Getting cheaper train fares in Europe.

I usually use the Die Bahn website to plan rail travel throughout
Europe.

This works fine for getting basic schedule information for point to
point travel.

However I recently discovered a British site :

http://www.raileurope.co.uk/Default.aspx?tabid=36

This site lists schedules along with fares and restrictions in British
Pounds.

Although the site is set up to book tickets online you can use the
information there to discover which trains are cheaper.

For example if you want to travel from Lyon to Paris the site
shows the result of an 09:00 departure of a TGV train with a fare of
50 pounds.

If you leave at 08:00 instead you could take the TGV for only 28
pounds.

http://www.raileurope.co.uk/Default.aspx?tabid=948

Although I plan to buy my tickets in France, I will save money by
knowing which trains to book.

Have a nice trip.

Bruce

On Sat, 11 Apr 2009 09:20:37 -0400, Bruce K. wroteÂ*:

Although the site is set up to book tickets online you can use the
information there to discover which trains are cheaper.

For example if you want to travel from Lyon to Paris the site shows the
result of an 09:00 departure of a TGV train with a fare of 50 pounds.

If you leave at 08:00 instead you could take the TGV for only 28 pounds.

http://www.raileurope.co.uk/Default.aspx?tabid=948

Although I plan to buy my tickets in France, I will save money by
knowing which trains to book.

TGV prices are changing every day and are generally cheaper if bought
some time in advance. The Paris-Lyon-Marseille Line is quite busy and TGV
are frequently full, the last minute fares are likely to be the more
expensive.

28 pounds is quite cheap, but not the cheapest.

Some trains (IDTGV) are only on sale on internet. Maybe you 8:00 train is
one of them. You print your ticket yourself.

http://www.idtgv.com/en/

http://www.voyages-sncf.com/

"JuanElorza" wrote in message
...
On Sat, 11 Apr 2009 09:20:37 -0400, Bruce K. wrote :

Although the site is set up to book tickets online you can use the
information there to discover which trains are cheaper.

For example if you want to travel from Lyon to Paris the site shows the
result of an 09:00 departure of a TGV train with a fare of 50 pounds.

If you leave at 08:00 instead you could take the TGV for only 28 pounds.

http://www.raileurope.co.uk/Default.aspx?tabid=948

Although I plan to buy my tickets in France, I will save money by
knowing which trains to book.

TGV prices are changing every day and are generally cheaper if bought
some time in advance. The Paris-Lyon-Marseille Line is quite busy and TGV
are frequently full, the last minute fares are likely to be the more
expensive.

28 pounds is quite cheap, but not the cheapest.

Some trains (IDTGV) are only on sale on internet. Maybe you 8:00 train is
one of them. You print your ticket yourself.

http://www.idtgv.com/en/

http://www.voyages-sncf.com/

Similar is true in the UK. Many of the longer distance trains offer
advance purchase fares. Like airlines the cheapest sell out soonest and
you may find that even a week before, none are left. The booking "horizon"
is generally 12 weeks before travel.

JuanElorza wrote:

On Sat, 11 Apr 2009 09:20:37 -0400, Bruce K. wrote :

Although the site is set up to book tickets online you can use the
information there to discover which trains are cheaper.

For example if you want to travel from Lyon to Paris the site shows the
result of an 09:00 departure of a TGV train with a fare of 50 pounds.

If you leave at 08:00 instead you could take the TGV for only 28 pounds.

http://www.raileurope.co.uk/Default.aspx?tabid=948

Although I plan to buy my tickets in France, I will save money by
knowing which trains to book.

TGV prices are changing every day and are generally cheaper if bought
some time in advance. The Paris-Lyon-Marseille Line is quite busy and TGV
are frequently full, the last minute fares are likely to be the more
expensive.

28 pounds is quite cheap, but not the cheapest.

Yes, booking in advance is a very good idea. We got tickets for a single
from Marseille to Paris last July for 20 euro each, booking a few months
in advance. The train was packed full FWIW. It was also a very easy
booking experience- with tickets being sent to us by post well in
advance. (I prefer electronic options when available though.)

--
(*) of the royal duchy of city south and deansgate
www.davidhorne.net (email address on website)
"The fact is that when I compose I never think of and never
have thought of meeting the listener." -George Perle (RIP 2009)