TGV | Peak period | Limited seats for Rail Pass travelers

anonymous
Traveller
2469 comments

[b]RESERVATIONS ON TGV[/b]
The peak period price only applies if you are traveling on a part of high speed track. For example if you go from Lyon to Toulouse(High speed track from Lyon to Nimes)it will be 10€ or more. But if you only go from Nimes to Toulouse, on the same TGV, even though it's a TGV pointe, your reservation will only be 3€ or even less.



[b]GET A SEAT IN A TGV EVEN IF THERE ARE NO MORE LEFT FOR RAIL PASS TRAVELERS[/b]
THE MAIN TROUBLE for Interrail pass holders with the French train reservation system, is that half of the TGV don't even have seats for Interrail pass holders!
So, the only way, if the TGV you want to take has no seats for interrail (they may tell you at the counter:there are no more seats available on this train for interrail passes) is to go in a French train station, to the machine that sells tickets: select you train and when it comes to selecting the type of client you are, press on [b]abonnement forfait 2e classe[/b].
You will then get a reservation (1,50€ only) for the TGV you want. Then, 99% of contrôleurs will not make a fuss, because they know about the problem.If you happen to meet one of those 1% that do make a fuss, just tell them that the ticket machine doesn't deliver reservations for Interrail pass holders, therefore, this was the only solution left for you!
(Anyway, lack of reservation or having the wrong type is max 20€ fine)

anonymous
Traveller
2469 comments

This has been a real pain for me in the past.

You can also get the Abot. Forfait 2e over the web and pick it up at a SNCF train station. If you goto [ux]https://rail.shop/sncf[/ux] (and on the relevant country site) you can select More Criteria in the booking section and then select 2nd class daily in the box stating your season ticket. This is a reservation only (1,50euro) - for use with 'season tickets' and not necessarily for interrail tickets, but I've never had problems. As pointed-out above even in the ticket inspector catches you out you can 'play the dumb tourist' which may get you off the hook or pay the 20euro fine (much less than the full fare in most cases).

I would always advise you to try and get the interrail reservation, but in my case, 2 times out of 3 these tickets are unavailable with no alternative routes. This is really not friendly of SNCF and makes me jealous of interrailers in the UK who don't need to buy any reservations and their being few, if not any, controls on the use of interrail tickets.

anonymous
Traveller
2469 comments

You can always try just boarding the TGV without a reservation. Ask the controleur on the platform first and this generally seems to work if the train isn't too full. There is a 'tarif a bord' and they seem to charge about €10-20 extra for this, so the best route is to get a reservation before boarding. The number of seats open to Interrail travel seems to be very, very low and the difficulty in obtaining reservations, particularly if buying outside France, Switzerland, Germany and Belgium (whose computer reservation systems seem to be able to cope with IR whereas others can't) is very, very high. This means that IR (unfortunately) is very hard to use in France and I think the official IR website should make this clear!

galactica2001
Traveller
1 comments

I've just made a reservation for a TGV for Nice Ville at the Paris St.Lazare station - 18 eur :o ! The attendant told me there is no difference in the price if I go at 9,45 (=peak) or 11,45 (not peak). On the ticket it says it's valid with IR, so i guess it must be the right thing. But 18 eur... :o

Flo
Traveller
10724 comments

Hmm...I'm gonna check tomorrow at my station in Graz, Austria what they charge for a TGV reservation. :|

Peter
Traveller
9333 comments

[b]UPDATE[/b] (14.06.2010)
I found at the FAQ of the Corail Lunea website (the French night trains - which also belong to SNCF like the TGV trains) this information:

Q : Je possède un Pass Interrail, existe-t-il un supplément pour voyager à bord de Lunéa ?
R : Pour les possesseurs de Pass Interrail, un supplément forfaitaire est appliqué en fonction de la classe de confort choisie.
http://lunea.voyages-sncf.com/lunea/La_foire_aux_questions_lunea

So it seems that you do not need a special kind of InterRail reservation (at least for the CORAIL night trains), the normal supplément forfaitaire option should be fine as well - and it is the official way for Corail night trains.
I suppose it might be the case as well for TGV trains!?!?
If you want to buy it online, visit the website [b]voyages-sncf.com[/b] and buy your ticket choosing the option [b]Abo Forfait 2e[/b].

Peter :)

anonymous
Traveller
2469 comments

Hi there,
What kind of ticket vending machine actually sells these reservations abonnement forfait 2e classe for the whole country? I understand that not the one for Ile-de-France (parisbytrain.com/paris-train-ticket-machine/) because it only works for the area in and around Paris.
Thanks ahead!

Flo
Traveller
10724 comments

Hi!

Usually there are two kinds of ticket machines at the SNCF stations:

- Blue ones which sell only tickets for regional services (TER branded)
- Yellow ones which sell also long distance tickets (Grandes Lignes)


Flo 8)

tomistarkapi
Traveller
4 comments

Please tell somebody if i board a TGV at Bruxelles is this 18 euro stuff is still working?

Flo
Traveller
10724 comments

I can only tell you this:

I was going Praha - Barcelona in July and due to some construction works in Germany I missed my booked TGV so I had to go via Basel and Geneve to Lyon to catch another TGV there. I had no reservation so I wanted to explain my situation to the conductor but she only told me to get on the train (to the bar carriage) and wait there.
Quite some time later (after Valence) she finally came to me and I got a bulletin which cost me 15€. Since I had no change and also nobody else of the train crew did I got away paying only 12€... ;)

So, I think you can just hop on the train in Bruxelles and pay the on-board tariff - if it is worth it forth you. The train I went on from Lyon to Perpignan was quite full, I cant say if it was fully booked but there were maybe 3, 4 others who also didnt have a reservation.
In the end I eventually got a seat for half part of the journey - but be prepared that it might happen that you have to stand the whole time in the bar carriage if you hop onto a booked train.


Flo 8)

tomistarkapi
Traveller
4 comments

THX Flo!

