nukesafe

I have been following the seemingly endless discussion, by those incredibly patient Fodorites who know all, on this Forum about buying tickets online for the TGV. I really think I have it all in my pea sized brain now -- even have been able to follow the procedure on the French site up to pushing the payment button, as I am now within the 60 day window of my trip.

One thing still perplexes me, though. I recall a discussion that talked about a two-week limit within which you must pick up your tickets in France, as they will not mail them to the States. I have looked, but cannot seem to find that thread, but I don't think it was entirely clear anyway.

My questions are these:

1) Can I buy Prem tickets online and print them out?

2) If I cannot print them out, can I pick them up at the TVG station at CDG two months later?

3) I will be arriving at CDG and want to catch the one TGV of the day (19:24) to Dijon. If I must pick them up at the station, how much time do I need to go from Terminal 1 to Terminal 2 and wait in line to pick up the tickets?

Thanks for any help you can give.

indytravel

Yes you can buy and print a prems ticket at home. Even on a 6 year old HP inkjet. I did it last November for Bordeaux.

Just make sure you have proper ID (like a passport) to show with the ticket you've printed.

LarryJ

I do this often.

1. Yes you can buy Prem tickets on line and print the ticket on your home computer. Be sure to set your print quality to "best".

2. You can print the Prem tickets but for tickets that you can not print; you simply choose the option stating that you will pay for the tickets now and pick them up in France at a station. I do it all the time. If you pay with credit card on-line you can pick up the tickets 60 days later at any station or SNCF office in France.

3.The wait at CDG TGV train station can be long. I have waited up to 30 minutes or more. Once your plane lands at T1 you should clear customs and immigration and be able to take the Air France shuttle bus to T2 and be at the TGV station in about 40 minutes average. But as I said the line will usually be long at the ticket counter.

Be sure to have with you your CREDIT CARD THAT YOU USED TO PAY FOR THE TICKETS ON-LINE and the confirmation statement you got on-line with the TICKET REFERENCE NUMBER. That's all you need but without those two things YOU WILL NOT GET YOUR TICKETS. Be aware that you will not be able to get your tickets from the automatic ticket machines at the station because SNCF machines do not accept foreign credit cards. There is some confusion about this because you can use your credit card from the USA to buy tickets in the machines for the RER trains in Paris and suburbs. I bought tickets last Saturday for the RER at Gare Lyon for a trip to Moret sur Loing.

I have my doubts that you will get Prem tickets for a trip to Dijon but perhaps you will. If you must pick up tickets in France allow plenty of time at the station.

Larry J

bob_brown

On one occasion, I was also asked to show the credit card I had used to make the purchase!!

I was told after the fact that it was a form of identification.

The question may not be asked, but my suggestion is to be ready in case it is.

Since then, I have always used my primary card for making European purchases from the USA.

The rules at times seem to vary. For example, in Switzerland the first time I had a Swiss Card, the conductors asked to see my passport and compared the passport number to the number on the Card. This year and last, all they did was punch the ticket.

So you never know. Just be ready in case they decided to have some kind of a witch hunt.

Since the bombings in London, everybody seems to be jumpy.

Christina

There is a very short time frame to pickup tickets in France if you do not prepay online, I believe. I think it can be even less than two weeks (but don't recall exactly).

I have purchased PREMs online (from the US) and printed them, no problem. Now one thing I think is a little confusing is that I thought you could NOT pick up PREMs tickets in person, which may be a little confusing from the above posts (as they sound to me like they are saying you can). I don't recall the exact details as I printed my PREMS, but I seem to recall pickup was not an option for PREMs (but is for regular tickets).

I have also pre-purchased and picked up regular tickets in France with no problem, as long as they are pre-paid.

These rules are on the SNCF website, and I recall you can read them before you purchase. If you can print, I'd suggest that's the best idea for PREMs.

nukesafe

Hot Damn, I did it! I'm so proud of myself!

With the excellent help of the whole army of you Fodorites, I went on a French website, made reservations, paid my money, and printed out Prem tickets for the four of us on the TGV from CDG to Dijon.

To all of you other timid souls out there; if I can do it, ANYONE can.

Thank you very much.

ira

Good for you, Nuke!

Sue4

Nukesafe, congratulations on your success. The first time I did that (printing up the tickets, etc.), I felt SUCH a sense of accomplishment!