Paris to Mont Saint-Michel via TGV?
July 6, 2017 6:54 AM Subscribe
What's the best/simplest way to arrange train travel from Paris to Mont Saint-Michel as Americans visiting in the fall?
We're traveling from Paris to Mont Saint-Michel (and staying overnight) in September but as non-French speakers are a bit unsure how to book the TGV tickets. We had thought Paris to Rennes and then the bus--is this the simplest option? There seems to be a transfer on the train--is this difficult? Can we book the train and bus together? There seem to be a plethora of third-party sites, making this a bit confusing. Should we book through Rail-Europe? I see only one train to (early in morning) and one train back (at 605pm); is that right?
We're traveling from Paris to Mont Saint-Michel (and staying overnight) in September but as non-French speakers are a bit unsure how to book the TGV tickets. We had thought Paris to Rennes and then the bus--is this the simplest option? There seems to be a transfer on the train--is this difficult? Can we book the train and bus together? There seem to be a plethora of third-party sites, making this a bit confusing. Should we book through Rail-Europe? I see only one train to (early in morning) and one train back (at 605pm); is that right?
The SNCF website is horrendous. Do it like real French people do and use Trainline instead.
Do not choose the option to print the ticket on a machine at the station: you absolutely need the credit card to do that, and if you don't have it (because it wasn't yours/because it expired/because you lost it), you're out of luck and have to pay again, at the most expensive rate. SNCF people will tell you you can get your money back on the original tickets since they weren't used, but that's a lie. Ask me how I know.
posted by snakeling at 7:33 AM on July 6, 2017 [1 favorite]
Do not choose the option to print the ticket on a machine at the station: you absolutely need the credit card to do that, and if you don't have it (because it wasn't yours/because it expired/because you lost it), you're out of luck and have to pay again, at the most expensive rate. SNCF people will tell you you can get your money back on the original tickets since they weren't used, but that's a lie. Ask me how I know.
posted by snakeling at 7:33 AM on July 6, 2017 [1 favorite]
Wikivoyage also recommends going through Rennes. As for buying your tickets, seat61.com has a whole page on French trains with a table listing websites. It also says "French train bookings usually open 92 days before departure" and suggests trainline.eu for US residents.
posted by soelo at 7:34 AM on July 6, 2017
posted by soelo at 7:34 AM on July 6, 2017
I did a big multi-leg train trip across France (ticketed in advance) a couple of summers ago. Transfers are no big deal. Yes, use Trainline, not the SNCF site.
posted by desuetude at 7:48 AM on July 6, 2017
posted by desuetude at 7:48 AM on July 6, 2017
Here's a primer on French trains.
TGV: high-speed trains. You have to reserve a specific seat. The price goes up 30 days before the trip and again as the time approaches. Booking at least 30 days out will give you the best price. First class is marginally more comfortable and will have a little more space, but second class is perfectly serviceable. Sometimes first class is only a few euros more--in that case, go for it. Paris to Rennes takes about an hour and a half, and the bus to Mont St Michel is about an hour.
Intercité: local trains that make every stop. You can reserve a specific seat, but it's not always obligatory. If the train is full you may have to stand in the aisle, or you may have to kick someone out of your seat. In September on a weekday you probably won't have this problem. Paris to Mont St Michel takes 3h45min, with a transfer to a bus near the end.
Ouigo: the RyanAir of trains. Low cost, but low frills. You will pay for every extra amenity, like an electrical outlet or a second bag. Tickets are only available online at ouigo.com. Ouigo does run from Paris to Rennes. It's the same speed as a TGV.
Gare routière: bus station
Gare (ferroviaire): train station
Heures de pointe: Rush hours, when prices are higher. Typically weekday morning and evening rush hours, Friday afternoon/evening and Sunday afternoon/evenings, and French holiday and school vacation times. If you can travel outside of these times, the cost will be much less.
Prem's: The cheapest type of ticket that is non exchangeable and non refundable.
