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A heads up -- those planning to travel to their starting point of the Camino in France by train should be advised that the SNCF has decided to close many ticket counters across the country, for cost-cutting purposes and because they want to try and force people to buy their tickets online, which apparently is leading to massive queues at the counters of the larger stations -- I've seen a report of a two-hour long queue in one of the Paris stations.
And some of these are instituting reservation systems to get yourself an appointment to buy your ticket !!
Have booked online (local mirror of RailEurope website) to travel Montparnasse to Bayonne to SJPP 2017 and 2018 - quick, painless and removed once potential source of anxiety.
Might not have been the cheapest option but would do it again every CF I walk... Queuing kills the joy of travelling for me...
Good! But don't forget that during peak moments you have to wait in line anyway to get your ticket scanned, paperversion or the cellphoneversion.
Is it cheaper to buy your ticket online in advance or on the day at the station?
Is it cheaper to buy your ticket online in advance or on the day at the station?
I wholeheartedly agree with your statement about Queuing spoiling the joy of travel...that is one of the main reasons why I always get to airports much earlier than my flights...fewer crowds and a pretty easy transition through security screening, then a nice relaxing sit down to read my book or to just people watch. I HATE queues with a passion.Have booked online (local mirror of RailEurope website) to travel Montparnasse to Bayonne to SJPP 2017 and 2018 - quick, painless and removed once potential source of anxiety.
Might not have been the cheapest option but would do it again every CF I walk... Queuing kills the joy of travelling for me...
The last two times I was in France, those machines wouldn't take my North American (chip) credit card.The option is not exactly buying online vs long queues at the station. There are automatic ticket machines, also. Big yellow things, you will see them. They are not particularly complicated, and have almost no queues at all. The only "but" is that you will need the "chip included" kind of credit card. Ah, and you need to know the exact name of your station destination (main cities could have two or more....but anyway, I can't imagine an inspector checking tickets for that). The system is well explained in this blog
The last two times I was in France, those machines wouldn't take my North American (chip) credit card.
The SNCF’s smartphone app is super easy to use. They have a companion OUI app which you use to actually make your purchase. That’s where your ticket then resides. I’d save yourself the time and just get the apps.A heads up -- those planning to travel to their starting point of the Camino in France by train should be advised that the SNCF has decided to close many ticket counters across the country, for cost-cutting purposes and because they want to try and force people to buy their tickets online, which apparently is leading to massive queues at the counters of the larger stations -- I've seen a report of a two-hour long queue in one of the Paris stations.
And some of these are instituting reservation systems to get yourself an appointment to buy your ticket !!
The SNCF’s smartphone app is super easy to use. They have a companion OUI app which you use to actually make your purchase. That’s where your ticket then resides. I’d save yourself the time and just get the apps.
Is it cheaper to buy your ticket online in advance or on the day at the station?
You are right and this is new to me: You don't have to scan tickets like e-billet, Billet Imprimé, Print@Home, Ticketless anymore, you just board the train and take your seat. Apparently, you only have to do this (get a stamp at the machine near or on the platform of your train - a process known as composter) when you have a cardboard ticket bought from an SNCF ticket office or sent to your home address.Really? 2017 and 2018, I printed the tickets at home and we just got onto the train and found our seats as soon as the gates opened - no-one checking tickets as we boarded... But maybe 7.30 am isn't peak time?
Is it cheaper to buy your ticket online in advance or on the day at the station?
That's what's on my phone. Saved me missing my train. Just ran to the train and the conductor scanned my phone before I stepped on. Tried to use the RENFE app but it seems you need to be a citizen of Spain to complete registration.The SNCF’s smartphone app is super easy to use. They have a companion OUI app which you use to actually make your purchase. That’s where your ticket then resides. I’d save yourself the time and just get the apps.
Tickets are very easy to buy online before you go! https://en.oui.sncf/en/train-ticketA heads up -- those planning to travel to their starting point of the Camino in France by train should be advised that the SNCF has decided to close many ticket counters across the country, for cost-cutting purposes and because they want to try and force people to buy their tickets online, which apparently is leading to massive queues at the counters of the larger stations -- I've seen a report of a two-hour long queue in one of the Paris stations.
And some of these are instituting reservation systems to get yourself an appointment to buy your ticket !!
Really? 2017 and 2018, I printed the tickets at home and we just got onto the train and found our seats as soon as the gates opened - no-one checking tickets as we boarded... But maybe 7.30 am isn't peak time?
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