Vlbger
Traveller
6 comments

Is the trick with abo forfait 2e still possible (after the change of the reservation fees for the TGV last year)?

Flo
Traveller
10724 comments

I travelled with two friends Bordeaux - Paris on a TGV at the end of August 2010 and had no problems showing our reservations for abo forfait 2eme. :)


Flo 8)

Vlbger
Traveller
6 comments

[quote]I travelled with two friends Bordeaux - Paris on a TGV at the end of August 2010 and had no problems showing our reservations for abo forfait 2eme. :)


Flo 8) [/quote]

Thanks for the quick answer! A second question: is it on international TGV trains to for e.g. Germany possible to pay the 18euro fee on the train (if I don't get the reservation the normal way - because for 90% of the trains I've aksed for at a ÖBB train station where sold out)?

Flo
Traveller
10724 comments

I dont know that, sorry. Only got this kind of on-board reservation once on a domestic TGV, as you can read above. :|

For what date did you try to get your reservation, and from where to where do you want to go?

Vlbger
Traveller
6 comments

[quote]For what date did you try to get your reservation, and from where to where do you want to go?[/quote]

I tried to get reservations for the TGV from Geneva to Lyon (departure 12.41 on the 12th February), for the TGV from Lyon to Rennes (departure 9.xx on the 13th February), for the TGV from Paris to Rennes (departure 12.05 on the 13th February) for the TGV from St. Malo to Paris (departure 06.05 on the 15th February) yesterday. After that I've changed again my plans and tried today to get a reservation for the TGV from Paris to Irun (departure 15.50 on the 16th February), but also sold out. And so now I bought online a reservation for 1,50 Euro how it is here described. The only useful reservation I got at the ticket office in Dornbirn was for the TGV from Lyon to Paris (departure 7.30 on the 13th February) and a reservation for a TGV from Rennes to Paris (departure 6.35 on the 15th February). So I'll try on Monday, if I can get a reservation for a TGV on the 20th February from Paris to Stuttgart (departure 15.24), from Paris to Geneva (departure 15.04), from Paris to Lausanne (departure 15.58) or, if I can't get any reservation for one of those trains a reservation on a TGV from Paris to Strasbourg. And I'll also try if I can get at least the TGV reservation from Hendaye to Paris (departure 8.00 on the 20th February).

A bit off-topic:
My old new plan is now, to get to Lisbon by train (you've already answered my question for the night train in the drehscheibe-forum) with a 5 days in 10 global pass. My rout is the following(only citys mentioned, where I start or stay at least for 1 day): Bregenz-St. Etienne-Paris-Amsterdam(without Interrail from Paris to Amsterdam)-Paris-Lissabon-Leiria(also not with Interrail)-Coimbra(also not with Interrail)-Pampilhosa(so that the 7pm-rule gets active)-Paris-Bregenz/Dornbirn.

Flo
Traveller
10724 comments

Hi,

I was at the station here in Graz and they couldnt give me reservations for the trains mentioned either... However, I got a reservation for the Paris - Irun TGV last February without problems, also about two weeks in advance. It's hard to imagine that there arent any InterRail reservations available for a TGV midweek in mid-february... :(

I would recommend to go with the online reservations if you cant get a regular one at the counter. And if a conductor complains try to explain your situation - that you needed that train etc...

Lightyear
Traveller
3 comments

The prices increased a lot, huh? When I search for tickets for the summer on the way from Paris to Bordeaux it tells that I have to pay 40€ :o

Flo
Traveller
10724 comments

Hi!

The current official prices for an InterRail reservation for a TGV are:

- 6€ if bought beforehand; limited availability, depending on route, time and date
- 18€ bought on board; not limited; last summer I got one of these on a Lyon - Perpignan TGV and it was 15€ (paid only 12€ due to lack of change...) :D

The unoffical reservations as described here are still 1,50€, you probably made some kind of mistake in selecting the correct option on the website. I just checked for Paris - Bordeaux and was quoted 1,50€ for the Abo Forfait 2eme option. :)


Flo 8)

Lordmwa
Traveller
117 comments

railcc isnt coming up with any trains for 19th June at 12:00 from lille to perpignan when i know they exist.....

Flo
Traveller
10724 comments

Just a short answer, I'm in a hurry. ;)

This is a Province - Province connection, for which reservations are very limited. Maybe they are sold out already, or the contingent is only available via SNCF. :|


Flo 8)

Lordmwa
Traveller
117 comments

On RE they are offering them for £32 for 2 which seems pretty extortionate to me....

Anyone got any ideas on how to get them cheaper - there is still a month till the train leaves

Flo
Traveller
10724 comments

Well, best would be to get them directly in France at a SNCF station. But that probably isnt an option since time will be too short to do so I guess..

RE seems to often has rather expensive prices in regard of rail pass reservations.

I'd think about this option :arr: [u]https://rail.cc/en/interrail-train-reservation/tgv-sncf/42[/u]

Lordmwa
Traveller
117 comments

We get to lille about 1/2 an hour before this train departs (having started in brussels) but this is the first station that we visit on our trip.....

Flo
Traveller
10724 comments

That almost certainly will be too late I think (at least to get the regular 6€ reservation, the 18€ on board fare should be always available but it's expensive and without a guarantee for a seat. :|

The price RE offers seems to be exactly that of the on board reservation...

Seriously, if you want to take this train, I think it is the best option to use a reservation such as described in the link above.

Lordmwa
Traveller
117 comments

Which soloution are you referring to?

Sorry.....

Flo
Traveller
10724 comments

:arr: [u]https://rail.cc/en/interrail-train-reservation/tgv-sncf/42[/u]

An online reservation at voyages-sncf.com for Abo forfait 2eme.

;)

Lordmwa
Traveller
117 comments

Thank you - that is now booked. The only thing we need to get i think now is the night train from toulouse to geneva

Flo
Traveller
10724 comments

Ok great! :) I used this kind of reservation last summer from Bordeaux to Paris without problems.

