On Sunday, I purchased tickets for 4 adults in a T4 Couchette, Paris to Barcelona. I planned on taking the night train on the 26th of September. Two day later, I get an email from Rail Eur
On Sunday, I purchased tickets for 4 adults in a T4 Couchette, Paris to Barcelona. I planned on taking the night train on the 26th of September. Two day later, I get an email from Rail Europe, stating the fare is "not available" for purchase, and offering me the following:
Excerpt of Email from Rail Europe:
The only available cabins would be 1- Double ( 2 berth cabin ) at a discounted rate of $165 per person. The next available cabin would be 1- Gran Class Double at a discounted rate of $238.50 per person. The total of your order is $843 USD including the Rail Protection Plan selected, with these accommodations.
So .... we've gone from $428USD to 843.00 USD. I am just shocked and appaled that they can get away with this.
IF -- I was requesting information on a ticket and fare, that would be one thing ... but they took my credit card.
Interesting... Rail Europe is still promoting this fare on their website for 106.00 per person, it still shows available.
Any suggestions from savvy travelers? What are my chances of buying this in France when I arrive on September 2oth? I want to take the night train on the 26th. I've never had a problem getting on a night train and I've never purchased a ticket from Rail Europe before. Not a good experience.
On Sunday, I purchased tickets for 4 adults in a T4 Couchette, Paris to Barcelona. I planned on taking the night train on the 26th of September. Two day later, I get an email from Rail Europe, stating the fare is "not available" for purchase, and offering me the following: Excerpt of Email from Rail Europe: The only available cabins would be 1- Double ( 2 berth cabin ) at a discounted rate of $165 per person. The next available cabin would be 1- Gran Class Double at a discounted rate of $238.50 per person. The total of your order is $843 USD including the Rail Protection Plan selected, with these accommodations. So .... we've gone from $428USD to 843.00 USD. I am just shocked and appaled that they can get away with this. IF -- I was requesting information on a ticket and fare, that would be one thing ... but they took my credit card. Interesting... Rail Europe is still promoting this fare on their website for 106.00 per person, it still shows available. Any suggestions from savvy travelers? What are my chances of buying this in France when I arrive on September 2oth? I want to take the night train on the 26th. I've never had a problem getting on a night train and I've never purchased a ticket from Rail Europe before. Not a good experience. Posted by suzmwick
You're usually OK buying daytime tickets once you arrive - since there are a choice of trains. but overnight trains have limited capacity and do sell out fairly often If you must have this day suggest you buy now directly from the French rail site.
Just to close this out - I wanted to let you know that I was successful in booking the night train, Elipsos, from Paris to Barcelona. I booked on the Renfe Website (spanish rail). I purchased the 4 tickets in tourist class (4 bed), for 73 Euro's each. Success! The Renfe website is a little difficult to navigate, but it can be done. I was able to print my tickets right from the website. If you have trouble with this site they have engish speaking agents on their help line that will walk you thru the process and help you select the correct tickets. The agent even emailed the tickets to me as a back up upon completion of the order. For questions see "the man in seat 61" website.
Yes, www.renfe.es will now book the international trainhotel sleeper trains, in either direction, Paris-Madrid, Paris-Barcelona, Milan-Barcelona, Zurich-Barcelona.
You pay online and print out your own ticket.
No postage to pay, no booking fees, and all the cheap fares shown if available.
It's now the cheapest and easest way to buy tickets for these excllent sleeper trains to or from Spain.
hoe does the eurail work in conjunction with Elipsos. we want to buy Eurail passes and then ue elipsos from Paris to Mardid. what are the extra charges for the night train?
Shame on Rail Europe once again, in all its various forms.
Over and over, on these forums and elsewhere, we find that they not only have the highest rates, often do not display discounts and even parts of schedules, and make the ticketing process itself difficult and often inaccurate.
And the real shame of it is that it is the delinquent child of good parents. It's actually at least 4 different related companies covering different areas of the world, with the common denominator that SNCF is a part owner and the motivator in all of them, with partnerships of various sorts with other European railways. It would be nice if they were to be better at "bringing up baby."
WITH a Eurail pass, there's a 75 euro (or so) supplement for travel in a 4-bed Tourist sleeper. This cannot be booked online except through an agency such as Rail Europe, so you can add another 10 euro in fees to this.
WITHOUT a railpass, until 14 days before departure the cheaper of the two fares levels usually applies (subject to availability), which is (wait for it..!) 75 euros INCLUDING a bed in a 4-bed Tourist sleeper WITHOUT any railpass. This CAN be booked online, at www.tgv-europe.com or www.renfe.com, WITHOUT fees.
So even if you bought a railpass already, you'd actyually be better off not using it...
