France by Rail: Euro 2016

[DanDeerskin]

Hi all,

Currently piecing together a 11 day trip to France following Northern Ireland in Euro '16 in June with my Dad. Our preference is to travel by train and having read advice we thought it would be around March before train tickets would be available but there seems to some issues:


Geneva Airport to St Laurent (nr Nice) is available for purchase via Intercity, TGV Lyria and TER trains on 11th June.

St Laurent (and Nice Ville) to Lyon on 16th June shows no options whatsoever

Lyon to Paris on 20th June: Mostly 5hr+ RER services but theres one TGV such as #6616 leaving Lyon at 11:34 that is already showing.


Could anybody shed light on what is going on? Also, we would prefer to travel TGV, so is it likely that if we wait until the normal booking horizon we will be able to select a fuller range of TGV services?

Any help and advice is very much appreciated.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Nice-Lyon showing for me on 16 June at €30 (0924-1354).
http://proposition.voyages-sncf.com...97-9e49-3af989bdef10&language=fr&country=FR#/

 

[DanDeerskin]

Thanks for your reply; there are some services appearing although not many in comparison to the accessible timetable which extends 12 weeks in advance of this date.

Also when I went to add the train that you had found, it kept bringing up a 'no trains found' message.

It's clear that some trains are released but not others; is there a particular reason for this?

 

[Gordon]

Nice-Lyon showing for me on 16 June at €30 (0924-1354).
http://proposition.voyages-sncf.com...97-9e49-3af989bdef10&language=fr&country=FR#/

This link isn't to the journey in question. Doesn't surprise me as it is notoriously hard to specify links to specific timetable searches

Hi all,

Lyon to Paris on 20th June: Mostly 5hr+ RER services but theres one TGV such as #6616 leaving Lyon at 11:34 that is already showing.
Could anybody shed light on what is going on? Also, we would prefer to travel TGV, so is it likely that if we wait until the normal booking horizon we will be able to select a fuller range of TGV services?

Any help and advice is very much appreciated.

SNCF timetables and timing of the release of trains for advance booking are notoriously haphazard.

My suspicion is that Lyon - Paris is so regular interval and frequent that it is less necessary to release early than longer distance trains.

By the way, don't dismiss out of hand the traditional trains. Lyon - Paris was not possible by ordinary Corail train for many years after the TGV was introduced as SNCF sought to channel everyone on to TGV. But they came back a couple of years ago.

It is the classic PLM main line known as the 'Ligne Impériale' and there is plenty to see along the way.

Corail coaches are well known for their superb ride quality, despite now being a 40 year old design.



.

 

[Groningen]

I think that SNCF will throw out the cheap tickets. Knowing where all nations are going to in France; they can adjust the prices.

Wales: Bordeaux, Lens, Toulouse
England: Marseille, Lens, Saint Etienne
Northern Ireland: Nice, Lyon, Paris
Ierland: Paris, Bordeaux, Lille

Northern Ireland has the most logical direction of games.