What gives? I tried to take advantage of significant discounts on SNCF online reservations for a trip from Paris to Liege, but learned I couldn%26#39;t because I resided in the US. Europerail apparently will take my money, but at a significantly higher price. Is there a way around this discrimination?
If I use a European address to buy tickets, would SNCF object? How would they find out?
Thanks.
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Strictly speaking there are lots of discounts or free services such as access to state museums if you are a citizen of a European Community of pensionable age. Have you fallen foul of this rule?
If you avoid an obvious American acccent and telephone/email or write from a European address you might avoid the problem, but, as I have said, strictly these discounts/frees do not apply to non Europeans.
I always carry a photocopy of my passport as proof of age when travelling in continental Europe.
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Each country has its discrimation. Lots of offers are not accepted in the uS if you are a Canadian citizen, I had even my orders blocked on the Web because I was not from the US.
Nonetheless all foreigners travelling by train in Europe should always buy their tickets and passes through Rail Europe. They an excellent service, no probs to get a refund with them. My travel agent told me to buy from then since she does it and charge me fees to do something I could do myself.
I think you can use an European address but it has to be an address where tickets would be mailed (so a postal box doesn%26#39;t work). One way to identify your origin: credit card number (the 4st 4 digits is linked to the issuing bank).
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It%26#39;s not discrimination. SNCF, as a member of EURAIL has a contrctual obligation to it%26#39;s North American agent, RAIL EUROPE. If you are trying to purchase a ticket IN the US AND want that ticket DELIVERED/MAILED to the US, their contract with RailEupope precludes that.
BUT if you are willing to either pick-up your ticket at ANY SNCF train station, office or agent ANYWHERE in FRANCE..or for those fare categories which allow you to print out your own ticket, there is NO PROBLEM. The sale transaction does not technically transpire in the US--so no contractual obligations with RailEurope apply.
When you order a SNCF train ticket on-line, you siply select FRANCE as %26quot;..Country in which the tickets are to be delivered or collected..%26quot; you DO NOT need a French Address. Then you simply go about the normal reservation process. You get any and all advance purchase discounts, special fares or fare reductions that may apply the same as anyone else--French, Gabonese, Estonian, Greek, et al. SOME ticket fare categories may allow you to print-out paper tickets on your home/office computer. Other ticket fare categories provide you with a RESERVATION CONFIRMATION NUMBER that you simply present--along with the same credit card (SAME credit card is IMPORTANT) that you used to make the on-line purchase with. You then go to ANY SNCF train station or office in Paris or ANYWHERE in France, pass over your Reservation Confirmation Number and SAME credit card to the ticket agent and in less time that you can rememeber that French for %26#39;..thank you%26#39;.. is %26#39;..merci..%26#39;, your paper SNCF tickets and credit card are passing back to you across the counter. The system is THAT simple and really does work quite well.
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Don%26#39;t you think that same scenario occurs in reverse as well? I would guess that foreigners visiting the US wouldn%26#39;t receive the same discounts as citizens when riding aboard an Amtrak train.
I am tired of Americans thinking they are entitled to everything.
PKfromCT
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Maybe there%26#39;s been a higher rate of credit card swindle at US orders. I%26#39;d suggest to email SNCF for reasons.
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%26gt;%26gt;%26gt;Don%26#39;t you think that same scenario occurs in reverse as well? I would guess that foreigners visiting the US wouldn%26#39;t receive the same discounts as citizens when riding aboard an Amtrak train. I am tired of Americans thinking they are entitled to everything.%26lt;%26lt;%26lt;
ANY person, of ANY race, creed, or nationality is entitled to and will receive the SAME fares and discounts on AMTRAK as ANYONE else...IF... they have bothered to take the time and do some research on the available fares, discounts and %26#39;specials%26#39;. In most Europen nations, there are a few restrictions on special fare discounts for selected categories of citizens/residents (France as an example makes some special provisions for veterans and war-widows) but for the most part Americans, Brits, Danes and Ethopians are entitle to the same fares and discounts as anyone else---if they bother to find out what the specials and %26#39;deals%26#39; going happen to be. SNCF does not discriminate against Americans or any other nationality (okay, maybe occasionally the Germans?). SNCF has a contractual obligation to their exclusive North American agent, RailEurope. If anyone has any beef, it should be with RailEurope for expecting this agreement to be honored. Actually, given the way the system works; providing North American residents with method, means and relative ease to %26#39;work around%26#39; this contractual obligation, could be seen as marginally unethical.
As it is now with the prevalence and acceptance of the internet, RailEurope%26#39;s exclusive North American franchise may be coming to an end. Over the past decade or so, the SNCF reservations network has become the largest in Europe and one of the largest in the world. In addition to serving the French National Railways system, they also manage and operate, under separate contracts, the computerized ans on-line reservations systems for EUROSTAR, THALYS and several smaller European national railway systems.
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Boy, KDKSAIL, you are good. I%26#39;ve been reading your posts for weeks and they are all very helpful. I%26#39;ll try to put your advice to work. Thank you and all who have answered.
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The only obstacle I could forsee to using a France address is that you will have a US mailing address for your credit card.
I buy tickets for our guests here all the time and SNCF has never inquired into the residencies of the travelers.
Maybe they justify the extra expense because we pay a fairly high tax rate that keeps the SNCF on the tracks?
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Given your itinerary--from PARIS--Gare du Nord (the Paris terminus of the THALYS high speed rail ligne) and LIEGE, you need to %26#39;tinker%26#39; with the system (the SNCF system isn%26#39;t always the most %26#39;user-friendly%26#39; or intuitive) and check out alternative possibilities. As an example if your trip is intended to be a %26#39;simple%26#39; one-way, the normal, unrestricted, fully refundable 2nd Class fare is $74,50 Euro, But...if you check the %26#39;aller retour%26#39; round-trip fares, you can get a non-refundable/non-exchangeable round-trip, 2nd Class FLASH fare on the same train for 39 Euro---and then toss away the return portion of your ticket. In theory, you can travel twice as far for half the price. I%26#39;m not sure if they allow you to print out your paper ticket on your home computer or you have to pick it up at the station....but even if you did have to colect your ticket at the an SNCF station all that would mean is a few extra minutes, which you%26#39;d probably allow for contingencies anyway.
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People, they do not care if you live in the U.S. Follow the instructions KDSAIL has so thoroughly provided.
I have picked up tickets in Paris at an SNCF boutique that I prepaid for using the website and my American credit card. I have traveled from Amsterdam to Paris using my own printer to print the discounted tickets. You order, you pay, you pick it up or print it. Simple. You do not need RailEurope.
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