Beaurocratic loop on the French Railway?

A snowHead

SNCF has launched a promotion of cheap rail fares between Paris and various Swiss destinations.
19€ each way to Geneve, Zurich, Berne etc. Seems really good.

Now my French is getting better, but I can't quite believe I've got this right.

Aparently:
u can only book these fares up to the 17th Oct
They are for Journeys between the dates of 17th Nov 06 and the 17th Jan 07
But, (here's the catch)
U can only book 30 days ahead of your journey date Confused

Isn't that what this means?

A snowHead

admin, "on sale *up to*" 30 days before" and I *think* from 17th October?

EDIT: I think my from 17th is wrong, looks like 10th-17th? Which is odd as 17th is 31 days before 17th November, so you can't book less than 30 days before anyway.

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

My French ain't great either but doesn't it mean you have to book at least 30 days in advance?

brian

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

my french is not too shabby. you;re right Admin, that's a damn strange offer

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Jusqu'a can mean "until" as well as "up to" so surely it means you have to book at least 30 days in advance?

brian

skanky, I thought that too but they're for sale between 10-17 October for journeys 10 Nov to 17 Jan.

So the book "up to 30 days before" condition stops you buying on say the 16th of October for a journey starting on the 11th November.

brian

Arno, yes that's how I understood it, but isn't that what "up to" would mean in that context, ie. they're for sale for a particular date up to 30 days before that date and then no longer on sale ?

Ideally we need a snowHead

who can translate French for us......................................... wink

*Ski* the Net with snowHeads

brian, yes to both posts. I was on a bit off a tangent, mentally, when I did the date calculation. I was trying to see if I could book our holiday within that time, but it's about two weeks earlier than we were planning to go.

snowHeads are a friendly bunch.

And some people wonder why more of us don't travel by train Wink

When SNCF is as easy to book as easyjet I guess I'll be happy to take the train rather than the plane. Language barriers aside, the complexity of booking direct with SNCF makes it just to difficult a proposition at the moment.

brian

boredsurfin,

Offer valid only in 2nd class from the 10th -17th of October for international journeys to and from Paris travelling between 10th November and 17th January. For sale up to 30 days before the date of travel. No exchanges or refunds, limited places available. For sale exclusively on VSC.

NehNeh

brian, i think "up to 30 days in advance" could mean "30 days or less in advance" or "until 30 days before departure" - but in this context, it would be pretty perverse if the former were the correct interpretation.

i'll stop acting like a lawyer now wink

brian

Arno, got you. SNCF may well be perverse but I think the latter is correct. Laughing

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

brian, Useful to know there is an alternative to Google for translations wink

A snowHead

OK, I've been throwing dates at their online booking system and I've found a few trains at 19€ - That's on a TGV which takes under 5hrs from Paris to Berne! Cool

However, just to make those conditions all the stranger there are trains available to book up until Saturday the 9th Dec Confused

This (57days away) almost matches SNCF's normal booking criteria which has a 60day booking horizon.

brian

boredsurfin, indeed, www.babelfish.altavista.com !

brian

admin, I think 10th Dec is when the Swiss railway changes to its winter timetable.

You need to Login to know who's really who.

admin, SNCF only opened up bookings from 10th Dec today - according to the 'Man in seat 64' rail website who had inside info it should have been the 9th Oct ie last Monday - but when I emailed SNCF last week they said the winter timetable was not accessible to book until today - but there are other time limitations too - it should now normally be 3 months in advance I believe, but at this changeover point they are phasing in the bookings but I think now running until 9th Jan - then there is another date when the next block opens up if I remember correctly.
Hope this vaguely makes sense - I looked for Swiss links today but there seems to be nothing in Dec there possibly because they don't open up the bookings for the new timetable I think until November - info from a Swiss loving snowHead

in a previous thread.
So may be a great offer but am not sure how you access the early/mid-Dec dates and still book 30 days in advance! Confused

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

I'm waiting to book SNCF from paris to bourg st. maurice for February 23rd (overnight), but thought it was exacty 3 months before. Since this is the french school holidays, I expect that that this will be a pretty popular train, so I was going to try to do it on November 23rd. Is it usually possible to book at exactly 3 months before? Is it ever possible to book more than 3 months before? Thanks

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I speak semi-fluent french having lived there on and off in my lifetime and studying it at uni at the moment. The small print actually says the tickets are on sale until 30days before the journey date. However this summer I travelled from Geneva to the South of France with SNCF and they had the same stipulation stated in the small print exactly like in your case. I booked less than 2 weeks before I travelled and when I noticed this I tried to contact SNCF but could never get through (probably because i m english!). Anyway i proceeded to buy the ticket and everything was fine.

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

jml, the tickets do turn up day by day at midnight. Although that's French time so it could be 11PM here

Help!!

Beaurocratic loop on the French Railway?

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