 Poster: A snowHead
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Just received this email from rail europe:
Winter trains go on sale 14 October 2009 through Rail Europe
From Wednesday 14 October ’09, French trains running on the new winter timetable will go on sale. The timetable change from summer to winter schedules takes place on Sunday 13 December ’09.
Normally, French trains can be booked a maximum of 3 months in advance of the date of travel, but the change over to the winter timetable means that the booking horizons change slightly for a couple of months.
From 5am UK time on 14 October ‘09, passengers will be able to book rail travel in France for dates between 13 December ’09 and 13 January 2010 inclusive.
The 3 month rule applies again from 15 October, until 5 November ‘09, when sales open for trains running between 5 February and 8 March ’10 inclusive.
For any trains running after 8 March 2010, the usual 3 month booking horizon will apply, so anyone wanting to book a train on 9 March will need to wait until 9 December ’09.
The winter timetable features increased services on routes popular with skiers, such as the Paris to Bourg St Maurice overnight service, which runs every night throughout the winter ski season.
Sophie
Rail Europe Ltd
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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When we spoke to Raileurope about this , they said that they opened their UK 'phones at 8am, by which time most of the French TOs had already been on and booked - they said if you wanted to be sure to get the tickets you want, get on line at 5am yourself...
Jim
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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?
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Has anybody booked winter tickets yet?
What are the prices like?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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All the European Winter Train schedules are available from today.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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The Artesia (paris turin) does not appear to be on sale yet. Does anyone know when the tickets will be available?
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| JimW wrote: |
When we spoke to Raileurope about this , they said that they opened their UK 'phones at 8am, by which time most of the French TOs had already been on and booked - they said if you wanted to be sure to get the tickets you want, get on line at 5am yourself...
Jim |
IME and IMO, I'm afraid that RailEurope have never been particularly well informed about their own product.
As quite a fan of the train as a route to the snow, I've investigated this in detail a number of times. From the perspectives of an individual traveller, a group leader and even as a prospective agent.
The fact is that even if you are there and waiting at the very instant the fares become available on-line, the lowest tiers of prices are not available for the peak weeks. The official story is that a number of these fares are available on every train until they get booked up but I have been there, refreshing the page at the moment they became available and hence been within a few seconds of release and yet there they weren't.
So, there appears to be some way that French operators or agents can bag them before the public and indeed before RailEurope have rubbed the sleep out of their eyes.
Enquiries to Rail Europe consistently drew responses substantially less well informed than my own position and enquiries directly to SNCF drew telephonic Gallic pouts, possibly in response my dismal Franglais.
I would still like a solution as to how one might access these fares - even a plausible explanation of their absence would be something.
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| admin wrote: |
The official story is that a number of these fares are available on every train until they get booked up but I have been there, refreshing the page at the moment they became available and hence been within a few seconds of release and yet there they weren't.
So, there appears to be some way that French operators or agents can bag them before the public and indeed before RailEurope have rubbed the sleep out of their eyes.
Enquiries to Rail Europe consistently drew responses substantially less well informed than my own position and enquiries directly to SNCF drew telephonic Gallic pouts, possibly in response my dismal Franglais.
I would still like a solution as to how one might access these fares - even a plausible explanation of their absence would be something. |
you mean you're surprised that the French keep the best deals for the French???
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Shame I didn't see this on Tues. I'd seen that the tickets went on sale yesterday, but I hadn't seen that it was a 5am kickoff. I'd tried at about 1am and there was nothing going. So I tried again about 8am and booked a train Paris-Lausanne for the Xmas/New Year period. By which time most of the cheap fares were gone, and actually on the return journey the first class was the same price as second. Eurostar fares had also doubled between last weekend and yesterday. Unfortunately the Swiss timetables weren't available so I couldn't book through to Martigny - so that's going to cost even more - grrr! Even with extortionate airfares for returning on 2nd Jan the plane would have been cheaper, but I'd decided I wanted to train it this time. By midday there were no fares available at all on trains to connect with the Eurostar. Today they seem to be able to book through to CH, but of course only top price tickets available (87 Eur 1 way), and little to connect with Eurostar. This was my first attempt at booking continental trains, and the different booking periods make it a right royal PITA.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Admin - my experience with rail europe is the same. They can never tell me anything. I am also cross with Eurostar. I want to get the cheapest london to paris tickets. Apparently I have to wait until the return journey is available..ie. one week after the outward. By this time I imagine all the cheap tickets are taken by people going to paris at the weekend. Eurostar also say grenoble is available for a £99 fare but they are unable to book it...you have to get the eurostar tickets at cheapest price then the tgv tickets at cheapest price...which probably means it isn't possible to get the £99 ticket.
