 Poster: A snowHead
|
The trip was pretty uneventful, in Paris the RER D wasn’t working, but you can take the RER B (same platform area as the D) change at Chatelet Les halles, cross the platform (again no real ‘change’) and grab RER A. Still 2 stops and took us 30 mins Eurostar to gare de Lyon (I’d still leave min 1 hr+)
Bus transfer at Moutiers was a bun fight as we arrived 9 mins late with a 15 min window. However next bus was 45 mins if we’d missed it.
Les Menuires we wanted to get lift passes (and had cash euros so needed a pass office) so got them, shuttle to apartment. Picked up skis and a quick shop and sat down 14 hours after I got out of bed 
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
| Lucywuk wrote: |
| The thing with the Navigo card is it’s a bit old school like the London Oyster card. As an occasional user it’s more £. Most cities use a tap with a debit card. We got a carnet this time as will need it later in May |
The only additional cost compared to the paper tickets is the €2 to purchase each card. I don't know if that's refundable but I'm suspecting not.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
|
I see that the SNCF Connect website is now advertising that 'spring' trains can be booked from Wednesday 24th Jan. Trying to find out what time....one website suggested it's 0600 French time.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
I'm going to be setting my alarm for 04:55 UK time on Wednesday to buy two families' tickets from Paris to Bourg-St-Maurice (off to La Rosiere in late March), based on your intelligence 'The_Gate'. We've already booked trains down from Edinburgh and Eurostar tickets to Paris, plus a hotel, so need to make sure we get tickets that line up, before they sell out!
If anyone has an update on the time (ideally magically discovering it's later) I'd love to know!
Otherwise likely seem some of you in the virtual queue...
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
Tbh I didnt find they sold out.
Also have you looked at the SNCF card. Costs €49 but you save 30% for 2 adults and 60% for up to 3 children and the max it will cost per journey I think is €89.
One return journey and you’ve deffo saved more than it costs.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
@EdM, out of interest, have you gone with an Interrail pass for your train travel? Depending on whether you're traveling to and from Edinburgh on the days you leave and enter the UK and the safe or the kids, I'd guess it could be very good value
@Lucywuk, very few trains seem to sell out but the price can go up rapidly on the day the tickets are released.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Thanks both. We didn't interail because there were no suitable Eurostar reservations available by the time we got round to booking. Would do that next time if we managed to book early enough - think it would have saved money. At the cost of added faff though.
We do have one Carte Advantage per family - we bought ours last summer and it more than paid for itself over our trains to a Eurocamp in the south of France in the summer. And yes, re. the 04:55 get it up it was more about getting the cheapest tickets, than getting tickets at all.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
I contacted SNCF Connect on Messenger and got the following message, so see you all in the virtual queue tomorrow morning!
hank you for your message and for this information.
Tickets will be indeed available for booking from the 24th of January 2024. It will be French hour around 06:00 AM.
When the site says "non-bookable" it can mean several things:
- Traffic on this train is not yet confirmed
- The date is too far away to book this train
New trains and timetables are regularly added to the website by the SNCF. I invite you to connect regularly on the website to see if it changes.
Thank you for your understanding. I wish you a good day.
The SNCF Connect Team
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
See you all in the virtual queue in the morning. I've set my alarm and am off to bed.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Delighted that I've been up since 0445 but no new trains updated as yet 
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
| Owlette wrote: |
| Delighted that I've been up since 0445 but no new trains updated as yet |
I booked my trains at ~0620 French time, so presumably about 20 mins after the tickets were released. (No new trains expected as far as I know today - just the ability to book tickets for the ones where the timetable has been visible for a few weeks now.)
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
I booked mine without issues at 0500 UK time, it even opened up a minute early! Very efficient process
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Ah. bug. I was hoping for a direct train to Bourg on the 30th.
We've got an interrail pass and all those tickets are sold out now so I was hoping to secure some as we're a bit stuffed otherwise.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
|
They seem to have discontinued direct trains to Bourg from 24th March onwards (although there is a chance they add an additional train or two in the near future). I read an article yesterday that SNCF are reviewing all of their schedules over the whole year, as some routes are non-profitable. Chambery/Annecy/Albertville were all mentioned although I assume that this would only apply to the summer, as I am sure the winter trains are pretty full.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
|
| Owlette wrote: |
Ah. bug. I was hoping for a direct train to Bourg on the 30th.
