Paris dash - ticket help needed...

[coupwotcoup]

Next month I shall be boarding the first E* out of Ebbsfleet and then getting the 10.07 from GdL to Girona.

Having beaten a similar path across the French capital for many a year I am not unfamiliar with the machinations
of the RER etc but, if all goes to time, with just a 50-minute window [easily doable in normal circs] I'm getting
a tad nervous re the ticket situation.

I'm sure there's many on here who have been held up at GdN by the lack of windows open at the ticket office,
plus machines that are invariably broke with no staff to help.

So, do E* still sell tickets for the Paris metro from the bar area or is there any other way of purchasing one in advance?

Or, is there anyone going to Paris in the next three weeks - my 'grand depart' is September 5 - who could purchase said ticket
for me (approx two euros) and I will gladly liaise via PM to pay for the above, plus postage and a drink on top.

Many thanks in advance....

 

[Mag_seven]

Deleted - question answered in post #3 below.

 

[richa2002]

Can confirm Eurostar still sell tickets from the buffet. At a slightly inflated price but well worth it so as to save time in Paris.

 

[coupwotcoup]

You are a gentleman, a scholar and an acrobat....many thanks!

 

[calopez]

If you have time on arrival at GdL, it might be worth considering purchasing a carnet for any future trip(s)

 

[coupwotcoup]

Thanks for the heads up but not coming back until October and I have much more time - plus the ticketing situation is much better at GdL....

 

[MarcVD]

Its always that same machines close to the metro station that have a queue. If you walk further down the RER station you will find machines that are almost always free.

Envoyé de mon GT-I9505 en utilisant Tapatalk

 

[Iggy12a]

Can confirm Eurostar still sell tickets from the buffet. At a slightly inflated price but well worth it so as to save time in Paris.

I made the mistake of asking to pay in Euros for my carnet in the buffet car. It was converted from £15.50 to 21 Euros. (I didn't realize the ridiculous exchange rate being applied at the time as I was purchasing several drinks too). In Paris they retail for 14.90 Euros

 

[coupwotcoup]

To be honest I wouldn't baulk at paying 10 euros for a single,
if it means I don't miss my connection but once again, thanks guys.

 

[AY1975]

It's worth remembering that unused carnet tickets are valid indefinitely (or at least until Paris transport operator RATP decides to completely replace all paper tickets with smartcards - AFAIK they have no immediate plans to do that, though).

If you try to use a carnet ticket that you bought years ago, you may find that it has become de-magnetised over time and it will no longer work the ticket barriers, but I think you can exchange it for a new one at a ticket office if that happens.

 

[AndrewE]

If you try to use a carnet ticket that you bought years ago, you may find that it has become de-magnetised over time and it will no longer work the ticket barriers, but I think you can exchange it for a new one at a ticket office if that happens.

Good luck with that... I can remember some quite bitter and forceful exchanges at Metro ticket offices before the clerk finally handed over a carnet of tickets in the first place.

We came to the conclusion that either the clerks didn't want outsiders to share the benefit, or they hated the British and were obstructive on principle, or they were just protecting the individual transaction numbers. Even fluent friends who could pass for French residents found difficulties at the booking offices!

I may well need to try to do the exchange next time we try to use one... I'm not looking forward to it.

 

[coupwotcoup]

All worked out well in the end. Got the last single ticket on the outgoing E* and the
TGVs now advertise said deals in the bar so purchased similar on my return two days ago.

Got a free upgrade on E* Tuesday evening...which was quality as I was dressed like and
probably smelled like - a skunk, having left Catalunya early because of the general strike.

Putting two mobile phones on the table in the departure lounge caused a cacophony of coughing!

At least none of the Luis Vuittons were snides....