ParisByTrain.com

[debmac]

Hello Ben
I am seeking your help. I have tried to purchase tickets via the TGV website but have been handicapped by my lack of French!
There are six people in my travelling party, 2 children (10 and 13 years old) and 4 adults - 2 of which are over 65.
Is there a seniors discount available for the TVG? Is there much difference between 1st and 2nd class tickets? Is the level of comfort worth the upgrade?
We plan to travel from the Gare du Nord station to Beziers on 4 July. We need to arrive in Beziers by noon. We return to Paris on Saturday 11 July by 2pm.
Once in Paris we will required transport passes until 22 July.
Any help or suggestions you can give me is very much appreciated.
Debbie

[ben]

Hi Deb,

Try TGV-Europe.com for booking (which is available in English) if you're having troubles with Voyages-SNCF.fr (which is a difficult site to use, even for the French).

There is a discount for seniors but you must purchase a frequent traveller card (specific to seniors) in order to take advantage of the discount (56€ for between 25-50% reduction). In general, I don't think this is aimed at tourists, since there isn't any way to purchase this without being in France.

In general, I don't find 1st class much different than 2nd class. It's not at all like on airplanes where the difference between Economy & Business or First is like an entirely different universe. On trains, the seats are slightly wider, with slightly more leg room. The level of recline is about the same between the two types of seats... nothing to write home about.

I hope this helps!

Ben