For the night train...well you know about the situation with Lunéa trains. Let's hope they continue throughout the summer.

Lordmwa
Traveller
117 comments

[quote]
For the night train...well you know about the situation with Lunéa trains. Let's hope they continue throughout the summer.[/quote]

I really hope so otherwise we have to ditch the petit train juane and spend that day going to geneva and hopefully finding some relatively cheap accomodation at short notice

Flo
Traveller
10724 comments

This is the wrong thread and it is late already...but you could stay around Latour de Carol for the night? And take the first train in the morning to head for Genève - if the Lunéa really wont run.

jane88824
Traveller
1 comments

[quote][b]RESERVATIONS ON TGV[/b]
The peak period price only applies if you are traveling on a part of high speed track. For example if you go from Lyon to Toulouse(High speed track from Lyon to Nimes)it will be 10€ or more. But if you only go from Nimes to Toulouse, on the same TGV, even though it's a TGV pointe, your reservation will only be 3€ or even less.



[b]GET A SEAT IN A TGV EVEN IF THERE ARE NO MORE LEFT FOR RAIL PASS TRAVELERS[/b]
THE MAIN TROUBLE for Interrail pass holders with the French train reservation system, is that half of the TGV don't even have seats for Interrail pass holders!
So, the only way, if the TGV you want to take has no seats for interrail (they may tell you at the counter:there are no more seats available on this train for interrail passes) is to go in a French train station, to the machine that sells tickets: select you train and when it comes to selecting the type of client you are, press on [b]abonnement forfait 2e classe[/b].
You will then get a reservation (1,50€ only) for the TGV you want. Then, 99% of contrôleurs will not make a fuss, because they know about the problem.If you happen to meet one of those 1% that do make a fuss, just tell them that the ticket machine doesn't deliver reservations for Interrail pass holders, therefore, this was the only solution left for you!
(Anyway, lack of reservation or having the wrong type is max 20€ fine)[/quote]


this method really works!!! thanks so much for the suggestion, full appreciation!! without it i wouldn't be able to enjoy my southern france trip, thanks again!

gcorrea
Traveller
2 comments

Has anyone recently used this abonnement forfait 2e classe instead of the actual reservation? Is it still working? Next week, I am going from Portugal to Switzerland with Interrail, so I have to take two trains in France: one from Hendaye to Paris and another from Paris to Bern. Do you think I could use this abonnement forfait 2e classe scheme in both trains if I can't make a reservation when I arrive in France? They both are TGV.

Flo
Traveller
10724 comments

A friend of mine came back from a two week InterRail trip and he and his girlfriend used this Abo Forfait 2eme reservations twice; from Paris to Bordeaux and from Perpignan to Lyon. There were no problems whatsoever. :)


Flo 8)

Lordmwa
Traveller
117 comments

I got a funny look from the inspector on Dijon to Paris but nothing was said - try not to look guilty :P

gcorrea
Traveller
2 comments

Thanks for replying, guys!
I'll try this solution in my two train connections in France (Hendaye - Paris, Paris - Bern).
Best regards,
GCorrea.

DeMoNx
Traveller
6 comments

We'll try this, too. Lille - Paris and Paris - Nice.

Please correct me if I'm wrong:

go to [u]https://rail.cc/en/train-tickets/france/fr[/u] => follow the link => enter start and destination => enter age and choose abonnement forfait 2e classe (Abo Karte 2. Kl in german?) => pay with creditcard => print the e-ticket

hope we're getting away with this little trick ;) kind of sucks at first we didn't get our Thalys reservation and now even the TGVs aren't available at all.

Peter
Traveller
9333 comments

... or buy an official one directly in the railcc online shop and support our work:
[ux]https://rail.shop/interrail[/ux]

Pete :)

DeMoNx
Traveller
6 comments

[quote]... or buy an official one directly in the shop and support our work:
[u]https://rail.cc/en/interrail-train-reservation[/u]

Peter :) [/quote]

ah okay that seems to work :) lovely

how come that there are still reservations available at the shop for my chosen TGVs when the service personal at the Deutsche Bahn told me there aren't any seats for railers left?

Peter
Traveller
9333 comments

Because railcc has a better system. ;)
And we are not a simply train ticket outlet, we know what we offer.
Maybe the staff you met wasn't up to date or simply not interested in selling a train reservation, as it brings no money?!? I don't know it...?!? ;)

If you want to support our work and all the information here on the website, buy as well your Interrail pass here. Same official prices and free delivery in standard service within Europe:
[ux]https://rail.shop/interrail[/ux]

Peter :)

DeMoNx
Traveller
6 comments

online ticketing possible?
we wanted to start our trip next saturday morning... could be close with standard delivery?

vedatalce
Traveller
1 comments

i just bought a global pass and plan to travel from strasbourg to paris on 16.08 . As I can see you guys found another way to make reservations by doing it on these machines in the train stations,but how do you avoid paying the price for the ticket.can you really pay just for the reservation on those machines if yes how do you select this option on the machine?thanks in advance

Peter
Traveller
9333 comments

@DeMoNx: if you want to order online, do it only by express service. Otherwise there is no guarantee the reservations will arrive in time.

anonymous
Traveller
2469 comments

Is that solution still admissable if i take a train from paris gare lyon to geneva? i plan to leave on the next Thursday,can't find the price of reservation for interrail...and is the fine still the same?

Flo
Traveller
10724 comments

Hi,

the TGV from Paris to Switzerland are branded Lyria and require a reservation which is 9€ :arr: [u]https://rail.cc/en-type-country/tgv-lyria/lyria-lyria/162[/u]
The option for Abo Forfait 2eme reservation only works for domestic TGV connections within France, not for international travel. However, it should be possible to book such a reservation for a TGV bound for Geneve only to the last stop in France. From there, either change to a regular train to Geneve or just stay on the train hoping the conductor will tolerate it. Another option would be to use a TGV to Lyon instead and then go to Geneve by regular TER trains or to Mulhouse or Strasbourg and then use TER trains to Basel and continue to Geneve from there.


