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Is it possible to book seats on the INouI from Marsielle to Brussels?

  • January 15, 2025
  • 6 replies
  • 87 views
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I’m booking trains for a summer interrail trip for our family of five. We had no issues getting reservations on the Eurostar, but it looks like we wont be able to book on the TGV INOUI Brussels between Marseille and Brussels. 

The seat reservations for july havent been made available yet, but I have checked about fifity different dates from jan and all the way to 150 days from now (which should be just released) and not a single date has any availability in either travel class on any if the four daily services. So I am not holding on to any hope. Even if I try updating the search the very second the tickets are supposedly released, it still says they are sold out.

Does anyone know if TGV or Eurail/Interrail have just discontinued offering tickets on this route, and is just pretending that its still bookable? Id wish they just said so, because then we would probably have planned our trip differently. Now it looks like we have to transfer to a eurostar in Paris and end up paying over 200€ in seat reservation fees..

Or is there a secret trick to booking this?

Best answer by rvdborgt

The pass holder quota on these TGVs from/to Brussels is rather small, but I've booked them multiple times last year. Usually just for myself though.

Most important questions: on what day of the week and in which class?

Another alternative is booking a direct TGV (sometimes the same one) from Lille and booking a regular ticket from Brussels. Or using a reservation-free train from Brussels.

Also note that the best website to book this is raileurope.com.

6 replies

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Railmaster
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  • rvdborgt
  • Railmaster
  • Answer
  • January 15, 2025

The pass holder quota on these TGVs from/to Brussels is rather small, but I've booked them multiple times last year. Usually just for myself though.

Most important questions: on what day of the week and in which class?

Another alternative is booking a direct TGV (sometimes the same one) from Lille and booking a regular ticket from Brussels. Or using a reservation-free train from Brussels.

Also note that the best website to book this is raileurope.com.

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.
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  • Anders8154
  • Author
  • Rail rookie
  • January 15, 2025

Thanks for your reply. Can the quota be less than five tickets per train? 
We’re traveling on perhaps the worst time possible, Saturday 12th of July. We got 1st class interrail tickets, but don’t really mind 2nd class seats as long as we get seats.

But as I said, I went through and just checked a whole bunch of random dates, mid-week, January, February, march, June etc and there was not a single service in any class on any dates with available tickets. I checked both in raileurope and eurail.com. I can stay up and book the second tickets are released, but if no tickets are released, then there’s not much point..

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Railmaster
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  • rvdborgt
  • Railmaster
  • January 15, 2025

Quota don't work by a fixed number of seats per train but rather by "bucket”: if a certain fare level is reached, then pass holder fares aren't available anymore either.

Saturday and Sunday are generally the busiest for these TGV services. 1st class is generally available longer than 2nd class in these trains, so that's good.

In addition, reservations from April are not open yet, so I've had a look at Saturday 29/3 on raileurope.com:

6:34-12:36: availability in both classes

12:12-17:44: no pass holder seats

15:12-20:44: availability in 2nd class only

17:12-22:52: availability in both classes

17:12 option in 2nd class for 5 people

So if you can book as soon as reservations open, I think you should be able to book a direct train.

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.
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Railly clever
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  • eurocity101
  • Railly clever
  • January 15, 2025

Seems to be the case unfortunately… :/

I did a quick check: No problem to find availability for one person on the direct trains on a random Saturday in March or April but with a group of five, I found little to absolutely no direct trains towards Brussels open for passholder on the same dates.

However there’s no problem to  book all these trains just to Lille, even with the cheaper 10€ fare. So I think that’s the way to go as a last resort. But at least, you’ve more flexibility with a first class pass.

But that’s the most annoying TGV route left for passholder travelling in a group (alongside the one to Milan).

I'm NOT working for Interrail/Eurail.
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  • Anders8154
  • Author
  • Rail rookie
  • January 15, 2025

Thanks both of you, this is very helpful. I didn’t think about taking the train to Lille and buying regular non-interrail tickets to Brussels, but it seems like its actually cheaper to buy tickets for us from Lille to Brussels than to make seat reservations on the same route, and definitely cheaper (and easier) than switching to the Eurostar in Paris. 
 

It’s a decent backup, but if I’m going to try to get regular seat reservations, when would that open up for July 12th? I thought it was 150 days out, but if it’s only open thru march right now, I guess I was wrong. And, is the tickets released at midnight or at departure time?

 

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Railmaster
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  • rvdborgt
  • Railmaster
  • January 15, 2025

Reservations should open on 12/3, see:

https://www.sncf-connect.com/aide/l-ouverture-des-ventes

I don't know if that's after midnight or later.

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.
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