Train : Paris to Basel

[redlac]

We will be travelling by train, Paris France to Basel Switzerland nonstop, on a Thursday in early June 2017 to then board our river cruise.

 

The www.tgv-lyria.com website shows these departures: 07:07, 14:23 and 18:23

 

When downloaded, the TGV-Lyria Timetable shows departures at 10:23 and 12:23 as well.

 

Is it typical that the 10:23 and 12:23 appear to not be offered to purchase in advance?

 

Thanks in advance for your assistance!

[gnome12]

Is it possible that those trains are sold out in the class you are looking at? Try looking the day or week before/after or the other class.

[redlac]

Hmmmm no.... When checking the same day of the week later in the month, the 10:23 and 12:23 are not offered when clicking to purchase, though they show on the schedule.

[gnome12]

You might want to look at loco2.com and see if they can book it. Something is down for maintenance right now; they say check back in 24 minutes.

[jpalbny]

You are trying to book more than 90 days out. Not all trains are yet available for booking. Some are, which is why it's confusing.

 

Wait a few days and try again, until the train that you want is available.

 

From an authoritative source: http://www.seat61.com/Europe-when-do-train-bookings-open.htm

"The single biggest reason overseas visitors have problems booking European train tickets is that they try to book too early, before booking opens or (almost worse) at the extremity of the booking horizon when strange things happen, such as some trains being shown in the search results whilst other trains are missing.

 

 

Europeans typically buy train tickets just days or weeks ahead, to go shopping, attend business meetings or visit Granny. We don't tend to plan 50, 150 or 250 mile journeys 6 months ahead. So whilst it pays to book ahead to get the cheapest fares, it doesn't pay to be too impatient. You can't book before reservations open, but nor can anyone else. If you book soon after bookings open, you'll still find cheap tickets. Booking early is all about getting a cheap price, not about getting a place. Generally speaking European trains don't sell out, even on the day of departure.

 

If you are trying to book at or near the extremity of the booking horizon and either (a) you don't see any trains or prices in the search results at all, or (b) you see some random trains but not all the trains you expect to see or © you see trains & prices but trying to book them produces an error message, then it's odds-on that booking isn't fully open yet. Don't assume that 'The timetable must have changed' or that 'All the morning trains must have been cancelled', no they haven't. Just wait a bit!"

[gnome12]

If you look at the timetable, you can see that the routing for the 10:23 and 12:23 is different from the others. I agree with JP and Chris about the booking window; you might want to look at a Thursday that is less than 90 days out, and you will probably see that you can book it now. Just keep checking until those trains show up as bookable for your date. Nowadays, train fares are like plane fares; the cheapest tickets go first, and when they are sold the price goes up.

[redlac]

Much appreciated, everyone. Yes, I must admit that I felt that if SOME of the scheduled trains were available, then ALL should be available.

I promise to take a deep breath and be more mellow.

Promise.

[gnome12]

You're from Vancouver. I thought all west coast types were mellow.

;)

[jpalbny]

Lol

 

Sent from my SM-G930T using Forums mobile app

[redlac]

*chuckle*

Oh yes, I'm mellow. Except when I have every detail about our holiday nailed down, except for the train. No need to fluster, I know... but I'd love to cross this off of my 'to do' list.

 

I'll sit back and watch the end of the Canucks game... that will help.

[gnome12]

Just for interest's sake, here is my saga of the time I took the train from Frankfurt airport.

 

Normally, I'm like you, I like to have everything organized. However, I was flying in April 2010, at the time of the Icelandic volcano. The day before I was to leave was the first day that ANY flights were flying across the Atlantic. I was supposed to fly to Brussels via Frankfurt to my Uniworld cruise in Antwerp. I was supposed to have a transfer from Brussels to Antwerp to the ship. The volcano changed all of that.

 

Since I had already heard that flights within Europe weren't flying, I researched trains before I left home. I wasn't even sure whether or where I would be able to fly, but I found that I could get from either Paris or Frankfurt to Brussels, and then onward to Antwerp. Then, before I left for the airport, my flight to Frankfurt had been cancelled.

