Interrail pass versus individual tickets

Thanks for your helpful reply, Ralderton!

I looked at your link to the Seat 61 website and based on those prices, it looks like it would be cheaper to buy individual tickets.  I also checked the TGV website and it’s not really possible to see prices that way - the trains for my route and time of day seem to be fully booked up to April/May, and June onwards isn’t on sale yet!

Buying a pass now and getting a refund later seems a good idea.  Have you used All Aboard yourself, and do they answer emails and have good customer service?  I’d just want to be sure I could get the money back if I needed to.

Is it not possible to get a refund on Interrail passes bought on the official Interrail website?

Thanks again for taking the time to reply! 😊

That is very unlikely. Domestic TGV tickets for April/May are not even bookable yet. If you mention the exact trains you'd like to take, then people can check.

I've received a refund from them just a few days after requesting it.

A full refund only until 7 days after purchase. After that there's a 10% fee, except if you pay extra.

Hi Rvdborgt, Thanks for your reply.

I would want to take the 14:48 TGV train from Paris Gare de Lyon to Chambéry Challes-les-Eaux.  That train would allow me time to travel from London to Paris on Eurostar in the morning, and plenty of time for the metro journey from Gare du Nord to Gare de Lyon.  I’ve checked this train on random dates in March, April and May, and it’s showing as fully booked.

I think I will buy an Interrail pass in the sale, then I have the option of using that if it turns out to be cheaper at the time when I book (probably next spring).

Thank you for your helpful advice!

It looks like SNCF is playing games here. Like with many of their international TGVs, they seem to limit the number of passengers on (some?) domestic relations in those TGVs. Paris to Chambéry indeed always seems to be "sold out”, while tickets are still available to the next stops: Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne and Modane. Since the price of domestic TGV reservations have a fixed price (well almost: €10 or €20 depending on availability), you also can book a reservation to one of those stations.

Thanks for your reply - that’s a really helpful suggestion.

I’m also considering going via Switzerland, wondering if that might be cheaper in terms of seat reservations (and also very scenic).  Have you travelled from the UK to Italy and if so, which route would you recommend?

Via Switzerland can certainly be cheaper. TGV reservations from France to Switzerland and Italy are quite expensive, but you can avoid those, e.g. by using a regional train (TER) to Geneva.

You can also skip Chambéry and instead travel via Strasbourg (use a TGV from Lille or Paris Est), and stay overnight there, or e.g. in Colmar. From there, you can use reservation-free trains all the way to Milan (via Luzern or Zurich), and they're still quite fast. If you want a scenic route, then use a train via the old Gotthard line. Use sbb.ch and enter via Airolo.

Thanks for the helpful suggestions, Rvdborgt!

I feel a bit daunted by all the different options, so I think I will just buy an Interrail pass in the current sale, which gives me time to compare prices next year and see if individual tickets would be cheaper.  Thanks so much to Ralderton for pointing me to Allaboard.eu, where I can get a full refund.  I’ve been talking to Allaboard by email and they seem really helpful and quick to reply.

Thanks again for your help!