets on a route where you must have reservations and the demand is high.

One irony is that now that we have managed to complete a transaction on the SNCF site, we get all kinds of e-mail promotions (which big price reductions) from SNCF. One recent promotion was for 50% off of tickets on some routes!

Hank

Thank you for all the information about the SCNF website. But after a long struggle I was finally forced to book my train reservations on the rail europe site due to the fact that SCNF would not accept my credit card and Paypal was not an option on the tickets I purchased. I emailed them for confirmation and apparently not all train tickets are available for purchase thru Paypal. Will certainly try using them again another time, though!

Why, Why, Why!!! There is no reason anybody should have to use the RailEurope site. I listed the capitainetrain.com site which has no upcharge or you could have booked directly with through the Thalys site as well.

I cringe to think how much you overpaid.

The Man in Seat Sixty-One (www.seat61.com) website provides the most helpful detailed information for when and how to book European train tickets. We saved a lot of money booking about three months in advance for our Venice to Milan, Milan to Paris and Paris to Amsterdam tickets for last fall on the different websites he suggested.

Hank ~ a big THANK YOU!!! As usual you're right on target and SO helpful - have been following your advice for years!! Right now its too far out for us to actually book our train tickets but looks like when we do we might save about 50% using your method - hurray!!! I'll also post this on our River Cruise site for others to try and save $$$.

Thanks for always being SO helpful and always sharing with everyone!!!

Hank ~ a big THANK YOU!!! As usual you're right on target and SO helpful - have been following your advice for years!! Right now its too far out for us to actually book our train tickets but looks like when we do we might save about 50% using your method - hurray!!! I'll also post this on our River Cruise site for others to try and save $$$.

 

Thanks for always being SO helpful and always sharing with everyone!!!

Am a New Yorker (by birth) so extra happy to help anyone from Queens. Just beware that some continue to have problems getting the SNCF site to accept their credit card and you do not know for sure until you actually try to complete the transaction. So make a note about Bugeater2's posted site as a backup. I believe there is another German site that will allow folks from the US to book (without paying the outrageous premium charged by Rail Europe) but do not recall the name or link to that site.

Hank

Thanks Hank! We also both have pay pal accounts - DH uses his often doing European/Australian business - works perfectly!!!

And a belated thanks for "recommending" VRBO for Paris rentals - we & friends have an apartment rented for a September week before our cruise!

Why, Why, Why!!! There is no reason anybody should have to use the RailEurope site. I listed the capitainetrain.com site which has no upcharge or you could have booked directly with through the Thalys site as well.

 

I cringe to think how much you overpaid.

Thank you bugeater for your recommendation of capitainetrain website. I did try to use it but they were unable to issue an e-ticket for my particular train and therefore I could not pay except in person within hours! I sent them an email and they were very courteous in explaining that not all their trains were able to be purchased thru e-tickets. 80% of their tickets are available by e-ticket.

This is the message I received …..Ticket on hold: price and seat will be guaranteed if paid before today 08:23. Print-at-station ticket (SNCF) can only be retrieved at a French station using a SNCF self-service machine….

And the raileurope ticket was not excessively more expensive (this time!) as I was able to get in on early purchase and get the cheapest tickets.

Thank you bugeater for your recommendation of capitainetrain website. I did try to use it but they were unable to issue an e-ticket for my particular train and therefore I could not pay except in person within hours! I sent them an email and they were very courteous in explaining that not all their trains were able to be purchased thru e-tickets. 80% of their tickets are available by e-ticket.

This is the message I received …..Ticket on hold: price and seat will be guaranteed if paid before today 08:23. Print-at-station ticket (SNCF) can only be retrieved at a French station using a SNCF self-service machine….

 

And the raileurope ticket was not excessively more expensive (this time!) as I was able to get in on early purchase and get the cheapest tickets.

Certain trains just do not have advance tickets (or reserved seats) and are more like commuter trains then real trains. A good example are the TER trains that run along the southern coast of France (such as between Cannes and Monte Carlo) where you simply buy your ticket (at a ticket window or via the vending machines) and hop on the next train (after validating your ticket). These type trains have no limit to the number of tickets and if they happen to be real crowded you would just stand until a seat became free.

Hank

The train we will need does require advance tickets… Paris to Liege, Belguim. But for some reason capitainetrain does not issue e-tickets for this train. And the SNCF did not offer paypal for this particular train either. We do now have tickets with reserved seats---on a very busy week-end in July.

I really do appreciate the heads up and information for ordering tickets in advance as they are now way more than we paid!!

