Hello!
The general question is:How do we get to Bayeux from Paris via train?
Reason for asking:I am having trouble navigating the websites and our trip is approaching fast February 20-28.
Detailed Questions:
Can I buy tickets directly at the train station at St. Lazare in Paris from a human being?
Can I book the return trip at the same time? What happens if I miss my return trip, can I jump on the next train? Is it better to book the return trip in Bayeux at the train station? Is that even possible?
How much will it cost for a second class roundtrip ticket?
Is there anyway to avoid changing in Caen?
Thank you in advance for all your help!
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I%26#39;m not an expert, but I%26#39;ll give you my best answers from my experience on a trip last fall!
1) As you are traveling in the off-season, I think you can talk to a human being! We traveled in October, and purchased both of our tickets within an hour of our trains%26#39; departures.
2) There are %26quot;Flexi%26quot; fares that allow you to change your tickets. Flexi fares cost more, and there are fees for changing a ticket. Visit the RailEurope website for an easy to understand explanation, but don%26#39;t purchase there. There are better fares than the ones offered there.
Do not purchase Flexi fares if you are at the station and ready to go. You won%26#39;t need them. We did this and now know better!
3) The European websites are hard for US travelers to navigate and understand. If travelers identify themselves as US or ask to translate a site from a Google search page, we are sent to RailEurope with its limited and higher fares. Use Sydneynick%26#39;s %26quot;voyages/sncf%26quot; site, and click the British flag at the bottom of the page. You%26#39;ll be sent to TVG, but this looks ok to me. You%26#39;ll get your translation, and the fares at that point looked the same as when I stayed on the French page. I just wasn%26#39;t sure about all of terms of the fares on the French sites, but I could read the numbers! RailEurope is an easy to understand site for looking at schedules and understanding the various fare descriptions, and that%26#39;s how I use it.
As a suggestion, make copies of the train schedules and take them with you. I carried a check-sized file with these, hotel and tour confirmations, maps, etc., and our trip went very smoothly
4) There are direct trains to Bayeaux as we took one. We may have made a stop in Caen, but we did not change trains. Look for the schedules that show only Paris and Bayeux as destinations. If there is another city on the itinerary, you probably have to change trains at that location.
These are my best answers, and perhaps you can learn more from other travelers. Have a great trip!
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Hi its possible to buy your tickets at the train station and having looked at the website it really depends on what time you wish to travel in the day as to what price the tickets are. You buy them singularly on the webpage and it seems that about the cheapest is 23€ and the normal tariff is 28€ there is always space on first class and these tickets are usually 5€ dearer.
Its possible to buy tickets for the return in Bayeux at the station and if you have not decided what time to return maybe its best to get singles that way then you wont loose out.
The advise previously given is correct so its all down to your timetable really.
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Thank you for the advice!
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