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Booking French Trains to the Alps, December 14 to February 6

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Usually you can book French Trains 90 days/3 months in advance.
http://help.uk.voyages-sncf.com/en/booking-advance
But you can't just now.
If you try to book December 15, or even 14, you are informed There Are No Search Results.
I've just phoned uk.voyages-sncf.com (0844 848 5848) to be informed by a most helpful lady that tickets for trains from December 14 to February 6 won't be released until 05:00 on October 16.
Set your alarms!
Could be worse than trying to get Kate Bush tickets.
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Ah that may help me. Trying to book a train from geneva to landeck. Won't let me book a date after the 13th December. Guess I will now try on 6th October, thanks very much Happy
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 Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Or even 16th Happy
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You'll be fine. This happens every year as they haven't yet worked out the winter timetable (they switch to that mid December, hence the cut-off) and engineering works etc by the 90 day deadline.
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
I'm needing to book couchette tickets for January 16th and the 25th. Will I have to wait until midnight October 15th and 24th to get the tickets?
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Sowler wrote:
I'm needing to book couchette tickets for January 16th and the 25th. Will I have to wait until midnight October 15th and 24th to get the tickets?


On 16th October you can book for both dates January 16th and the 25th.
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Usually Man in Seat 61 keeps you well informed of dates etc of timetable changes
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
Just had an email through from SNCF confirming they go on sale from 16th October.

WINTER FARES ON SALE 16 OCTOBER
If you’re planning on travelling in France or beyond this winter, make sure you book early to get the best fares!

Tickets go on sale on 16 October, for travel from 14 December 2014.
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I picked up a leaflet on winter bookings in Paris last week. This is a translation of the relevant sections - basically it confirms what has been said before, but also adds information about when travel between 7 Feb 2015 - 9 March 2015 is open to book:

"Opening of the reservation for the 2015 annual service.

1. circulations of 14 December 2014 to 6 février 2015 - Go on sale October 16, 2014.

2. circulations from February 7 to March 9, including Entity Offer Lyria: - Go on sale November 7, 2014.

3 For traffic from March 10: - Normal opening J-3 months

circulations summer (5 July to 30 August 2015), the opening of the sales will be as in previous years. The date will be announced later.

details
• The opening dates are for domestic sales (except for Lyria see item 2 above).

• International sales are made in the usual opening time

• Sales Car / Train are open as follows:
- For circulation of 14 December 2014 to 16 April 2015: opening sales October 16 2014.
- For traffic from 17 April to 4 July 2015, normal opening to J-6 months.
- For circulations 5 juillet to early September 2015, sales opening March 3 2015.
- For traffic from early September to 12 December 2015, normal opening to J-6 months."
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Got a reminder from Capitaine Train that the tickets for French trains will be available from this Thursday for trips between the 14th December until 6th February.

Also, Deutsche Bahn tickets for the next three months go on sale today, which might be useful to some.

I've recommended Capitaine Train in the past for booking tickets, and happy to do so again, but they are also now offering a reward system to get new customers. If anyone would like 10 euro off their tickets, please let me know. If I refer you I also get a 10 euro voucher.
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Yes please I will be staying up late tomorrow to get some tickets!
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 And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
Sowler, I'll send you a PM - need your email address to invite you.
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So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
Sowler, not a matter of staying up late, but getting up early.
Tickets go on sale 5am - though not sure if that's UK time or French.
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
Jonpim, I think it's UK time.
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
What is source of the 5am opening up time please ?

I asked SNCF for the exact time through their online help and their emailed reply said "opening sometime on Thursday morning".

A problem is that it is not only the booking that does not open until this magic date, but also the winter TGV timetable is not released until Oct 15th. My TGV trains to Bourg have not changed significantly in past years, but you never know for sure until they open the booking window. (you can book the local TER trains now for the whole of the winter - it is only the TGV network timetables which are kept under wraps).
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
AndrewsPeppers, as stated at the top of this thread, I got the info by phoning uk.voyages-sncf.com (0844 848 5848).

And it was so last year: http://www.snowcarbon.co.uk/blog/winter-booking-opens-17th-october
(Can't find similar entry on snowcarbon for this year)
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
AndrewsPeppers, Look at this link from a couple of years ago, although not that conclusive as to whether it opened at 5am or 6am - http://snowheads.com/ski-forum/viewtopic.php?t=91867&highlight=
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 Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Thanks for the help - will be online from 5am (I have to get up early for another reason) - and will report later in the day if open.

