Sncf Direction Générale et Services Centraux

C’est ici que se trouve le siège social de la SNCF.
Les services centraux y sont rassemblés dans un bâtiment moderne, fonctionnel et remarquable !

Horrible customer non-​service. In a country of 10% unemployment the well-​payed early-​retirement SNCF workers are constantly going on strike. J’en ai marre avec les greves de SNCF! Plus the ticket machines often don’t work. And everywhere you look there are long lines of bewildered patrons.

We rode the high speed train from Paris to Nimes in about 4 hours.
If you like trains, the SNCF is very cool; it’s an exciting looking train: purpose build for low aerodynamic drag and extremely powerful looking. It’s a behemoth!
Getting on was easy as was finding seats and we arrived on time.
It attains speeds approaching 320 km/​h, approximately 200 mph.
Very comfortable: Our tickets were for seated travel and you can carry on a pleasant conversation at nearly 200 mph — Amazing!
Once outside of Paris, sit by the window and explore the beautiful
French country side. Enjoy some Cognac ! see tip #1 below.
About 20 minutes from the destination you will notice the train start to slow down; then you will recall that the train was travelling at nearly 200 mph, that is over 3 miles per minute!!! in 5 minutes you have gone 15 miles, so it takes about 20 minutes to gradually slow down. Consequently, the last 20 minutes of the train ride seemed so slow!
Seating: fine; it’s ok to move around if you prefer.
Tip:
1.) there is a bar located on one of the train cars.
2.)And the cheapest tickets are for standing room only; you stand in the luggage area. but you save cash.
This review is from my 2007 trip to France.

Here is a list of events about the trains of the SNCF that I’ve experienced in the past 10 years:
–I once fell of the train because it stopped like 45 seconds in a town in Loire et Cher, the contrôleur didn’t bother to check if anyone was getting off the train before he blew the whistle, I had 2 suitcases, a backpack and a bag as I recently arrived to France, the first one I had just put on the ground and as I was starting to get off the train with the rest of my luggage, it started moving, it was to late to back up or even jump, I fell forward, one of my bags staying in the train. I feel lucky I wasn’t injured as I was only a few inches away from the moving train laying on the ground, one of my bags destroyed with my clothes lying on the tracks.
–I once got off the wrong station, when I realized my mistake the train left, (it stopped for around 30s this time), as this was in the middle of nowhere (a totally deserted station) I had to walk along the rails for almost 6 hours to get home.
-‘Les contrôleurs’ (ticket collectors) would make me pay for not having the discount card with me (12 – 25) –sometimes I would forget as it was a big card that is difficult to carry inside a wallet-​, not only I would have to buy a new ticket entirely (instead of just completing the full fair), I would also have to pay a fine at THEIR discretion. meaning I would sometimes pay 100 extra euros.
— I was once traveling with my girlfriend and a guy and his girlfriend were sitting in our place, we kindly ask them to let us sit in our seats, they would not move, we asked politely again, the train was mostly full an those were OUR seats, at this moment the guy starts becoming insulting, the ‘contrôleur’ strolls by, we explain the situation, he gives one look at the couple and literary turns away, almost running…
What a wimp! They are not afraid to charge you ridiculous amounts of money but when they have to do enforce their duty, they run away, SHAME ON THEM!
–I recently witnessed a Russian tourist who did not speak a single word of french being worried about missing his stop on the train, indeed he had climbed into the part of the train that was not supposed to stop at his station, instead of helping him, the ‘contrôleur’ gave him a fine!!! And made him pay as if he was going all the way to Paris! And he had to force the door open at the station in the middle of France to actually get out!
The disrespect for travelers is blatant and makes me wonder if it denotes something in french culture. Moebius once made a comic strip parody of tourist hunters, I’m thinking the SNCF thinks the same way, they will hunt for the travelers wallet! I’ve had tickets that I couldn’t use and that I lost because the person at the train station wouldn’t find the ticket number reference on their system to change the departure time. There is no one else to turn to as the SNCF has closed down costumer service in Gare du Nord in Paris and in Lille! Unfortunately, there are no other alternatives to SNCF. The other option would be to rent a car but still you wouldn’t benefit from the speed of the TGV (the only reason why there is 1 star in this review).
French citizens, REVOLT!
Travelers, you have been warned!

Let me start with the positive aspects of SNCF. When the company is not striking, you can go anywhere within France easily.
Now, it’s expensive unless one buys his or her ticket ahead of time. They have tons of programs that are a headache to understand. The lack of customer service is horrifying. Their customer service line is not free.
The best way to travel in Europe is with a travel pass but unfortunately SNCF does not have matching schedule with other train companies. It is pretty good with ICE to Belgium, Germany, Holland and England but it sucks royally with Southern Europe.
Another way to travel is by air. Try an airline such as easyjet or ryanair. They are fairly inexpensive but don’t expect awesome service. You will get there fast and cheap.
Well I like to travel by train because of the scenery.
well you can visit
and
Good luck, you need it!