Flo 8)

cocomels
Traveller
2 comments

Hello!

Is this info still valid?

I'm trying to find a seat to go to Spain on July 2nd as I couldn't reserve from germany anymore :'(

I wanna take the train from Lyon to Nice and then take the Nice-Barcelona or Madrid connection that you suggest. *

Mel :)

Flo
Traveller
10724 comments

Hi Mel,

yes, this is still a possible option. Tested it myself in February on Paris - Nancy without any problems. :)

Anyway, I think you stay in Nice right? Since it is not on the direct route Lyon - Barcelona.


Flo 8)

cocomels
Traveller
2 comments

Thanks!

I'm gonna give it a try then.

I arrive in Lyon on saturday night and plan to take the train TGV at 00:50 of monday to Nice, which should arrive at 7:56 and then take the route at 08:55 to Barcelona. I hope it's not too exhausting! :)

Flo
Traveller
10724 comments

What you could also do is to take Lyon - Toulouse night train (arriving in Toulouse around 5am) then continue to Barcelona via Latour de Carol, arrival in BCN should be around 2pm. Reservation only required for the night train.

And if you have time you could include the Petit Train Jaune as well. :)

ruifeng
Traveller
3 comments

Hi guys, urgent help needed and appreciated!!
my next travel plan is from Cologne to Avignon/Marseille on 17th of July. I searched DB and the only way to avoid THALYS (correct me if im wrong)is to take an ICE(international) from Cologne to Brussels,so reservation possible not compulsory and then take a TGV(train no.9826) from Brussels to Avignon (reservation required). IS IT POSSIBLE I CAN RESERVE A SEAT IN BRUSSELS even though it doesnt look very likely I can get a 6 euro reservation based on previous discussion here? At least I can get a 18 euro reservation, right?
the worst case for me is to take a non-THA train to paris and make another reservation and transfer to AVIGNON(hope not).

THANK YOU IN ADVANCE

Flo
Traveller
10724 comments

Hi,

well if you want to try to get the Bruxelles - Avignon direct TGV I would make the reservation in Cologne already. In Bruxelles you probably would be charged an extra booking fee - if you would get it at all due to all the complications with TGV quota...
Where are you before Cologne anyway? Do you fly there from the UK, or are you travelling before that as well? If so, you can make the reservation from any other railway station along your route as well (in theory at least).

Another alternative would be not to go via Bruxelles/Paris, but via Frankfurt - Karlsruhe - Strasbourg. For instance there is a daily direct TGV Frankfurt - Avignon, however since it is an Alleo service (the jointly operated cross border FR <> DE TGV) the reservation would be 13€... But, if you travel to Strasbourg with regular trains first, you can get an Abo Forfait reservation as described in this thread for the Strasbourg - Avignon section. Depending on when you go, you might have to change trains in France once, but this shouldnt be much of a problem since you would be able to use a Abo Forfait reservation on each train.


Flo 8)

ruifeng
Traveller
3 comments

thank you so much for your reply. that really helps a looooot :D .

Before leaving Cologne I'll be travelling Germany,and before that I'll be in Belgium, so I guess the earliest reservation ( to avoid extra booking fee in brussels) would be in Munich or Berlin.

Both the Frankfurt route and strasbourg route sound great. 13 euro is acceptable compared with 18 euro(and the risk of not getting it at all). the only thing about strasbourg is a very long transfer time in offenburg, Germany.I guess I'll ask for a reservation for Brussels direct TGV. if that doesnt work, i'll try the frankfurt direct TGV.

Would it make things easier if I go to Marseille instead of Avignon?

Rui :D

Flo
Traveller
10724 comments

Hej Rui,

glad I can help. Dont forget that you can support our work by purchasing your InterRail pass here: [ux]https://rail.shop/interrail[/ux]
:)

The Köln - Bruxelles - Avignon connection certainly is the best option, so if you manage to get the reservation for that TGV, go for it.

The route via Karlsruhe - Strasbourg is only an alternative if the above connection doesnt work out.

If you go to Avignon or Marseille does not make _that_ much difference, although there might be slightly more TGV to TGV (not stopping in Avignon). Also, remember that you will arrive at Avignon TGV, from where you have to transfer to city centre by bus. On foot it is more that 4km.

If you dont want to spend any money on reservations, your best bet would be to go Köln - Basel - Geneve - Lyon - Avignon, all doable without reservations but it would take the whole day.

Przemek624
Traveller
2 comments

Hi
Is the €1,50 trick still working?? If so is it possible to buy online or only at the ticket machine? i saw the previous posts but had no luck of finding a way of online reservation, asides from the railcc official way :os

Peter
Traveller
9333 comments

Hi.
Working is a relative word, as it is not official this solution. Just read the topics above.
Online booking like at ticket machines on the website of the French railway.
Peter :)

ruifeng
Traveller
3 comments

Just a feedback on the TGV reservation at the moment.I did manage to get a reservation for Brussels midi-marseille direct TGV service in Munich Hbf office,but it costs me €26 :( .then I realized the max fine is only 20.well,too late. €6 to avoid trouble.anyway,reservation isn't that hard to get,but the price,according to the DB staff, is very high at the moment.

Peter
Traveller
9333 comments

That's SNCF (French national railway) - the friend of all Interrailers. :((

eglunicus
Traveller
5 comments

Just to make sure - I will need a train from Lyon to Marseille, which is of course TGV, if I will be going the unofficial route with these 2 euros (getting a reservation 6 hours prior to departure), the worst I could experience - 20 euros fine? I presume the train doesn't even stop anywhere on it's route to Marseille, so conductors won't throw us out? :) Or maybe there is a conductor before entering the train? I hope not.