It's a pity that SNCF can't reply with a definite time to my direct question to them.
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Gents I think we have an answer

https://www.facebook.com/VoyagesSncf.uk
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Also Capitaine Trains Facebook says the same thing. 5am our time it is.
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Computer on. Cup of tea by left side. Notebook on the other.
Ready for the off. snowHead
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
All done! Very Happy
And managed to get night sleeper in January cheaper than day train in December.
Happy. snowHead
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
Woke up early, logged on, night sleeper for Feb 6th secured at very reasonable rate. Very Happy
Now just have to wait a month to book the return trip. Fingers crossed there's no engineering work that night! Sad
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mgrolf, well done in getting your ticket, and lucky the window included Feb 6 this year.
My next train is Feb 8.
Hopefully will be able to book that November 8.
But then what about March?
Anyone know if there is another chunk of dates to be released on November 16, similar to last year?
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Got my 1st Class sleeper couchettes booked for £100 each return so I'm happy with that. Although I struggled with the 10 euro discount and couldn't get it too work. Also I really shouldn't have paid with paypal as their exchange rate was a bit gash compared to using a credit card. However I needed to be quick as the cheap 4 berths go pretty quick by the looks of things!
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Quote:

Although I struggled with the 10 euro discount and couldn't get it too work


That's a shame. If anyone else wants to try the URL to use to sign up for Capitaine Train is http://captra.in/a/b7958e
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 And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
It would also appear the tickets where about £10 cheaper through Capitaine even with paypals shitty exchange rate. Everywhere else has the non-flexible 1st class couchette at £61 Loco2 etc.
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 So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
Sowler, does that include Eurostar?

FYI I paid £163 for London to Bourg return, overnight sleeper (2nd class) and for someone travelling at different times, £216 1st class using Rail Canterbury for end January, today.
Which we were very happy with. £100 sounds incredible, and if end-to-end, may get me to reconsider my options for Easter travel!

AR
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
No. Just 4 berth couchette (1st Class) Paris Austilitz to Bourg. Eurostar was £69. I could have got the the cheapest sleeper at £60 return but myself and my girlfriend prefer a 4 berth one for the extra £40. So I could have done it for £129 return (Eurostar and sleeper) but instead as we went 1st class sleeper it was £169.

I did have to gamble on the Eurostar by booking it before the couchette tickets were released as I could see that all the cheapest Eurostar fares would be gone by then.
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Sowler, agree on the 4 berth for preference - but there are 6 of us, so kinda made sense to be in a 6 berth sleeper!
So a saving of £47 each for you... or a round of drinks in Les Arcs... wink Well played sir / madam.


Repeat of thread from Jan2014:
Tip for those travelling by SNCF @ Easter: last year getting a local train BsM to Chambery, and then catching the same TGV that starts out 15 mins later from Bourg , instead of getting on the TGV at Bourg, saved ~ £80 per ticket.

£190 London return, versus £272
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Poster: A snowHead
jonpim, as AndrewsPeppers posted above, 7 Feb / 9 Mar 2015 go on sale 7 November.
Confirmed here http://uk.voyages-sncf.com/en/winter-trains in the footnote.
Setting my calendar reminder now...
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Thank you mgrolf.
Will set reminder also.
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 Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
And all the tickets arrived in the post today. Smell that newly minted card, as it tantalisingly beckons me south...
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I managed to get my train from Darlington to London Kings Cross for £14.50 on the 9th January, this is for the Friday night Eurostar I've booked through Crystal.

I will be booking the return leg next week but if its the same price then I've saved £70 on flying from Newcastle and get 2 extra days skiing! snowHead
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Be careful, try the French SNCF website not the English....

http://snowheads.com/ski-forum/viewtopic.php?t=113030#2592026
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Went online at 5am on 16th Oct for my couchette tickets (5 of us) from Paris to Cluses on 31st Jan and the cheap (non flexible) tickets were already not available! How annoying..ended up paying 94 each..Return tickets not available until 7th nov (for 7 th Feb travel)..Hoping I'll get those a bit cheaper..will try the French website mentioned above! Love travelling by train but getting the tickets is a bit of a faff.

Shippo
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Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
AndrewsPeppers - Loco2 told me that the fares start to be loaded from around midnight and is completed around 5/6 so the really keen amongst us could check periodically through the night to be sure of getting in first. Not sure if there would be any value to that approach though as long as you were quick off the mark in the morning.
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
I was up at 5am and booked my return train from Bourg. But strange things were happening with the prices - the price increased by five euros after I checked a different train time and went back to my first search.

Will be very careful to get up early this Friday 7th November for the 7 Feb 2015 > 9 Mar 2015 booking period - that will really be busy as it's the peak skiing period.
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Anyone else wondering what has happened to the sleeper back to Paris on Saturday nights in February? Can't find it anywhere! Sad
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Quote:

Anyone else wondering what has happened to the sleeper back to Paris on Saturday nights in February? Can't find it anywhere!


In my experience that usually means they've not scheduled trains as they're planning some engineering works and don't know yet which night they're going to do it on. You might find that nearer the time they make a decision about when to do the work and so release tickets for trains on the other days, or you might find that they don't as they're doing work on all those nights. I don't know of a good way to find out which is the case, and so when I've been affected in this way I've not been brave enough to wait and see and have booked a day train instead. You might find one running late afternoon back to Paris for example, then sleep in Paris and get an early Eurostar. This can work out about the same price as the sleeper and although you have to set off a couple of hours earlier does mean a non-moving bed for the night.
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