Eurostar/SNCF ticket conditions - joining train at intermediate stop allowed?

[BRX]

So I have booked via Eurostar a ticket from London to Bourg St Maurice (French Alps) and return. Changing trains at Paris.

On the return trip I may well want to join the train somewhere other than the start point on the ticket (ie. an intermediate stop between BSM and Paris).

Can anyone tell me whether SNCF rules forbid this? And if so, whether they are likely to be enforced?

 

[A60K]

There's a fairly standard rule across European railway that any reserved seat not claimed within 15 minutes of departure from the booked station is automatically given up. I'm not sure however of the particular SNCF terms and conditions, but trains to and from the ski resorts can be very busy and often fully booked.

 

[BRX]

The implication being that if the reservation is given up, then the ticket is also no longer valid?

(ie, rather than, you can still travel on the train, but might not get a seat)

 

[gordonthemoron]

since TGVs are reservations only, I can't see how the reservation could be given to someone else

 

[A60K]

since TGVs are reservations only, I can't see how the reservation could be given to someone else

AIUI on busy TGV (and Eurostar) services, there are a number of passengers (perhaps 6-10) who, if the proper seating is fully booked, will be given the option for a provisional reservation (similar to standby in airline terms) allowing them to travel on the train without a reserved seat.

On the average service at least some of the booked passengers are likely to miss the train for one reason or another (no shows), and their seats then get reallocated to the provisional passengers. That happened to me once, travelling to Paris on a busy Saturday morning.

If the number of booked passengers that don't turn up is less than the number of provisional passengers, then the provisional passengers who can't get a proper seat will have the option of a tip up seat by the door or spending the journey in the bar!

 

[gordonthemoron]

or spending the journey in the bar!

trebles all round

 

[Railjet]

AIUI on busy TGV (and Eurostar) services, there are a number of passengers (perhaps 6-10) who, if the proper seating is fully booked, will be given the option for a provisional reservation (similar to standby in airline terms) allowing them to travel on the train without a reserved seat.

Interesting, I wasn't aware of that.

Not on SNCF - but on DB, a couple of years back in the days when there was a through EC train between Frankfurt and Budapest, there used to be a cheap AP fare from Nuremberg to Budapest, but not from points east. I boarded once at Regensburg with such a ticket, and had no problems with the conductor, although there were plenty of seats available. The travel agent who issued the ticket said that if there was an issue, to say that I was in the bistro/toilet when the ticket check took place between Nuremberg and Regensburg. Not necessary, though.

 

[BRX]

AIUI on busy TGV (and Eurostar) services, there are a number of passengers (perhaps 6-10) who, if the proper seating is fully booked, will be given the option for a provisional reservation (similar to standby in airline terms) allowing them to travel on the train without a reserved seat.

On the average service at least some of the booked passengers are likely to miss the train for one reason or another (no shows), and their seats then get reallocated to the provisional passengers. That happened to me once, travelling to Paris on a busy Saturday morning.

If the number of booked passengers that don't turn up is less than the number of provisional passengers, then the provisional passengers who can't get a proper seat will have the option of a tip up seat by the door or spending the journey in the bar!

But do you know whether there is any requirement in the ticket conditions that says I have to travel from the station shown on my ticket? In other words, regardless of whether I get a seat, am I at risk of being done for travelling with an invalid ticket if I get on at an intermediate stop?

I know that you have to validate tickets on the platform on SNCF, and presumably that will stamp my ticket with the time and place (at the intermediate station) so they would be able to point to that as evidence that I haven't just been sitting in the bar since the start of the journey as I might try to claim.

 

[Old Timer]

So I have booked via Eurostar a ticket from London to Bourg St Maurice (French Alps) and return. Changing trains at Paris.

On the return trip I may well want to join the train somewhere other than the start point on the ticket (ie. an intermediate stop between BSM and Paris).

Can anyone tell me whether SNCF rules forbid this? And if so, whether they are likely to be enforced?

Is there some reason you have not asked this direct of Eurostar ??

They will obviously give you the correct answer, whereas you have no absolute guarantee by asking here.

 

[BRX]

Is there some reason you have not asked this direct of Eurostar ??

They will obviously give you the correct answer, whereas you have no absolute guarantee by asking here.

Fair enough, perhaps I should have asked them first.

I've kind of given up trying to ask rail enquiries questions about ticket conditions and the like because my experience has been that they often don't know, or give incorrect information, or will ask for specifics when you want an answer to a general question. I have found that information from knowledgeable people on forums like this one tends to be more reliable. Sad but true.

However, I probably shouldn't be tarring Eurostar with the National Rail Enquiries brush.

Also, though, part of my question is, if it's technically not allowed (which I suspect might be the case) Eurostar can't answer the question "how likely is it to be enforced/will I get away with it".

 

[Old Timer]

...Also, though, part of my question is, if it's technically not allowed (which I suspect might be the case) Eurostar can't answer the question "how likely is it to be enforced/will I get away with it".

If it is not permitted then its at your risk, but why do it if you are told it is not allowed ?

What when (if) you get picked up, and possibly questioned ?

On NS they can withdraw your ticket and eject you from the train, full stop, with no recompense, and they DO do this !

I appreciate its a different Railway but in many cases ticketing rules are not terribly dissimilar between the various administrations.

 

[BRX]

If it is not permitted then its at your risk, but why do it if you are told it is not allowed ?

What when (if) you get picked up, and possibly questioned ?

On NS they can withdraw your ticket and eject you from the train, full stop, with no recompense, and they DO do this !

I appreciate its a different Railway but in many cases ticketing rules are not terribly dissimilar between the various administrations.

Why do it? Because the alternative is either to buy a new and probably expensive ticket to Paris, or get an early morning train to go to Bourg St Maurice to catch the train on my ticket and back-track on myself.

Of course there is a risk - the purpose of this thread is to assess it!

Actually it has been suggested to me elsewhere that I may be able simply to change my ticket free of charge, so hopefully I will do that once I'm in France.