Peter
Traveller
9333 comments

Hi.
This solution is NOT an official solution!
You can use [b]free and direct regional trains[/b] as well.
For example...

Lyon Part Dieu dep: 0920
Marseille-St-Charles arr: 1254

Lyon Part Dieu dep: 1520
Marseille-St-Charles arr: 1854

Departure times depends on your travel date.

Peter :)

eglunicus
Traveller
5 comments

Yes, I know it's not official, but I'd rather pay the fine and get to Marseille in under 2 hours than skip some sightseeing I could do in Lyon before the departure. :D
P.S. I would have probably bought those reservations from you, but not enough time left for shipping unfortunately.

mihce_slo
Traveller
25 comments

Hello!

I have a problem, I'm in Barcelona and they couldn't find me tickets from Lyon to Geneve nor for the night train from Zürich to Ljubljana, so I was wondering how much does the supplement for the TGV costs and if there is a possibility to buy the tickets when I get to a station in France?

Thank you for your answers!

Peter
Traveller
9333 comments

Hi.
For Lyon to Geneve you do NOT need a TGV reservation. Simply use a free regional train leaving every two hours. Journey time: 1:49h.
For example depature at 0838, arrival 1027 ...
Peter :)

mihce_slo
Traveller
25 comments

Well I know there are free regional trains but I would like to get the direct night train from Zürich to Ljubljana so I'd have to take the TGV :) . That's the only problem.

Peter
Traveller
9333 comments

Then you have to try it in France at a railway station. And you can't book the night train online - if they aren't able in France to sell you a reservation for the night train, ask directly at the train the staff - often they have some free places.
Peter :)

sassafras
Traveller
3 comments

Hello! I'm new to this forum and it has been incredibly helpful already! :)

My problem is, I need to get from Paris to Locarno. But basically just any destination in Switzerland is fine, since finding a connection from there to Locarno is relatively easy. The problem is this compulsory reservation thing on trains through France. I'm traveling on July 7th. I've tried just about anything (going to Geneve, Bern, Zurich, Basel, or exchanging trains in Lyon, Mullhouse Ville or Dijon) and for each of the searches, I'm not getting any results (except for the Paris-Zurich connection, 8:23 - 12:26 and 14:23 - 18:35, €35, but for first class only).

Then I found this topic and read this:

[quote]the TGV from Paris to Switzerland are branded Lyria and require a reservation which is 9€ :arr: [u]https://rail.cc/en-type-country/tgv-lyria/lyria-lyria/162[/u]
The option for Abo Forfait 2eme reservation only works for domestic TGV connections within France, not for international travel. However, it should be possible to book such a reservation for a TGV bound for Geneve only to the last stop in France. From there, either change to a regular train to Geneve or just stay on the train hoping the conductor will tolerate it.[/quote]

But it seems there are no stops on my route to Geneve. What should I book then, I mean I don't think I have a stop in France to book? (I'm usually using db.de to plan out my journey and then go to local websites for more info, would you suggest some other way?)

The only other somewhat useful solution I found was over raileur*pe.com, where it allows me to book a connection from Paris to Geneve (the TGV Lyria 9769 train, 11:11AM Paris Gare Lyon - 2:16PM Geneve CFF) for $14, and I can only choose between different EuRail and BritRail passes. If I choose EuRail Global Pass, will the reservation be valid for this route with my InterRail pass?

Thank you so much in advance for your help! :)

Flo
Traveller
10724 comments

Hi!

Glad you like our forums. :)
I am not sure though what exactly your problem is? Are you travelling with an IR pass? And you want to avoid trains with reservation? Or do you just want to make a reservation for one of the trains from Paris to Switzerland?

To get to Locarno, I would travel to Zürich first with a TGV Lyria: [u]https://rail.cc/en/train/paris-to-zurich[/u]
However these require a compulsory reservation which is currently 9€. If you look at the link above you will find a few reservations for which no reservation is required however these take considerably longer than the direct TGV Lyria. From Zürich you can then travel with any EC/IC/(ICN/IR along the scenic Gotthard route to Locarno. On some trains you would have to change at Arth-Goldau or Bellinzona.
In fact, you could also travel only Paris - Basel (with the same TGV Lyria trains), then change there to a train across Gotthard via Luzern.

Another option would be to use a TGV Lyria to Genève, then travel to Brig and across the border to Domodossola, then along the scenic Centovalli route to Locarno. However I would not necessarily recommend this route as connections are not as good, especially between Brig and Domodossola: The direct EC trains require a reservation of 11€ and there are very few regional trains.

For the future, you could use [ux]https://rail.shop/bahn[/ux]. Thank you. :)

We are not the support of RE, so you would have to ask them about reservations they sell.

It is not know whether the Abo Forfait 2eme option still works, I would not recommend it. If you want to use it though, you have to use a train that stops in France before calling at Switzerland.
[ux]https://rail.shop/sncf/reservation[/ux]

Flo 8)

sassafras
Traveller
3 comments

Thank you for your fast reply! :)

[quote]I am not sure though what exactly your problem is? Are you travelling with an IR pass? And you want to avoid trains with reservation? Or do you just want to make a reservation for one of the trains from Paris to Switzerland?[/quote]
Oh, sorry, it seems I wasn't clear enough. I do have an InterRail pass, and don't mind taking the TGV Lyria train and paying for reservation. My problem is that when I try to make the reservation, the search either comes up with no results (the Online prices are currently unavailable for the selected route message), or in that one case, only the reservation for the first class. So my problem is that I couldn't find any reservations I could buy :)

I'm doing my search for reservations here: [ux]https://rail.shop/acprail/reservation[/ux]/reservations__for_passholders/. That's the correct link, right? I am getting results for other reservations needed for the rest of the trip, I'm only having a problem with those routes through France. So I assumed it's because of this limitation on seats for InterRail travelers. If I for example type in Paris (from) and Zurich (to) and choose July 7th, 10:00 as my departure time, I get the message Online prices are currently unavailable for the selected route as a result. if I change the departure time to 14:00, I get the reservation for the first class ticket only (no second class reservation offered at all) for the train leaving Paris at 14:23. Am I doing something wrong or are there just no more reservations available for InterRail travelers for the selected date and time?