The train we will need does require advance tickets… Paris to Liege, Belguim. But for some reason capitainetrain does not issue e-tickets for this train. And the SNCF did not offer paypal for this particular train either. We do now have tickets with reserved seats---on a very busy week-end in July.

 

I really do appreciate the heads up and information for ordering tickets in advance as they are now way more than we paid!!

FYI, Those tickets could have been purchased on Thalys with a print at home option. It looks like Thalys has 5 departure daily on all Thalys equipment and also has a bunch on Thalys to Brussels and change to Belgium intercity trains as well. I looked at fares for July 12th (Saturday) and found 2nd class tickets as cheap as 22€ and 1st class as low as 45€.

I have not had any issues buying tickets on the Thalys site and I am thinking that the SNCF site was probably the harder way to go about it.

Their website is https://www.thalys.com/be/en/ I always use the Belgium/English version of the website because there are no additional fees. If you use the other English versions, you will be redirected to an agency screen that tacks on an additional 5€ per ticket

I know you already have your tickets but I wanted to list this for anybody else who may come across this tread in a search.

Hank.. Your information has always been invaluable to me. I am planning a land trip to Provence at the end of the summer and I have been following all your posts that pertain to it.

I will be taking a train from cdg to Avignon and then Avignon to Paris. In my research I came upon iDTGV which is a discount train which I found on the SCNF website. I was able to book more than 3 months out and the fare from Avignon to Paris was 25E per person. Unfortunately I can't book the CDG portion and have to wait for the TGV schedule to come out. Are you familiar with iDTGV?

http://www.sncf.com/en/trains/idtgv

I am staying in L'isle sur la sorgue for the first 2 nights to go to the Luberon villages one day and the market on Sunday morning, St Remy for the next 3 nights and Avignon the last night to catch the train to Paris the next day. I pretty much have my day trips planned. Can you give me any must see's, restaurant recommendations? Your favorite drive? Thanks.

Bonnie

We are not totally surprised as we had to try 3 credit cards before we found one that worked. The situation when we travel in Europe is even worse since it has become increasingly difficult to use a US issued Magnetic strip card. Fortunately we now have managed to obtain a Chip/PIN EMV card which will work anywhere in Europe..but getting these cards is still not easy in the US.

 

As to the SNCF site, they really try to kick folks to the Rail Europe site where ticket prices can be quite a bit more expensive then buying them direct from the railroad. For many folks we suggest just waiting until you get to Europe where you can easily buy train tickets unless you are buying tickets on a route where you must have reservations and the demand is high.

 

One irony is that now that we have managed to complete a transaction on the SNCF site, we get all kinds of e-mail promotions (which big price reductions) from SNCF. One recent promotion was for 50% off of tickets on some routes!

 

Hank

Re: your statement "Fortunately we now have managed to obtain a Chip/PIN EMV card which will work anywhere in Europe..but getting these cards is still not easy in the US. I have been able to get both an Amex & MasterCard "Chip & Signature" card. So, What is the "trick"?

I am planning on taking train from Paris to Bordeaux on 11/22 and then from Bordeaux to Bayeux (by way of Paris) on 11/29 and then from Bayeux to CDG on 12/3. Any special "tips" re: best (and cheapest) way to get these booked? Both travelers are over 62.

Thanks for your help!

The best prices will be found right on the SNCF web site. We have previously posted the way to use this site. The only question is whether the SNCF site will process your charge with one of your credit cards. You will not know for sure until you try. The site will also often give you the option to pay via PAYPAL.

Hank

Sent from my iPad using Forums

Hank ~ thank you SO, SO much for this site!!! We'll be traveling from Paris to Bordeaux on October 4th - to board a Viking cruise. I checked on RailEurope and one-way tickets were $68 each. I went on sncf.com and found 4 tickets (we're traveling with friends and I offered to get their tickets also) as a multi special for a total of 48euro!!! What a Bargin!!! I was able to pay for them with AmEx as paypal never came up plus I printed them - so now have our tickets with our reserved seat number on each for a bargin - HURRAY!!!!

Thank You again!!!!!

I think someone may have mentioned it earlier in this thread or another one, but there is a new way to buy tickets from the US that we found very easy to use.

It is called "Capitaine Train" and they take the fuss out of buying European train tickets....and it's the same price on the more confusing SNCF site!

https://www.capitainetrain.com/search/

After reading much about them, I bought our train tickets from Paris to Avignon through them to see how it worked.

It was so easy I booked the rest our our train travel through them.

The best part is -- I printed the tickets at home immediately!

They also "store" the tickets for you in your account in case they need to be printed again, or pulled up on your phone while traveling.

It was a very user-friendly site, and I will use it again as needed!

HAPPY TRAVELS!

:)