Hopefully only a temporary measure for the Olympics 

The article I mentioned doesn't mention the Olympics, nor that it would be temporary. So don't hold your breath...

Interesting to read the local users group are strongly opposed to this. Hopefully they can change the policy.

Unfortunately I think the translation I read was a bit incorrect, while I do understand the urge to occasionally deal with SNCF nonsense with violence I think this may be taking it a little too far.

If they do not obtain a “satisfactory” response, they plan to organize “punching actions” in the Marne stations.

I'm not really sure whether “punching action” is a good translation of "action coup de poing”…

AFAIK it's a short and targeted action. Maybe it's meaning #3 here:

https://fr.wiktionary.org/wiki/op%C3%A9ration_coup_de_poing

So I just went to a counter in Strasbourg and staff told me that the reservations should be available on maplaceabord.com (free of charge).

(Another SNCF website lol...)

I haven't tried but it would be somewhat good news!

I had a quick look. You need to log in with an SNCF account and then you need to supply a 10-digit card number. Looks like this is for season card holders...

Ugh I clearly mentioned Interrail though…

Looks like he was trying to get rid of me then. Or maybe they'll add the feature by July we can only hope.

I just found this:

https://www.ter.sncf.com/grand-est/services-contacts/reservation-a-bord

The last question in the FAQ is about Interrail. Interrail reservations has to be bought at the counter for €1.7. They say that reservations will be available on the Interrail website soon.

(I don’t speak French, but Google translate works fine...)

I did a few searches for reservations on Interrails seat reservation site. From Paris to Belfort. Until 5/7 the is no reservation required.

Between 6/7 og the first train on 8/7, the Interrail site says that reservations is required and costs from €1.7 (The usual €2 Interrail reservation fee is not mentioned). But the system is not able to book these reservation.

No trains is found after the first train on 8/7.

I don’t know when the FAQ was written, but “soon” is not yet… :-)

I have also looked at Raileurope.com. This site is not good at finding regional trains - unless they are faster than the TGV. But it can find some of the same trains as Interrail. But no direct trains between Paris and Belfort after the first train on 8/7. For those trains it finds, it says that reservations has to be booked at the station.

Now I think I know what “TGE” means: TER Grand Est. I have seen this a few times before on Raileurope.com and was wondering what kind of train it was.

DB finds the same trains as Interrail (no trains after 8/7) and clearly shows when reservation is required (A “R”-symbol next to the train number). DB can’t show prices for these trains.

The national www.sncf-connect.com can’t find any direct regional trains between Paris and Belfort. And the same seem to be the case on the regional www.ter.sncf.com/grand-est. But it is not possible to filter for direct trains. And the site often fails when I click “Following times”.

I am wondering if a reservation can be done at any French station or only stations in the Grand Est region?

The reservations for now are only available at the station, they cost 1€70 and they only concern the journeys Paris - 1st stop outside of Paris, which means those TER lines can still be taken without reservations on most of the line.

Thank you so much for the information. I used two hours yesterday to figure out what to do… And *tada* - I found the solution. Seat reservations for TER trains can be booked at the website of “Rail Europe”. 

But there's a booking fee of 7,45 EUR added to the 1,70 cost of the seat reservation so Raileurope has become a very expensive place to buy reservations. 

I payed 8,60 euros for four reservations from Paris to Troyes and back again…

When did you make the reservations? Raileurope started with booking fees some days ago. 

Yesterday

Then you were lucky. 

Has Raileurope made any announcement about this new fee? I know that there has always been a fee for regular tickets,  but it is a new thing for reservation only.

I am happy that i bought my last reservations a few days ago. I just hope that I don't have to change my plans.

So, what is the new go-to site for making reservations?

Interrail.eu and B-Europe are back in the game lol. 2€ fee per person per train isn't too bad for the former, 4€ per booking for the latter.

Obviously if you book multiple reservations and/or for multiple people Rail Europe remains interesting…

ÖBB for Italy still has no fee.

Hello Palle. The website is Rail Europe. 

Apparently, it seems like Rail Europe has abolish their booking fee again. The website shows me now a fee of 0 € for Interrail seat reservations. Yesterday, there was the additional fee of 7.45 € as mentioned above.

If you plan to do reservations, it’s better to buy them now as you don’t know if Rail Europe reintroduces booking fees in the future.

This is strange. Today there is no booking fee for reservations on Raileurope. Maybe it was just a bug... 

A little news about the Raileurope booking: 

I made a new topic to avoid getting too much off-topic in this one.

Palle Dam