[quote]For the future, you could use [ux]https://rail.shop/bahn[/ux]
Thanks for the tip! :) I didn't know there was a direct link but would use the little search box over at db.de and let it transfer me to [ux]https://rail.shop/bahn[/ux] and its search system.

Flo
Traveller
10724 comments

Ah, alright. Well, I would always first try to get a reservation at a station. Reservations for TGV Lyria are usually no problem to get (as long as the InterRail contingent is still available), so you should try that.
The railcc online reservation feature is just an extra service if other ways of getting the reservation dont work. If the reservation is not available this can be due to IR reservation sold out or SNCF not providing access to their system at the moment. Keep in mind also that the reservation through the online reservation feature can be more expensive than at a station due to extra handling and postage fees!

For us it is important that you use the [ux]https://rail.shop/bahn[/ux] direct link - in order we get a bit of money to keep the servers running. ;)
Of course prices are the same for you. Thanks. :)


Flo 8)

sassafras
Traveller
3 comments

I think I'll do just that. When I'm in France on the beginning of my trip (July 3rd) I should have enough time in Paris to find a ticket machine or a ticket shop and try to get a reservation there for my return trip on July 7th.

Just one more question (sorry for so many :os ) If I end up getting the wrong one (I was thinking of maybe buying any reservation available if the InterRail contingent isn't available anymore) and get on the train, I'll have to pay a fine of €20, but it is not likely I'll just get thrown off the train?

[quote]For us it is important that you use the [ux]https://rail.shop/bahn[/ux] direct link - in order we get a bit of money to keep the servers running. ;)
Of course prices are the same for you. Thanks. :) [/quote]
I didn't know that, and I'll be sure to do that for all the future purchases :) That website has been very helpful to me in the past and I've bought many tickets there. And I'd be glad to say thanks in that way to this great forum and the support you provide here! :D

Flo
Traveller
10724 comments

I cant answer that...you may be fined, kicked off, or you might be allowed to stay. It depends on the conductor. I would ask first, before boarding, and explain why I absolutely would need to take this exact train...can be a good idea, can be a bad idea...
Oh, now I see...you want to buy not an IR reservation but one for another kind of ticket. Well, as all regular tickets come with a reservation included your only option would be an Abo Forfait 2eme reservation in the end...then you could tell us whether or not these are still accepted in 2013. ;)
...and of course it would only work for a trip within France, maybe Paris - Strasbourg or to Mulhouse or Colmar,...

I would also try to get the reservation before getting to Paris, you can get it outside of France as well (as long as the IR contingent is still available).

Thanks for supporting! You can also purchase your IR tickets in our partner! ;)

tomingram
Traveller
1 comments

Hi me and 2 mates are setting off for inter-railing on the 6th and our first train journey is from paris to biarritz. We have only really just found out that we need reservations which are looking pretty expensive. Looking at the links for the cheaper regional trains it kept saying there is no booking information available and the only option seems to be TGV which is roughly 50 euros for a reservation.
Are reservations policed that strictly? And surely there must be a way of travelling down France on an interail ticket without paying loads of money? Any advice would be greatly appreciated
Cheers

Peter
Traveller
9333 comments

Hi tomingram ...
Where do you have the information from, EUR 50 as reservation for the TGV? As this information is wrong. If the limited rail pass seats are sold out, you will have to pay EUR 18 (if still free seats left). Okay, it's expensive - but that's the Interrail hostile French SNCF.
The best option on this route is indeed a TGV train.
Local trains are free in France: https://rail.cc/en/interrail-train-reservation/france/fr
I hope you purchased your Interrail pass via our partner link [ux]https://rail.shop/interrail[/ux] , as it is not fair to buy somewhere else, but to ask here for free support. railcc is not the support website of other companies.
Peter :)

achul2a
Traveller
1 comments

Hi,

I find this forum is really helpful after having a look at this for a couple of days. Basically, I've got 2 Interrail Global Passes for me and my gf. I'm now trying to make a reservation on TGV Lyria from Paris to Geneva on 10th Aug but I followed the the instruction in the replies in this topic but it doesn't seem to work out, as it said it is unavailable. I'm not sure if I am doing anything wrong. I would really appreciate any solution here.

Thank you,

Flo
Traveller
10724 comments

Hi!

If you have purchased your IR tickets at the railcc shop, contact Peter with your order ID to get upgraded to premium status. Otherwise you should ask at the place where you bought the ticket.
Anyway, as it is probably mentioned somewhere in the thread, this kind of reservation only works for domestic connections.


Flo 8)

Diverde
Traveller
2 comments

Hello there.

I mean to go from Milan to Paris in one day, through TGV if needs be.
Where and how much will I have to pay for such train?

In Bahn I've seen that I can switch trains in Lausanne. Yet, my question is also where do I order the Lausane- Paris ticket with the interrail discount? Sorry if my question has been answered before, kinda new to this (:

Thanks,
Kind regards, Diogo Verde

Peter
Traveller
9333 comments

Hi Diogo.
Information about Milan to Paris by Interrail is here: [ux]https://rail.cc/en/interrail/milan-to-paris[/u]
The direct TGV train is EUR 55 !!! :((
There are free connections as well. Usually you buy reservations directly at a station - but often it is also possible to buy them at [ux]https://rail.shop/acprail/reservation[/ux] - order them together with your rail pass.
If you have already bought your rail pass here at railcc, let me know your order-ID (PNR - beginning with AA), as it is not fair to ask here for free support but to buy somewhere else. As soon as you send it to me by personal mail, I will set your profile to PLUS for a more detailed answer. :)
Thank you, Peter :)

Diverde
Traveller
2 comments

Hello there,

I haven't bought the ticket yet, still figuring a few routes, don't wanna get stuck in a place because lost a train or such ahah.
I wouldn't mind spending those 55 euros on the TGV because it would be a one time travel, yet I can seem to find the place where it says that there are spots left on the train for passholders. Is there a number I can call?

