Skip to main content
Solved

Trying to book seat reservation on France NOMAD train - ''prices unavailable''

A

Hello,

I have bought 1st class interrail passes (x2) to travel in France in July.

I have been able to book reservations for trains such as Eurostar or TGV no problem.

However, I am trying to book reservation for the NOMAD train from Paris Gare St Lazarre to Cherbourg and back and got the dreaded message:

Prices unavailable

No price results were found for this connection. It is possible that all pass holder seats are sold out. Please try searching for another connection or check 'More information' and try other ways to book this seat reservation. If no pass holder seats are available anymore you need to buy a separate full fare ticket to board.

 

I have contacted the SNCF who directed me to TER Normandie. One client adviser said that I could not book reservation while another one said it was possible. A quick search on sncf booking service shows that yes, reservations are doable as the screenshot attest.

 

 

I have an inner ear disability and must be seated on train hence why I am trying to book the reservations asap to be guaranteed a seat.

Can someone please help?

 

Details of trains as follow - both 1st class.

Monday 25th July 2022

Thursday 28th July 2022

Many thanks

Best answer by rvdborgt

mcadv wrote:

1.do NOT worry weeks/monthes ahead-it ONLY applies to trips to/fro Paris and only on weekends/busy days. It is now quite easy to do it by yourself on the SNCF machines and then it cost 1,50

Is this on the national SNCF ticket machines or only on the regional ones?

 

@audrey5788 according to SNCF's own information, reservations are not required on the trains you are showing.

View original
Did this topic help you find an answer to your question?

4 replies

M
Full steam ahead
Forum|alt.badge.img+5
  • mcadv
  • Full steam ahead
  • 3893 replies
  • May 19, 2022

I have posted about this a day or 2 ago-as I am now in FR and checked this as there are so many Qs about it.

1.do NOT worry weeks/monthes ahead-it ONLY applies to trips to/fro Paris and only on weekends/busy days. It is now quite easy to do it by yourself on the SNCF machines and then it cost 1,50(i 2nd, I did not check 1st). All the worries about ´full trains´ are ridiculous and just forget that stress.

2.set up to buy ticket-then there is after many others a page about reduct: choose ´MORE´ then you can choose IR/EU+class and follow menu. Payment only by card. You pass by a few FRench stations=gares before so use a min to do it for peace of mind.

(1st page asks if you have account or so-take the ´anon´ way).

IN Par/St Lazare there are control gates for these trains-use QR code in ticket to open-TO P. there are none in the other gares-but maybe they also let you go via thee gates on arr-I dk. On board staff are very relaxed about it all and just wave and smile at it.

BTW these trains are brand new electro sets and have now even good WiFi and a special devise to put the holy fone in so you can watch yet more tiktoks.

BTW2: the prices shown on your shot are simply the full fare prices-NOT RES only.

R
Railmaster
Forum|alt.badge.img+9
  • rvdborgt
  • Railmaster
  • 10638 replies
  • Answer
  • May 19, 2022
mcadv wrote:

1.do NOT worry weeks/monthes ahead-it ONLY applies to trips to/fro Paris and only on weekends/busy days. It is now quite easy to do it by yourself on the SNCF machines and then it cost 1,50

Is this on the national SNCF ticket machines or only on the regional ones?

 

@audrey5788 according to SNCF's own information, reservations are not required on the trains you are showing.

Please ask questions in the community and not via a private message. That's the quickest way to get a response. I don't work for Eurail/Interrail.
Maximilian Haeussler

I called Nomad. The reservation is indeed 1,50€ and can only be bought in Normandie or at Saint Lazare station at the Nomad ticket machines next to the Normandy-bound platforms (NOT the normal SNCF machines). It is not sold over the phone.

 

don’t spend 20€ on the Eurail site, it doesn’t seem to work anyways. 

Don’t worry. These are the only regional trains in France that require a reservation and only since 2021. The trains are extremely rarely fully booked and even then will have plenty of space because of no shows and spare seats between carriages. If you explain the problem to the staff, they’ll understand why you don’t have one. 
 

If you buy a kids reservation at the Nomad machines, note that you must lie about the birthday of the kids, Nomad forgot that there are kid passes for Eurail and doesn’t sell them for kids. 
 

hopefully Nomad will react soon. I’ve tweeted about this bug in their system and hope they reply. 

 

M
Railmaster
Forum|alt.badge.img+6
  • MartinM
  • Railmaster
  • 932 replies
  • October 15, 2023

The reservation is 1,7 Euro, not 1,5 euro.
But actually it is NOT mandatory. You can just hop on the train (at least for Cherbourg-Paris).

Reply


Terms and Conditions & Privacy Policy