Totally off-topic question, but maybe just you can help me out with an idea: I plan to take a TGV from Strasbourg to Le Mans this Sunday. For those trains, tickets can be obtained only in France. I could reserve and buy on-line, and receive it in Strasbourg, trouble is: voyages-sncf.com wants a credit card for payment (I only have a debit card, no security code), and the same card when receiving the tickets at the counter. Am I left with trying my luck and trying to buy a ticket hours before the train departs? *Lunatic*, n. One whose delusions are out of fashion.
Don't know about the lack of security code, though. The SNCF website isn't the best for internationalisation.
Can't you purchase through a travel agent, though? Un roi sans divertissement est un homme plein de misères
Unfortunately, that relation (along the new TGV Est Européen...) is not purchaseable through a travel agent (only found it out when I went to the travel agent). *Lunatic*, n. One whose delusions are out of fashion.
At the very beginning of the registration process, when choosing departure and destination, you should find a section of the form at the bottom, with a combo-box for "pays de réception des billets" or something like that (country for receiving tickets), which is set to France by default.
You should then be able to pay with an international card like visa or mc, provided you have a CVVS code on the back (3-digits in the signature box). Pierre
Still, if I choose France as place of ticket delivery, there is a mailing option whose extra info also talks about sending it abroad. But the problem is mailing time: 4 days inland, 7 days abroad, and I leave home in 4 days... *Lunatic*, n. One whose delusions are out of fashion.
Payment cards in France are usually debit cards (though some may have a credit reserve). But if yours has no chip and no PIN (personal security code) you'll have problems in France paying in shops with it or getting money from a cash machine (ATM).
It seems I have to try my luck with before-departure booking in Strasbourg. *Lunatic*, n. One whose delusions are out of fashion.
Although the solution Laurent gave works properly ; if you are in good faith, the best solution is to look for the controller and ask for an inboard ticket. But you won't get early reservations reductions. Un roi sans divertissement est un homme plein de misères
Sorry :-( Maybe you should make it a diary? I'm curious what the Keynesians here think about it.
About my train: Sunday, 9h25, and it goes around Paris. I looked at the one week later train, indeed a reduction (from €87 to €72), and also a special promo offer for first-class (€47!). I am relieved! Now if only they gave me reductions on a FIP card/ticket. *Lunatic*, n. One whose delusions are out of fashion.
I'll see if I make a diary... Un roi sans divertissement est un homme plein de misères
http://idtgv.com/
Once you've paid online you can get a PDF you can print for yourself and you need only this and an official id (passport, ...) with the same name you provided to board the train (for most idtgv controls are done before boarding).
Also in France you can board any train without ticket: the controller always make two pass over the wagon first just walking and the second one later controlling. If you ask them during the first pass you'll just pay a bit more your ticket (it's not a fine just cost to make on board so that everyone doesn't do it). At the second pass you'll get a real fine. It's best to have cache but when I asked out of curiosity they told me they accept credit cards too.
I sometimes do that for Toulouse-Castres after idtgv Paris-Toulouse if I don't have enough time to buy a ticket at Toulouse Matabiau (last time my TGV was 15 minutes late and I had only 3 minutes to board the other train :).
