Le Cimetière Américain de Colleville-sur-Mer 

[photo © BG Street View]

The Train To Caen

The Price Is Not Always The Same

[n.b.: That first phrase doesn't rhyme, and you should start with the French version of the SNCF website.]

The success of low-cost airlines in Europe has not eliminated train travel as a desirable option. If anything, travel by train is getting better all the time in many countries. France continues to expand its famous TGV service, with high-speed service to many parts of the hexagon and neighboring countries, and Spain's counterpart, the Tren AVE, has spread out in all directions from Madrid.

In this instance, I refer to a day trip to Caen, the coastal town in Normandy close to the D-Day landing beaches and home to Le Mémorial de Caen —a fascinating museum dedicated to the D-Day landings— as well as a jumping-off point for guided tours of the beaches themselves and a visit to the American WWII cemetery at Colleville-sur-Mer.

From Paris, there are loads of trains, taking either about 2 hours or about an hour and forty-five minutes, and numerous fare deals [from 12.00-37.50€ one-way, with 1e classe available for as little as 18€, Billet non échangeable et non remboursable] available on http://www.sncf.fr.

The choices on the French national railway [SNCF] website can be dizzying and the procedure a bit tedious even if one understands French, but it's key to getting the best deal —provided one pays close attention.

Since I have no carte de fidelité, no abonnement or any other entitlement with SNCF,  I was initially puzzled by some of the choices in the little windows and pull-down menus, specifically regarding the Abonnement and Programme de fidélité items.  Moreover, it seemed at first that there was no "none of the above" choice, but I was somehow able on another try to bypass them simply by leaving them blank and proceeding, using as an example an aller simple for a theoretical date.

Aside from this one issue [which may not even be an issue], my only complaint with the SNCF site is that it's a bit slow, displaying lots of "merci de patienter" messages.

However, note that while on the French version of the SNCF website, make sure to choose France as "le pays de réception ou de retrait des billets," lest you be shunted over to the RailEurope site. You can then pick up your ticket at any SNCF station or travel agency —as I did, inside 30 seconds, with five minutes to go at the Gare de l'Est, in November 2007.

Also be aware that if you choose the English version of the website, you're shunted over to RailEurope from the start.  There the absolutely lowest fare is $38.00, not including an $18 "handling fee," making the cost greater than the highest SNCF price [31.20 €, which comes to about $37.00 before bank charges].

Most RailEurope starting prices for the trip are in the neighborhood of $50.00 not including fees.

Prices subject to change based on exchange rates.

 

You probably won't read this in the Tribune travel section.