Punching train tickets in France???

[-Ralph-]

Here you buy a ticket, get on the train, the ticket inspector checks that it is valid for your journey, lets assume it's an standard open single so can be used on any train, once you are on the train you are making the journey so are deemed to have used the ticket, so the inspector punches your ticket and from that point on it's dead, after you journey put it in the bin, you can't use it again on any other train.

I'm going to Lille by Eurostar on Saturday and then onwards from Lille by TER. My wife tells me "don't forget to stamp your ticket in the machine before you get on the train", what :confused: ?? If I buy a ticket at the ticket desk and immediately proceed to the machine to stamp it myself before I get on the train, how the hell does the conductor know how many trains I've been on using that ticket? It's like stamping your own stamps before you put the letter in the letterbox, you could use the same stamp 100 times.

My wife can't explain to me why, but can only tell me that I have to stamp the ticket. There must be some logic I'm missing here, can anybody fill me in? Does it stamp a date and time then invalidate if you haven't caught a train within the next hour or something?

[7755matt]

borrowed from http://bonjourlafrance.net/france-trains/trains-faq-questions-answers.htm


Here's the concept behind the use of train tickets. Please keep in mind that the ticket for travel (http://bonjourlafrance.net/france-trains/trains-faq-questions-answers.htm#) and the reservation for occupying a specific seat in the train are two separate and distinct issues.
For our discussion there a "two main types of trains" :



Where NO reservation is necessary. These are trains where you can sit in any seat. (Corail, Ter)
Where a reservation is OBLIGATORY. These are the TGV, Eurostar, Thalys (Paris to Amsterdam) and certain intercity trains (Corail Téoz)

Also keep in mind that just prior to boarding a train youhttp://bonjourlafrance.net/france-trains/images/train-composteur.jpg "stamp" your ticket ("composter" in French, there are little automates all around mainline stations to do this, you just insert your ticket and the date and time are printed on the ticket), to indicate the beginning of travel. ("Composteurs" as in the image to the right can have different shapes and colours).



NO reservation trains. Once stamped, your ticket is valid until the following day at midnight. So, if you stamp it, let's say, Monday morning it is valid until Tuesday at midnight. With this type of ticket you can get on and off a "NO reservation" train as often as you like, for as long as you like... with no problem.

You must however keep traveling in the direction toward the destination indicated on the ticket and finish your trip before the end of the ticket's validity.
OBLIGATORY reservation trains. When you purchase this ticket, the purchase of a reservation is necessary. Here your ticket is ONLY valid for the travel AND time indicated on the ticket. So, you understand, you can NOT get on and off at leisure. You must have a different ticket AND reservation for EACH section of your travel.

[lukemillar]

Here you buy a ticket, get on the train, the ticket inspector checks that it is valid for your journey, lets assume it's an standard open single so can be used on any train, once you are on the train you are making the journey so are deemed to have used the ticket, so the inspector punches your ticket and from that point on it's dead, after you journey put it in the bin, you can't use it again on any other train.

I'm going to Lille by Eurostar on Saturday and then onwards from Lille by TER. My wife tells me "don't forget to stamp your ticket in the machine before you get on the train", what :confused: ?? If I buy a ticket at the ticket desk and immediately proceed to the machine to stamp it myself before I get on the train, how the hell does the conductor know how many trains I've been on using that ticket? It's like stamping your own stamps before you put the letter in the letterbox, you could use the same stamp 100 times.

My wife can't explain to me why, but can only tell me that I have to stamp the ticket. There must be some logic I'm missing here, can anybody fill me in? Does it stamp a date and time then invalidate if you haven't caught a train within the next hour or something?

The stamp on the platform validates it for use - not sure but I would expect a time period of use to begin from the moment you stamp it on the platform. It also get's checked and maybe even re-stamped on the train by a conductor. It's been a while since I was on a train in France!

I think the theory is it allows you to buy tickets in advance without needing to specify which day you want to travel (as you do that when you stamp it, just before you get on the train)

[-Ralph-]

Once stamped, your ticket is valid until the following day at midnight. So, if you stamp it, let's say, Monday morning it is valid until Tuesday at midnight. With this type of ticket you can get on and off a "NO reservation" train as often as you like, for as long as you like... with no problem.

Result, so if you were working in town on a Saturday morning, you could buy a single ticket to get there and a single ticket to get back, then when you wanted to go back into town on the Saturday night, you could use the same two tickets without stamping them. Because stamping the ticket validates it, rather than invalidates it as it does here, they have no way of knowing how many journeys you've done, so long as you do them all in the same day. Always knew the French were a bit thick.