Instead of paying the 55 euros, but still paying for a fast connection trip, wouldn't Milano-Lausanne (Eurocity 10€) and Lausanne-Paris (TGV Lyria 9€) be better?

Thank you again,

Diogo Verde

Peter
Traveller
9333 comments

Hi Diogo.
If you like, contact French railways - but don't expect good service of their online support.
I personally do not recommend to pay these EUR 55.
Concerning your connection, it's up to you to decide. You have the connections here: [u]https://rail.cc/en/interrail/milan-to-paris[/u]
Or use an other one ...
Peter

anonymous
Traveller
2469 comments

Has anyone recently tried with Abo Forfait 2eme method? Does it still work?
It seems online seat reservations have (almost) the same price with full-fare tickets (Thalys BRUSSELS-PARIS; TGV PARIS-BASEL). And on [ux]https://rail.shop/sncf/reservation[/ux] the line between Paris - Basel is unfortunately still not possible to see the price (was expecting different rates).

Flo
Traveller
10724 comments

Where did you look for online reservations for Thalys Bruxelles - Paris and TGV Paris - Basel?

Abo Forfait still worked in September, according to a friend of mine.

anonymous
Traveller
2469 comments

Brussels - Paris (Thalys)
[ux]https://rail.shop/acprail/reservation[/ux] = 40 EUR (seat reservation)
SNCB = 50 EUR (full fare)
RailEur*pe UK = 32 EUR (seat reservation)

Paris - Basel (TGV, I think it is TGV Lyria)
[ux]https://rail.shop/acprail/reservation[/ux] = no results
SNCF = 68 (full fare)
RailEur*pe UK = 27 EUR (seat reservation)


Well well... Abo Forfait is only 1,50... But, who knows what the controlleur's mood be like then.

Flo
Traveller
10724 comments

There is no Abo Forfait available for Thalys and TGV Lyria services.

Thalys reservations are very expensive, that's why we always recommend to use alternative connections when travelling with InterRail/Eurail.
Lyria reservations are currently 9€ at a station (we also usually recommend to buy train reservations at a station), however it seems that they are currently hard to get due to limited availability...

ssslow
Traveller
3 comments

Hi All

Does this trick also work on renfe-sncf train? Or does this abo forfait exist on renfe-sncf train?

I plan to go to Barcelona from Nimes in early May. Right now I am in the US and tried railcc, raileur*pe ,as well as uk.v*yages-sncf.com (since I will go to UK first before France). None of these two websites can make eurail pass reservation for me after trying almost everyday in early may. I am wondering is this because the quota is very limited or I need to make the reservation after I am in France? Has anyone successfully make renfe-sncf reservation with a rail pass?

In worst case if the conductor on renfe-sncf train doesn't recognize abonnement forfait 2e classe, then how much fine I need to pay on board?

Thanks!

Flo
Traveller
10724 comments

Hi!

Abo Forfait reservations are only available for domestic TGV in France.
Since you are going only Nimes - Barcelona I would recommend to just use regional trains and save yourself the hassle with TGV reservations:
Nimes 1213 - 1528 Portbou
Portbou 1603 - 1839 Barcelona Sants

It can well be that online reservations for the TGV/AVE trains France - Spain are not available yet online - you will have to buy them locally at a train station in France.


Flo 8)

ssslow
Traveller
3 comments

Hi flow, thanks a lot for your reply.

I am justing wondering, in case I have the pass without reservation, is the conductor will just ask me to pay the fine (if yes, how much) or kick me out?

nltrainer
Traveller
1405 comments

You are asking for the impossible. ANYthing can/may happen-but kicking out of a moving train @hi-speed will not be-simple logic thinking.
There HAVE been some nasty reports-on this forum too (cannot find them-maybe Pe-flo can make a link) about some german (maybe his mouth was too big??) who had his Interrail being made INVALID and was forced to pay a huge fine-- as being thought of without any ticket. Thus he also had to pay for new tickets to go home.
MOST reports (I follow also other fora-in other lingo's you likely do not even know) and as also been said here-the ''forfait''solution is not according to the official rules. It all depends on the mind of your conductor if s/he will want trouble or maybe has some revenge (frankly: you young InterRailers often have a VERY bad attitude and scream too noisy and drink too much and bother others too much and stink-thats how many railwaypeople think about it) on you.
Also: it should be obvious to anyone that this forfait can only be had from the yellow machines and not at the counter. These machines ONLY take bankcards for payment.

Flo
Traveller
10724 comments

According to SNCF rules you _have_ to go to the conductor immediately (if possible already at the platform) if you do not have a valid ticket/reservation to be able to get the on-board fare/reservation if you want avoid being fined. I do not know the exact rules on the services to Spain which are operated by Elipsos, a SNCF/RENFE joint venture.
As explained above a lot depends on your attitude towards the conductor as well as his/her mood as well. There have been stories of InterRailers getting fined, others (like me) just had to pay the on board tariff (should be 18€; back in 2010 I should have paid 15€ but due to lack of change I got away with only paying 12€), others could ride without paying anything extra.

Flo
Traveller
10724 comments

According to latest info booking of France - Spain TGV/AVE is currently not possible outside France and Spain due to a new booking system being implemented.

ssslow
Traveller
3 comments

[quote]According to latest info booking of France - Spain TGV/AVE is currently not possible outside France and Spain due to a new booking system being implemented.[/quote]

Thank you so much! Becuase I did see those reservation available back to the end of last year...guess they updated the system since then.

So does that mean I should go to a station in France to try my luck for SNCF-Renfe reservation? If yes, do you think Chamonix station will be able to make such a reservation, assuming the quota hasn't been run out?

