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Post by annettecinca on Aug 4, 2007 23:13:18 GMT -5
Willow, I'm glad you've gotten the help you needed You are going to have a fabulous trip! And yes, everyone here is just wonderful!
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Post by sandy on Aug 6, 2007 13:16:05 GMT -5
Willow: Here you will find some useful information: en.parisinfo.com/press-and-travel-trade-information-centre-/paris-news-1/Click on the link to the right of "Affordable Paris", there´s info about the transport system. Don´t worry about anything, I travelled alone when I was 23, not only to Paris but to several countries in Europe and Israel and it was the best trip in my life. Don´t hesistate to ask if you have any other question.
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Post by willow on Aug 6, 2007 16:19:03 GMT -5
Thank you for that website Sandy! I printed out some of the things on there to read on my commute home. Thank you for the encouragement as well! I think over the next 15 days I will be on a roller coaster of nervousness and impatience, but I am sure I will have a great time while I'm there. I've taken the Chicago El and Metra systems for the past 8 years so I think once I get my bearings it will all be fine!
In the vein of transportation, is it beneficial to book tickets on the train to Tours now, or wait till I am in Paris? I have a side excursion to the Loire Valley planned for Aug. 27-28 and I want to make sure I can get to there!
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Post by Becky (Berkeleytravelers) on Aug 6, 2007 16:50:14 GMT -5
If you are going to Tours, book the TGV now while you still might get a break on the fare. You can specify "delivery in France" and pick it up at the train station or print the ticket at home (don't have it sent to you or specify "delivery in US"). To pick up at the train station, it would be helpful to have a printout of your confirmation page, and you must have with you the credit card you used to pay for the ticket.
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Post by willow on Aug 6, 2007 20:51:14 GMT -5
6:50AM/27 Aug Paris Mont 1 Et 2 7:52AM/27 Aug St Pierre Des Cor
7:57AM/27 Aug St Pierre Des Cor 8:02AM/27 Aug Tours
Does this sound right? Will I be able to catch the 2nd train? The tour I want to go on starts at 9 so this train would be good.
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Post by Becky (Berkeleytravelers) on Aug 6, 2007 21:33:22 GMT -5
I'm looking at the timetable. If you want to be there before 9:00, I would think the 6:50 am from Montparnasse, arriving 7:52 at St Pierre des Corps, would be the best best (don't take the one from Austerlitz - it's not the TGV, and obviously is a much slower train).
From what I'm seeing, it appears that this is showing "off-peak" pricing (which is more favorable), so probably you want to grab it fast. Given that this is an early train you probably will want to either print your ticket at home, or pick it up at the station a day or two ahead. But - grab it now because the discount fares do sell out!
I was a little confused by your post showing times for Tours a few minutes later, as St Pierre des Corps is the TGV stop for Tours? Whatever, you will have an hour to meet up with your group so no problems if you get the 6:50. I don't think there is a "second train" -- from what I see when I run a search with the destination as Tours rather than St Pierre des Corps, it appears that there is a shuttle bus that takes about five minutes to go between the two stations, although hard to know how often it runs - I would suggest just getting a cab and having it take you to where your tour group meets (rather than the Tours station). Or perhaps you can contact your tour group and see whether they can just pick you up at the St Pierre des Corps station?
If you pick up tickets at the station, you will have to stamp them in the validation machines (you will see lots of people doing this, it's a small yellow box about waist high, lots of them around, just do what others are doing -- if it doesn't make a "stamp" sound when you do it, turn it over and try it a different way). If you print your own ticket at home, you don't stamp it - just hand it to the conductor on the train.
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Post by willow on Aug 6, 2007 22:56:01 GMT -5
I seem to be having a hard time finding the Print option. In order to do that, do I select France or the US as my pick up location?
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Post by Becky (Berkeleytravelers) on Aug 6, 2007 23:43:59 GMT -5
You need to select delivery/receipt of the tickets in France (I think that's also related to whether you can get the discounts, but I'm not sure about that).
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Post by willow on Aug 7, 2007 10:16:06 GMT -5
I've figured it out! I went back to TA and found MorganB's post and it explained that only certain types of tickets are printable. The Shuttle was not a printable ticket so my whole order became un-printable. Once I changed my station to St Pierre des Corps, the shuttle was bumped off. Then I selected the same tickets and finally fot the Print function. Thanks for you help!
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Post by Becky (Berkeleytravelers) on Aug 7, 2007 10:54:38 GMT -5
Glad you found the solution - now you can relax about that, and think about the fun things! (What's on your tour out of Tours?)
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Post by willow on Aug 7, 2007 11:05:43 GMT -5
I am doing 2 Acco-Dispo tours. I want to see Chenonceau, Chambord, Azay-le-Rideau, & Villandry. The tours are not all very in-depth, but for my time frame they are perfect. I will get to see some of the more popular chateaux and see some of the less popular as well. I am also staying in a hotel which will be a change from the apartment I am renting in Paris. It's only a 2 day excursion, but I think it will be fun! Especially now that my tickets are figured out!
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Post by Becky (Berkeleytravelers) on Aug 7, 2007 11:07:35 GMT -5
That sounds like a great short tour - I have been to Chenonceau, but not to the others. I'll be interested to hear what you think of them.
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Post by willow on Aug 7, 2007 13:37:35 GMT -5
It’s actually a bit more than just those four. My Monday tour goes to see Chenonceau and Amboise in the morning. Then after lunch they take us to Chambord and Cheverny. ougereWe get to see(but not visit) Fougeres, Bievres, Chaumont, and Blois. On Tuesday morning I will be at Villandry and Azay-le-Rideau and my afternoon is open to rest and explore the town.
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Post by annettecinca on Aug 7, 2007 22:31:35 GMT -5
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Post by willow on Aug 8, 2007 9:37:46 GMT -5
Thank you for the link to the picture Annette! I'll know what to look for now, though that bright yellow shouldn't be hard to spot!
Just 13 days left!!!
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Post by Becky (Berkeleytravelers) on Aug 8, 2007 10:49:39 GMT -5
The validation box is sometimes on a wall, as shown in the picture, and sometimes on a short post (usually there are several of them) as you make your way to the platform.
Keep in mind - I understand you finally were able to print your own ticket from the internet, and that does not get validated (just hand it to the conductor on the train). The only kind that is validated is the one you would get at the station, which is the size/shape of an airline boarding pass, so you will need to do this only if buying a ticket in France (e.g., if you decide to go to Chartres, or wherever, for a day trip).
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