[DavieSV]

When in Holland, the conductor on a tram, watched us punching our tickets (four kids, the wife & myself) we were obviously confused, then as soon as we had sat down he approached us, passed everyone else, looked at our tickets, told us we had done them wrong and evicted us off the tram:smt067

[Kilted Ginger]

I take it this means the powers that be couldn't solve their issues and you are now going alone on the train?? Just remember to keep all your receipts, transport, food, drinnk, magazines, everything. enjoy.

[Geoffrey]

slightly off topic but can i mention it is now an offence to board a train without a ticket here in the uk

[-Ralph-]

I take it this means the powers that be couldn't solve their issues and you are now going alone on the train?? Just remember to keep all your receipts, transport, food, drinnk, magazines, everything. enjoy.

Yep, going on Sunday, I was only going on Saturday 'cos it would usually save me two hours between here and London, but the high speed train doesn't seem to be running at all over the bank holiday weekend, so Sunday means less time spent away from home and less time spent with the psychotic 'rents-in-law.

slightly off topic but can i mention it is now an offence to board a train without a ticket here in the uk

Ticket inspectors, platform barriers, I don't think that many folk would try it here nowadays.

Just re-read (read it properly :rolleyes:) the stuff above. The ticket is vaild until the next day at midnight, so you could use the ticket on Saturday morning, Saturday night, again if you wanted on Sunday! Commuting in France is dirt cheap!

I'm assuming then that every French person who commutes by train every day, and goes shopping on Saturday, would only buy 3 tickets per week? Trust me French people wouldn't buy a ticket every day because they wanted to be honest!

[Gazza77]

slightly off topic but can i mention it is now an offence to board a train without a ticket here in the uk

Except if boarding at an unmanned station, which is the majority of stations round here...

[punyXpress]

Get your drift, Ralph, but if you don't stamp your ticket it hasn't been validated & presumably you will be frog-marched off at the next stop ( or even earlier if really unlucky.)

[Sir Trev]

Except if boarding at an unmanned station, which is the majority of stations round here...

Unless that unmanned station has a ticket machine!

Shame you're not getting the Eurostar to Brussels and then going on by local train somewhere else in Belgium Ralph. Onward travel within Belgium is free that way.

[-Ralph-]

Get your drift, Ralph, but if you don't stamp your ticket it hasn't been validated & presumably you will be frog-marched off at the next stop ( or even earlier if really unlucky.)

I will stamp it. What I couldn't understand was if you stamped it yourself, how could they stop you from using it more than once, which it would seem, they can't, it's valid for up to 48hrs.

I'll ask when I'm in France and see how they stop everyday commuters buying 3 tickets a week.

[Gazza77]

Unless that unmanned station has a ticket machine!

True, though ticket machines round here are confined to major stations, which also have staffed ticket offices, such as Leeds and Wakefield Westgate. The majority of stations in West Yorkshire are unmanned with no machine, meaning tickets have to be bought on the train. :p

[redbouy]

The tickets are for "today", this week or open. The stamp means you have about an hour to get the train, [late trains and such].
It is a on the spot fine.[30 euros] if not stamped. if on the TVG with a normal ticket you are charged more.
about 60 if no ticket at all.
and a 500 fine if you give them a hard time. the police are on the trains a lot.

How ever I go from home [Antibes] to work [Monaco] every day [50 miles] and have a pass which cost 2 euros a day. cost more for the paper each day
I use it any time including heading to the pubs and clubs.

[-Ralph-]

The tickets are for "today", this week or open. The stamp means you have about an hour to get the train.

Now this makes more sense. The bonjourlafrance website that 7755matt posted got in wrong then?

[Ed]

This is so confusing, can't you just take the bike instead, so much easier:D

[-Ralph-]

This is so confusing, can't you just take the bike instead, so much easier:D

I'm bringing my car back, it broke down in France TWO MONTHS AGO! It's taken them this long, several parts, several different diagnosis, and a months holiday in between to diagnose and replace faulty camshaft position sensor! The French don't do petrol engines in big cars and they don't sell many big cars full stop unless they are French (the Opel dealer claims to have sold one Vectra since the current shape was released in 2002, and that was diesel), so non Renault/Peugeot/Citroen dealers have no understanding of Variable Valve Timing systems. That combined with a typical "don't give a s**t" attitude, especially when they see a British car, means two months to get it fixed. Doesn't help that GM sell cars via completely different companies, so Vauxhall UK have no power over Opel France. Vauxhall UK customer service has been excellent so far, and I'd definitely buy another Vauxhall as a result, but they are just banging their head against a brick wall with the French.

[Geoffrey]

Except if boarding at an unmanned station, which is the majority of stations round here...
advanced tickets, honestly it is an offence to board a train without ticket and a fact i am sure the british transport police will verify. i work for network rail, i hear about this sort of thing all the time and the persons involved are regarded as fare-evaders until a ticket is purchased.