Thanks again.

Flo
Traveller
10724 comments

Yes and yes. ;)

maakaa
Traveller
2 comments

Hi guys!

I'm new here but old railman 8)

I used to have travel with FIP tickets all around the Europe. At least 10 times. This year I have to buy IR.

May I enter in the train without any reservation and buy it on the train? I will travel with TGV from Geneve to Nimes, and TGV form Nimes to Barcelona.

THNX
maka

nltrainer
Traveller
1405 comments

That would be a very, very daft=very much unwise idea. Really- as a cheminot (French for the jolly railwayworker-they are all socialist) you could get by IF you talk with the colleague before enter,, but as has been stated here many times with gruelling results, for IR (generally hated by most Francais cheminots) you could face heavy fines and deportation (off the train). or not, if you look Polski, blond and very young.
Cannot you think of that all by yourself as former cheminot?

Flo
Traveller
10724 comments

Hi!

I dont have the impression that SNCF conductors hate InterRailers in general, otherwise the Abo Forfait trick would not work that well, but... :P
Anyway, if you want to enter a TGV without a valid ticket (in your case reservation) you _have_ to get to the conductors before they start with ticket inspection in order to get a tarif bord reservation which normally is around 15/18€ to avoid a tarif control ticket which is much more expensive and basically a fine for not having a valid ticket.

Both TGV on your journey have rather high regular InterRail reservation fees, the TGV Geneve - Nimes is a TGV Lyria with reservation probably around 20€, the TGV Nimes - Barcelona is a TGV Elipsos with reservation probably around 15€. If possible, I would avoid these TGV and try to travel by local train to Lyon, then take a regular TGV to Perpignan and by local train via Cerbere/Portbou to Barcelona.

It would be interesting to hear from your experiences, thank you. :)


Flo 8)

rasmus22
Traveller
2 comments

Hey
I am New in here :) :os
i am trying to travel 17 countries :D heh, Well my question on this TGV train
do i have to pay 92.00 € online for a reservation ticket or can i buy it from the station and how :| :?:
i am trying to travel from Paris to Geneva
i try to call them, but they sound mad :((

Thanks :)

Best Regards
Danish Dude rasmus ;)

Flo
Traveller
10724 comments

Hej Rasmus,

online reservations (via [ux]https://rail.shop/sncf/reservation[/ux]), be it Abo Forfait or regular InterRail reservations are not possible for TGV Lyria services from France to Switzerland; you can get the regular (26€) reservation either at a train station or book a reservation for a domestic trip in France and travel the remainder to Switzerland with regional trains.

To support the free information and the forum on railcc, please be fair and buy your official Interrail pass via our railcc partner link: [ux]https://rail.shop/interrail[/ux]
Thank you! :)


Flo 8)

rasmus22
Traveller
2 comments

Okay, i will try that :) 26 sound much better :D
urh sorry i did not know that, i need to buy interrail from here for info, my bad sorry :os
by the way its bit expensive to buy from here for me, but i will like to support you in any other ways :)

And Thanks for the help :)

Best Regards
Danish Dude Rasmus ;)

maakaa
Traveller
2 comments

[quote]... for IR (generally hated by most Francais cheminots) you could face heavy fines and deportation (off the train)...[/quote]

This is not so strange. In the past, I had one deportation with FIP ticket. In the nightrain Hamburg-Wien, conductor asked reservation, 20€. Decision was really simple. :D :D I left the train

In other case, I have travelled three times with Berlin-Warsawa Express, just one conductor asked for reservation. I payed 5 €, twice I didn't.

[quote] If possible, I would avoid these TGV and try to travel by local train [/quote]

Always You can reach destination with local train. But this time, we are travelling from Zagreb to Madrid, with TGV it is long travel, without is much longer.


Thanks to everyone, but we will not travel to Madrid, only to Zurich and one circle with RhB. It's much cheaper and shorter.

anonymous
Traveller
2469 comments

Hi,
Sorry for resurrecting an old thread.
Quick question,
My girlfriend are travelling from Rome to Barcelona tomorrow.
Having not realised that interrail reservations run out pretty quickly, I have not booked one!
Is there any other way to do this other than taking a much longer and trickier route?
Thanks,
Jack

Peter
Traveller
9333 comments

Hi Jack.
Which route do you want to travel?
You can travel it without extra reservations (or only one in Italy). There is also the option to use a ferry.
And calculate at least two days for Rome-Barcelona.
Just let me know your order-PNR of your Interrail pass purchase via the railcc partner link [ux]https://rail.shop/interrail[/ux] by personal mail. Then I can set your profile to PLUS and have a look for you on a good and free connection saving you a lot of money.
In general: reservations for French TGV trains - [ux]https://rail.shop/sncf/reservation[/ux]
Peter :)

anonymous
Traveller
2469 comments

Hi Peter,
Sorry I meant to say my girlfriend and I.
We've got two days left on our interrail pass which expires on the 13th, so have to travel tomorrow and the next day really.
The ferry costs €55 each so seems quite high :(
We've booked the first part of the route from Rome to Turin, but could not book the rest of the route as this then goes into France and then Lyon to Barcelona.
I've found another route, that is free of required reservations however it takes ALOT longer.
I had seen this topic saying you could buy a normal reservation used for commuters and not interrailers.
Is this still possible?
Thanks,
Jack

Flo
Traveller
10724 comments

Hej Jack,

IMO it is not possible to travel Rome - Barcelona with overall costs much less than the 55€ for the ferry:
a) You travel the non-reservation route along the coast: Two days needed, extra costs for overnight stay around Nice plus food
b) You travel via Turin - Lyon which costs a lot of extra reservation fees, especially Turin - Lyon will be ridiculously expensive (Milan - Paris on the same train is somewhat around 55€, so Turin - Lyon may be around 20€ or so, idk) and you will also need a quite expensive reservation for Lyon - Barcelona
c) You take the ferry


Flo 8)