Ticket help for Paris-Toulouse

[yorkie]

I need to book some tickets for Paris to Toulouse. The return journey is straightfoward, there is a TGV at a suitable time.

But for the outward journey, the only decent price fares on the ECML get to London too late to get a Eurostar that connects with the last daytime train (GC's fares are just too expensive, sorry )

In any case, the sleeper (Corail Lunea) is a very competetive price, and it seems worth a try.

I am booking through RailEurope (SNCF redirects here), www.raileurope.com, and some of the fares are confusing me. If I choose a standard class PREM'S fare, I get a seating preference. Choosing chouchette, when I get to the next screen it says it has reserved me a "seat" and the icon

suggests this is not a typo - so is it not booking me a chouchette? If I choose a seat, the price goes down, so I am guessing the first price displayed is inclusive of a berth?

Can anyone answer the above question, and also a few more:

1) How many couchettes fit in a cabin? and can you get a cabin for 2 people? Last time I went on a sleeper I remember there being 4 berths in 1 cabin.

2) What advantages are there in first class on these trains?

3) These prices are so much cheaper than FSR, so I am guessing they don't include breakfast...?

4) Is it best to book a seat now and upgrade to a berth later? is this easy to do?

I'd really appreciate it if anyone can answer these questions!!!

BTW - I found that booking seperate York-London, London-Paris, Paris-Toulouse tickets brings the cost down massively. Eurostar wanted about £250 per person each way for a through ticket, but I think I can get it for a quarter of the price...

Edit - since posting the above, I have found this useful site which answers many of my questions above, but if anyone has any experience or knowledge that expands on this that'd be appreciated!

 

[Coxster]

Crompton Karl works for Raileurope, so it might be worth getting in touch with him via PM/E-Mail.

 

[Crompton Karl]

Hello Yorkie,

As Coxter correctly said (well done Damon ) I work for Rail Europe. I hope this reply will answer your question.

Firstly, SNCF should direct you to www.raileurope.co.uk as this website is specifically for UK customer (raileurope.com is specifically for American customers and doesn't have the full range of fares available).

Rail Europe UK is a 100% subsiduary of SNCF and currently uses the SNCF online booking engine RAVEL, it is due for replacement within the next few months so some logos are wrong and can be confusing, i hope to guide you through the right way of booking.

When attempting to purchase a PREMS fare via the web follow these simple steps;


At the Rail Europe home page, you will see the main booking engine (see image below) enter all details of dates and times for travel;

This then opens another page that shows the fares available on these services;

Click the option for the fare you wish to purchase, for this instance a PREMS fare and make sure that the option for choice of seating preferences is stating the type of cabin you wish to travel in (see image). Once you have done this, click on "choose this outward journey".

The next screen that appears is just a recap screen, the logo you mentioned is incorrect and is very confusing. As we are using the SNCF booking engine and we have no control over the design of these pages we have to lump it just for a few more weeks until our own specific online booking engine comes online in May, sorry. (see Image).

From this moment onwards, all you have to do is confirm the ticket and input your details regarding address and payment.

Now for the other answers to your questions asked;

Couchettes should not be confused with Sleeper cabins as you usually expect them.

There are 2 types of Couchette on French Corail services;

6 Berth Standard class cabins, where you have 6 beds in a room. 2 lower, 2 middle & 2 higher beds

4 Berth First class cabins, where you have 4 beds in a room. 2 Lower & 2 Higher.

Both the cabin types are fitted out with the same bedding, since 2006 this has been pillows and sleeping bags rather than the usual sheets and blankets. So other than the fact that you get 2 extra people in a 6 berth the differences between the cabins are limited.

Couchettes are generally mixed *** (can't believe this is sensoring the word $ex!), 6 berth cabins cannot be booked for exclusive occupancy. However, due to the recent withdrawal of SNCF T2 sleepers, SNCF has allowed a small number of 4 berth couchettes to be booked as exclusive occupancy for 1 or 2 passengers. This option is subject to a fee of between £40 - £60 per person, per direction. The problem here is that these fares cannot be booked online currently as SNCF have not yet updated RAVEL (their booking engine) to cope with it, hence why we are having our own booking engine built to overcome the shortcommings in SNCF's systems. So if you do wish to Pay for the 1st class couchette and upgrade to exclusive occupancy then you will need to call us on 0844 848 5 848 and one of my colleagues will assist you, or you can e-mail me privately, i will send you my work e-mail via PM.

There are no breakfasts included on any SNCF overnight train, and it is always harder to upgrade to a 4 berth couchette at a later date due to the way SNCF sells its tickets in an airline style first come first served basis.

Anyways I hope this helps you, if you have any other questions let me know.

All the best.

Internal pictures are from Railfaneurope.net

Karl

 

[yorkie]

Wow! Thanks for the comprehensive answer!

 

[theblackwatch]

Crompton Karl, with a response like that, I'm sure you will find yourself in demand in the future for answering foreign ticketing queries! (And must say it's a good advert for Rail Europe, even though I doubt that's what you intended)

 

[Crompton Karl]

Hi Chaps,

I am the Company reservations Trainer at Rail Europe, been there and previously Eurostar (our sister company) for 8 years now, but i am looking for a scenery change if i don't get another promotion soon. Sent a few CV's and seeing what happens.

I love working at Rail Europe but i cannot afford to buy a house on my current wage, so it looks like i might be moving on, but until then any question i will try to answer to the best of my ability.

All the best

Karl

 

[Techniquest]

Wow! That was seriously useful.

Paris to Toulouse, I am of the assumption that's quite a long way. I saw a fare shown for just £25. Now that is a bargain.

Good luck with your new job hunting. We'll be no doubt relying on your knowledge when the new RailEurope journey-making (surely there's a term for it) site is launched.

Thanks for your post Crompton Karl, I am more knowledgeable about booking European rail journies now which will come in handy!

 

[KingBBoogaloo]

Going a bit of topic but......

What training do your staff get with reguards Staff Travel as wether it be over the phone or even in person at Piccadilly it is like pulling teeth.

 

[Crompton Karl]

Ok firstly, i guess you are using FIP card, any other staff discount we cannot help with (unless its a TOC card or Box pass to get the discount on Eurostar only).

Our staff can only really offer FIP discounts to retired or current staff using an FIP card for France/Spain and Italy or any associated SNCF train (Thalys or Eurostar etc), unfortunately, product training is done by our Marketing department, i do wish i did this as i think i could do a better job. Any other staff concession needs to be directed to DB in surbiton as they now have the ATOC contract for IPTIS FIP bookings for europe. If you have any particular question or want more info PM me and i'll try to assist the best i can while i am still working there.

Hope this helps

Karl