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jukjun
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Posted 13 years ago

I travel from London and arrived Paris this morning. I went to the ticket office in Paris Nord to buy my ticket to venice for tomorrow night and the guy said that i needed to pay the full price because in order to get the interrail discount i need to book ticket 3-4weeks in advance. Is that true?? because ive been reading this web board and they said we can buy ticket one day before travelling.

Jackie

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Peter
Traveller
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replied 13 years ago

Hi Jackie.
Of course you can buy it one day before or even at the day of departure.
It is like it always is: the staff is not informed about rail passes.
Of course the night train might be fully booked, but I just checked the website of the Italian railway company and it shows that tickets are still available. Problem: there are no e-tickets available to order online and print them by yourself. :o
Now you have the option either to risk it and simply go to the train ask the staff there directly for a reservation which is usually possible if free beds/seats left or travel by day train.
Other option: go to an other station or other ticket window - other staff is more informed and tell that tickets at the Italian website are still available (Trenitalia).
Peter

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jukjun
Traveller
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replied 13 years ago

Dear Peter

Thank you very much for you fast respond. I will try buying the ticket again tomorrow morning. If the staff say the same thing again, is there any proof or any way that I could tell him that they were wrong because I really dont want to pay £100 when I already bought £400 pass.

Jackie

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Peter
Traveller
9333 comments

replied 13 years ago

No there is no way to show that they were wrong. :(
Simply try different ticket windows or as well an other station.

One option could be to use the night train Paris-Nice:
[u]https://rail.cc/en/interrail-night-train/france/fr[/u]
You can book it online!
So you spent at least the night in a cheap night train. And then continue in the morning to Venice.
Please read here: [u]https://rail.cc/en/interrail-night-train/france/fr[/u]

Book here online: [ux]https://rail.shop/omio[/ux]

There are still beds available for EUR 17,50 !!!

Paris Austerlitz: 2225 | Corail Lunea (see above)
Nice Ville arr: 0856

Nice Ville dep: 0953 | Regional train - free of extra fees
Ventimiglia arr: 1043

Ventimiglia dep: 1058 | IC train - reservation not required but recommended for EUR 3 (see below)
Milano Centrale arr: 1455

Milano Centrale dep: 1605 | IC - reservation required (!) EUR 10
Venezia Santa Lucia arr: 1840

A long trip. You can book the reservations for Italy online. See the point for Italy (Trenitalia):
[u]https://rail.cc/en/interrail-train-reservation[/u]

It is a long trip, I know... but a solution.

Other connections also available if you stay on more night in Paris and travel on the 29th by day train.

Paris Lyon dep: 0742 | TGV train - reservation required - EUR 10
Milano Centrale arr: 1450

Milano Centrale dep: 1505 | IC - reservation EUR 10 - see above
Venezia Santa Lucia arr: 1740

Peter :)