Train tickets in advance!

Have you been waiting for winter trains, such as TGVs in France, to go on sale?

If so, great news: there’s a new way to secure tickets in advance before they are publicly available.

Some context: 12th November is the date that tickets go on sale online for TGV trains in Europe for the period Thurs 07 Jan - Fri 02 July 2027.

However, there’s an expert rail-booking agent, Trainseurope, which can help you secure rail tickets ahead of that.

From 30th October, Trainseurope can book TGV, Frecciarossa and Intercités de Nuit tickets for winter for the above period, covering Jan, Feb, March and April 2027. That’s because as a rail-booking agent, Trainseurope is given access to tickets before they go on sale to the public. This covers rail travel to ski resorts all over France, and some in other countries, too.  

Fas Mohammed, who runs Trainseurope, trialled this last winter with a few of his regular clients As it worked well, Fas contacted me to enable Snowcarbon skiers and snowboarders to get tickets in advance, too. As you might know, I’ve been recommending Trainseurope’s booking service for many years - helping many skiers to successfully book rail travel.

So, if you wish, you’ll be able to get your rail travel sorted straight away. No need to get up at silly o’clock on 12th November to try to secure tickets online yourself.

---

How much will tickets cost?

Group of friends on TGVPhoto: Daniel Elkan

I’ve listed below what Fas of Trainseurope estimates ticket prices will be. The tickets that Trainseurope can book are at approximately the public rate and Trainseurope charges a booking fee of £10 per traveller.

NB: Child ages are 4–11; children aged 12+ basically pay close to adult fares (on Eurostar and TGV trains).  

All the prices below are for return travel in Standard Class, but single fares and First Class are possible too.

Feb half-term / Easter

Eurostar + TGV, adult: £480–£520
Eurostar + TGV, child: £380–£400

If you’ve already booked Eurostar tickets to Paris, then Feb half-term / Easter:

TGV only, adult: £280–£290
TGV only, child: £220–£240

Off-peak dates

Eurostar + TGV, adult: £360–£400
Eurostar + TGV, child: £280–£320

If you’ve already booked Eurostar tickets to Paris, then off-peak dates:

TGV only, adult: £TBC260–£280
TGV only, child: £220–£240

These prices are estimates - so at time of booking might be a bit cheaper, or a bit more expensive.  Fas will let you know the exact price before you commit to booking.

---

How to book these train tickets

TGVs at Paris-Lyon

To book, you need to email Fas with your requirements. His email address is fas@trainseurope.co.uk.

In the email, write:

• Number adults, number or children, ages of children.
• Date of outbound and / or return.
• Destination station.

Include a phone number, ideally, as sometimes a call is useful to clarify things more easily.

If you mention that you’ve come via Snowcarbon, Fas will prioritise your enquiry.