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Seat Reservations in France: Booking Momentarily Impossible

  • 14 January 2023
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Hello! I have the one month 2nd class Eurail global pass and I am trying to get from Basel to Paris in April 2023. I see I can get a direct train, but there is a high reservation fee. I have heard of a cheaper option to go from Strasbourg to Paris or Mulhouse Ville to Paris for a cheaper seat reservation. Unfortunately both the eurail website and https://travel.b-europe.com both say I can not book.

I have been trying since early December and every time since I have gotten the same message: booking momentarily impossible. At first I thought it was from the holidays and then maybe after the new year, but I have been checking constantly and it looks like I can only book until March 26th. Since I need to travel in April I have no idea why it stops at that day and I am unable to book the seat reservation. I can also always take a longer train journey with no reservation but I guess I am just curious at this point why it is saying it’s impossible. I thought it might because of the Easter holiday in early April but I’ve been trying to book at least 90 days in advance! Is there something I’m missing? Thank you!

Below are screen shots from a random day in April where I am unable to get a reservation and under is a screenshot from March 26th of the same journey that I am able to reserve. The third is a screenshot from the eurail website in April that says I can not get a reservation.

 

 

 

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Best answer by BrendanDB 14 January 2023, 01:28

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Just a bit too early to book. SNCF domestic tgv's opens booking for tickets and reservation not too long in advance (usually 3 or 4 months, sometimes a bit shorter). Maybe try again at January 26?

TGV Trains are also not visible yet on the SNCF planner, only TER. No too worry too much about it, the tgv wills show up eventually. 

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