As well as booking Eurostar I am trying to book the Artesia TGV to Oulx (having decided against grenoble & car hire) but no dates are coming up as available.
Really as members of the EU I don't see why we should have the same chance as the french to buy cheap tickets..particularly as we also have to pay for the eurostar part. It would be nice if our useless politicians could sort the mess of rail bookings out. It is ridiculous that it is cheaper to fly than go by train and not good for the environment.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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I agree that it seems silly that they can't deliver train prices that compete favourably with flying.
Personally though, it's not so much the price issue that draws me to the train as I prefer the train to the plane anyway.
I detest the pantomime at airport security and the waiting, always waiting - for check-in, for security, for departure, for take off, for landing, for baggage. No part of the journey is comfortable and settled and U arrive having spent the whole day in limbo.
It helps that I'm just 15 minutes walk from St.Pancras I know but with the more efficient check-in/security processes at St P, the door-to-door journey times to many destinations are comparable to flying and furthermore, you get more space on a train so once you're on it, U just sit back and chill, work, sleep, watch a film on the laptop, whatever. U can even get an intermittent web-connection.
If only the railways realised that before people become passengers, they need to get through the booking system 
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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.
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admin, correct. So so correct.
going by train at Easter, the straight through option.
Flying at New Year because couldn't get straight through option at anything under £600 each (late booking), and waiting on the SNCF / Euro star conenction options was a risk too far.
To mitigate the angst of flying however, we are going for the Oxford connection (see other thread ) - hoping it will be a 50's throwback experience wrt to queues, security delays and waiting lead times. Possibly also in the catering dept, which won't be such a plesant experience:- we shall see...(and report back)
OK, so maybe it will be a shock to smallW being on a turboprop, and an airport made out of nissen huts, but whatever, it will be interesting!
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It can be a very positive experience using small airports.
We flew to the Scottish Island of Tiree a couple of years ago and my bag went astray somewhere between Gatwick and Glasgow. It turned up 'on the system' and I was told I could pick it up at the airport after mid-day. We turned up about 10 past 12 to find two ladies, one with a cup of tea, the other eating a pot noodle. They gave me my bag, locked up the airport and went home - you just don't relate that kind of personal service to the process of flying - we were most amused 
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You know it makes sense.
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A reminder for anyone considering travelling by train this winter 2010/11.
If you are planning to travel using SNCF domestic services (for example high speed TGV, Overnight Lunéa, or local French trains) on or between 12th December 2010 - 13th January 2011; the booking window for getting your tickets opens on: Wednesday 13th October 2010 at 5:00am.
An extract from this email from raileurope :-
"The Big Winter Rush
Many people ask us what the best way to get the lowest priced train tickets is. The answer is always the same - book early to get the best fares. Booking windows, the period when you can book your train tickets, normally open 120 days in advance of the date you want to travel for Eurostar journeys, and 90 days in advance for most other European services, however this changes slightly over the winter.
We recognise that Christmas is one of the busiest periods of the year when people are travelling. To give everyone the best chance to get the lowest priced tickets, some of the booking windows are opened for our most popular routes earlier and for extended periods.
If you are planning to travel using SNCF domestic services (for example high speed TGV, Overnight Lunéa, or local French trains) on or between 12th December 2010 - 13th January 2011; the booking window for getting your tickets opens on: Wednesday 13th October 2010 at 5:00am.
In order to cater for avid skiers or families looking for a Spring half term getaway, we also have an extended window for travel on or between 4th February - 14th March 2011, for people wishing to use SNCF domestic routes and TGV Lyria (services between Paris and Swiss cities such as Geneva, Bern, Basel, Lausanne and Zurich). This window opens on: Thursday 4th November 2010 at 5:00am
For travel between 14th January and 3rd February, or after March 15th 2011, the normal booking window of 90 days will apply. "
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FAQ