We've got an interrail pass and all those tickets are sold out now so I was hoping to secure some as we're a bit stuffed otherwise. |
I can see 2 direct trains to Bourg that day? Is the issue that you are looking for trains later in the day?
|
|
|
|
|
|
Poster: A snowHead
|
|
@The_Gate, there are still direct trains but fewer. I've just booked direct trains to Moutiers on the 13th April, returning on the 20th.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
|
Booked my 6 tickets at 5am UK time no issue. Paid using apple pay as credit card page was struggling under the large number of users online. Was quite pricey this year for one way for 2 adults 4 children Bourg to Paris 570euros on 30th March. Direct train, 4hrs 50min. TGV.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
|
Blast. Yeah, the direct train times don't work with our Eurostar arrival time, so I've held off booking hoping more direct ones would be added. Rats. I shall have to look at it again in detail.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
|
It feels like there are fewer cheap fares available than the last couple of years. The price cap from using an Avantage card has saved me a lot this season.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
| sugarmoma666 wrote: |
| Owlette wrote: |
Ah. bug. I was hoping for a direct train to Bourg on the 30th.
We've got an interrail pass and all those tickets are sold out now so I was hoping to secure some as we're a bit stuffed otherwise. |
I can see 2 direct trains to Bourg that day? Is the issue that you are looking for trains later in the day? |
Yes.
The earliest Eurostar we can get is 09:31 as we need to get from our home station first, and the earliest train from there is 05:55, getting us in at 07:15. We arrive in Paris at 1258. I have toyed with a hotel either in London or Paris on the Friday, so we can get the earlier trains, but I think that'll just extrapolate the cost significantly. We're now booked on the 1545 from Gare de Lyon, changing at Lyon Part Dieu, and getting to Bourg at 2245. That's a lot later than I would have liked, but it is what it is and it's all a learbing curve. This is my fault for holding off booking in the hope of a direct train. Daft really. And the seat reservations were double, too.
I'm now considering shifting our Eurostar bookings to a later train so that we don't have such an eye wateringly early start and so much time to kill between trains in Paris.
Never mind. The late arrival into Borg gives me the perfect excuse to jump into a taxi.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
| The_Gate wrote: |
| I read an article yesterday that SNCF are reviewing all of their schedules over the whole year, as some routes are non-profitable. Chambery/Annecy/Albertville were all mentioned although I assume that this would only apply to the summer, as I am sure the winter trains are pretty full. |
There is a plan to scrap regular TGV services to Grenoble, Chambery and Annecy. You would travel to Lyon then change onto the TER network. They've already got rid of a lot of TGVs to Grenoble (and I imagine Chambery is the same).
This is a problem if you are not travelling on Saturdays as regular services will dissapear.
They've hugely cut down on weekend TER services in the Rhone Alpes with busses being used as replacements.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
@davidof, that's all pretty interesting info. Any idea of the reasoning behind it? It seems a bit counterintuitive when France has banned short-haul internal flights to not be aiming for the fastest train connections.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| andmelffion wrote: |
| Ruswit wrote: |
| andmelffion wrote: |
| Ruswit wrote: |
| Has anyone had any luck receiving a partial refund for delayed TGVs (or other SNCF service) using their g30 form? Submitted it on the 17th of Dec and they sent a prompt email saying it was received but nowt since. |
Took nearly 4 months and an email complaint to get a refund for a tgv that was cancelled last year so you will need to persevere and contact them again - you should have had a reference number on the acknowledgement you can refer them to. |
Hopefully I have more luck! Do you still have the contact email you used to get in touch with them? Their website keeps pushing me to use a chat bot which just tells me to respond to the email containing my reference number, but it's a "noreply@" email so it just bounces back.
Someone did get back to me on their FB page saying it can take 20 odd working days, but I can't find an email listed, just a postal address and french phone number. |
Try customerservice@connect.sncf |
Unfortunately this gives bounce backs too 
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
@sugarmoma66 just checking back on this thread for 2025 plans
You said you normally stay in Paris overnight and get the 7:46 train. What time does that get to bourg?
Planning Arc 1950 so just thought I’d see if we get a couple of hours skiing or use the afternoon to get skis/passes.
If not then may as well leave a tad later
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
@Lucywuk, the 0745 gets to Bourg at about 1300.
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
| sugarmoma666 wrote: |
| @Lucywuk, the 0745 gets to Bourg at about 1300. |
Amazing. Thanks. Looks like a hotel in Paris is double London prices, so may not bother and will stick with a later train.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
@Lucywuk, check out the Hôtel Aurore Paris Gare de Lyon (via Booking .com) - about 100 yds (tops) from the station.
We stayed there in March ahead of an early train and was significantly cheaper than Premier Inn or others in the UK near St P.
Maybe you were looking at inflated Olympic Games prices?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
@Lucywuk, we stay in the Ibis Paris Bercy. About 10-15 mins walk and works out well as rate usually includes breakfast.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
@sugarmoma666, cost saving as the lines are non TGV.
They'll keep the Saturday winter TGV services though for skiing.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FAQ
