Booking tickets for France

[philjo]

I'm planning a trip to Carcassonne in October - looking at the best way to book the tickets - Which website/agency do you recommend for booking tickets for travel to France?

The journey planner at http://en.voyages-sncf.com/en/ seems to be much more flexible than the RailEurope one which I find often does not list the trains/connections I want.

Is it best to book everything there or book the Eurostar tickets separately via the ES website?
Also, is it better to book the outward & return legs separately as singles (as the booking dates for each will open at different times) or is it cheaper to do it as a return?

What is the service like at the TrainsEurope desk at St Pancras?

Many thanks

 

[1E05]

If I were you I would book with SNCF or Rail Europe...both are a little more expensive than some French sites but their customer service teams speak English better than other providers.

 

[30907]

The journey planner at http://en.voyages-sncf.com/en/ seems to be much more flexible than the RailEurope one which I find often does not list the trains/connections I want.

Is it best to book everything there or book the Eurostar tickets separately via the ES website?
Also, is it better to book the outward & return legs separately as singles (as the booking dates for each will open at different times) or is it cheaper to do it as a return?

The advice on www.seat61.com. is pretty thorough in general.

The ES fare is always slightly cheaper (?£8) as a return than 2 singles, but the French fare (assuming you book Prems advance tickets) won't be. And you might opt for different routes out and back, which might be easier as 2 singles (certainly if one is via Paris, and the other via Lille).

If it's anywhere near French or British autumn school holidays, or a weekend, it's the same as here - don't hang around, book asap.

 

[Oscar]

If I were you I would book with SNCF or Rail Europe...both are a little more expensive than some French sites but their customer service teams speak English better than other providers.

I'm afraid I don't quite understand what you mean. SNCF tickets can be bought on the internet from various external agencies, a handful of which are mentioned below.
Fares in euros:
- Voyages SNCF which is an external agency
- Capitaine Train
Fares are in pounds which are typically around 5% more expensive than buying in euros:
- Raileurope
- Loco2
You can't book directly through SNCF online. The fares in euros/pounds are the same at any site.