Loisir: An exchangeable and refundable (before the trip) ticket
Once you're in France, with your American credit card, you will have to buy tickets from a person at a window (guichet). American cards, even those with chips, are not compatible with the ticket machines. In very small train stations that are not well staffed, this might be a problem. Any station can sell you tickets from anywhere to anywhere, so if you know you are going to be making a round trip to a small place, prevent getting stranded by buying your return tickets in the larger station. Most stations except the smallest will have someone who can probably help you in English.
posted by Liesl at 7:50 AM on July 6, 2017 [2 favorites]
TGV: high-speed trains. You have to reserve a specific seat. The price goes up 30 days before the trip and again as the time approaches. Booking at least 30 days out will give you the best price. First class is marginally more comfortable and will have a little more space, but second class is perfectly serviceable. Sometimes first class is only a few euros more--in that case, go for it. Paris to Rennes takes about an hour and a half, and the bus to Mont St Michel is about an hour.
Intercité: local trains that make every stop. You can reserve a specific seat, but it's not always obligatory. If the train is full you may have to stand in the aisle, or you may have to kick someone out of your seat. In September on a weekday you probably won't have this problem. Paris to Mont St Michel takes 3h45min, with a transfer to a bus near the end.
Ouigo: the RyanAir of trains. Low cost, but low frills. You will pay for every extra amenity, like an electrical outlet or a second bag. Tickets are only available online at ouigo.com. Ouigo does run from Paris to Rennes. It's the same speed as a TGV.
Gare routière: bus station
Gare (ferroviaire): train station
Heures de pointe: Rush hours, when prices are higher. Typically weekday morning and evening rush hours, Friday afternoon/evening and Sunday afternoon/evenings, and French holiday and school vacation times. If you can travel outside of these times, the cost will be much less.
Prem's: The cheapest type of ticket that is non exchangeable and non refundable.
Loisir: An exchangeable and refundable (before the trip) ticket
Once you're in France, with your American credit card, you will have to buy tickets from a person at a window (guichet). American cards, even those with chips, are not compatible with the ticket machines. In very small train stations that are not well staffed, this might be a problem. Any station can sell you tickets from anywhere to anywhere, so if you know you are going to be making a round trip to a small place, prevent getting stranded by buying your return tickets in the larger station. Most stations except the smallest will have someone who can probably help you in English.
posted by Liesl at 7:50 AM on July 6, 2017 [2 favorites]
Response by poster: Great info here, thanks. So it looks like one can have the tickets emailed from Trainline to print at home? Seat61 also seems to suggest that we can buy the bus ticket at the same time but I can't tell without completing the process.
posted by Morrigan at 8:45 AM on July 6, 2017
posted by Morrigan at 8:45 AM on July 6, 2017
American cards, even those with chips, are not compatible with the ticket machines.
American chip cards are compatible with the ticket machines/unmanned kiosks; you just have to enter a PIN which you get from your credit card company (remind them when you inform them of your travel). I spent a month last year living and traveling around France, including buying TGV, intercité, and local train tickets from kiosks, without a problem. I've also spent several shorter vacations around multiple European countries doing the chip-and-PIN thing. Agree with the suggestion of buying return tickets in a larger station, though, just in case you have an issue.
You will need a PIN anytime you go somewhere without a manned cashier window (including gas stations, though it sounds like you are not renting a car), so it is worth spending the extra 5 minutes to set it up before your trip. Anywhere there is a person handling your transaction, its chip-and-sign, same as the US.
posted by basalganglia at 3:13 PM on July 6, 2017
American chip cards are compatible with the ticket machines/unmanned kiosks; you just have to enter a PIN which you get from your credit card company (remind them when you inform them of your travel). I spent a month last year living and traveling around France, including buying TGV, intercité, and local train tickets from kiosks, without a problem. I've also spent several shorter vacations around multiple European countries doing the chip-and-PIN thing. Agree with the suggestion of buying return tickets in a larger station, though, just in case you have an issue.
You will need a PIN anytime you go somewhere without a manned cashier window (including gas stations, though it sounds like you are not renting a car), so it is worth spending the extra 5 minutes to set it up before your trip. Anywhere there is a person handling your transaction, its chip-and-sign, same as the US.
posted by basalganglia at 3:13 PM on July 6, 2017
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posted by newsomz at 7:22 AM on July 6, 2017