Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
ers can try for a seat at the “Easy Access” rate of €25.) Railpass holders can't book TGV
reservations at French stations within three days of departure, but can book reservations
asetickets at
www.raileurope.com
,
ifreservations are still available. Ifthe TGVtrains you
wanted arefullybooked,askaboutTER trains servingthesame destination, asthese don't
require reservations.
Key Travel Phrases
Bonjour, monsieur
(or
madame
),
parlez-vous anglais?
Pron:
bohn-zhoor, muhs-yur/mah-dahm, par-lay-voo ahn-glay?
Meaning:
Hello, sir (or madam), do you speak English?
Je voudrais un départ pour
(destination),
pour le
(date),
vers
(general time of
day),
la plus direct possible.
Pron:
zhuh voo-dray uhn day-par poor (destination), poor luh (date), vehr (time),
lah ploo dee-rehk poh-see-bluh.
Meaning/Example:
I would like a departure for Avignon, on 23 May, about 9:00,
the most direct way possible.
If you're taking an
overnight train
and you need a
couchette
(overnight bunk),
consider booking it in advance through a US agent (such as
www.raileurope.com
)
, even
though it may cost more.
Reservations are generally unnecessary for non-TGV trains (verify ahead as some
Intercité trains require reservations, like the Nice-Bordeaux train), but they are advisable
during busy times (for example, Friday and Sunday afternoons, Saturday mornings, week-
International trains (such as Eurostar, Thalys, Artesia, and international TGV) have
different reservation price ranges.
Validating Tickets, Reservations, and Railpasses
You are required to validate (
composter,
kohm-poh-stay) all train tickets and reservations
before boarding any SNCF train. Look for a yellow machine nearby to stamp your ticket
or reservation. If you have a railpass, validate it at a ticket window before the first time
you use it; don't stamp it in the yellow machine.