 

I was on a Lufthansa ticket, but the flight was a codeshare operated by Air Canada. I decided to go to the airport anyway, because there was a Lufthansa flight later that hadn't been cancelled. I knew that the airlines were still really busy, and there was no point in trying to call the airport. I went to the airport saying either I will get to Europe, or I will go home.

 

One good thing was that I knew from our agenda that we had at least the first full day in Antwerp, and perhaps the next also (it was an all day excursion to Bruges). Normally, I have no fear of flying, but I do worry about making connections. This was liberating. I knew that there was no connection to make, and I figured if I could get to northern Europe, I would make it to the ship.

 

I arrived at the airport which was a zoo, with lineups everywhere. I lined up at the Lufthansa line (because of the Lufthansa ticket). When I got to the front of the line, they looked at my ticket, told me that I was on the Air Canada flight and that I was their problem. So I went looking for someone at Air Canada.

 

I talked to someone who said that there was a possibility of standby to either Rome or Paris. Rome wouldn't do me any good, but Paris was actually very convenient, so I went over to join that list. As I registered, the attendant said it wasn't very likely, but I had nothing to lose.

 

While I was waiting for Air Canada to call the standbys for the Paris flight, someone came over from Lufthansa asking who wanted to go to Frankfurt? I waved my hands, "Me, me". So I trekked back to the Lufthansa counter. When I got to the front, I was asked "Why weren't you on this flight already?" I explained that Lufthansa had already sent me to Air Canada. Oh well, I had a seat.

 

The flight was uneventful. I arrived in Frankfurt, ignored Lufthansa (I didn't worry about getting anything back for the flight to Brussels that I wasn't taking), and went down to the train station. I was told that they couldn't guarantee a seat from Cologne to Brussels, but I said OK, and took a train ticket from Frankfurt to Brussels Midi, and then on to Antwerp.

 

I had a couple of hours to kill before the train. However, I had my knapsack and a suitcase with me, so I just hung around the train station. I called the ship to let them know that I had arrived in Europe, and that I expected to arrive at the ship that day.

 

I got on the train, and looked around. All of the seats were reserved from Cologne to Brussels. I sat somewhere, not sure what I would do in Cologne. In Cologne they announced that anyone without a reservation had to get off the train and board a bus, so that is what I did. I arrived at Brussels, found the train to Antwerp, and, after a short ride, arrived there.

 

I got a cab, and headed to the ship, using the information on the documents. We couldn't find it. We drove up and down the docking area, and couldn't find it. I called the ship again. They said where they were. We still couldn't find it. Ultimately, we found it; it was behind a parking structure that completely blocked it from the street. All they needed to say was that they were next to the parking structure and I would have avoided this confusion. However, after all the drama, I had arrived.

 

I dumped my stuff in my room, and headed to the dining room. I had made it (a bit late) for dinner.

 

After that experience, I find that I'm not quite as anal about arrangements as I used to be.

[Host Jazzbeau]

Just for interest's sake, here is my saga of the time I took the train from Frankfurt airport...

After that experience, I find that I'm not quite as anal about arrangements as I used to be.

 

 

Au contraire, IMHO it was your being anal about arrangements that saved the day -- you had researched the train options before you left home. As General Eisenhower famously said, "In preparing for battle I have always found that plans are useless, but planning is indispensable."

[gnome12]

True, but I did it without being prebooked.

 

I also confirmed my view that if you can't deal with all your own luggage you are in trouble. I travel with a shoulder bag under my knapsack and one rolling suitcase (not too big) that I can lift if necessary. (The bathroom at the Frankfurt airport train station is at a level inaccessible by escalator, half way between 2 levels.)

[redlac]

Just for interest's sake, here is my saga of the time I took the train from Frankfurt airport....

After that experience, I find that I'm not quite as anal about arrangements as I used to be.

 

Now THAT is the way to travel! Be able to seize the day and make it succeed. Nice work!

[gnome12]

Now THAT is the way to travel! Be able to seize the day and make it succeed. Nice work!

Thanks.