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A little thread inspired by @jonworth posts about cross-border ticketing madness when travelling by train. In today's episode: travelling from Aulnoye-Aymeries (France) to Mons (Belgium), a short 24 minutes non-stop ride.
Two trains a day connect both cities, in France this is classified as a TER service (Regional train), in Belgium as an InterCity service.
@seatsixtyone suggests this train if you want to avoid Thalys.
@seatsixtyone suggests this train if you want to avoid Thalys.
My situation: I have an unlimited travel pass on both the TER network and the NMBS network. However, cross-border connections are not included in those passes. I thus need to buy a ticket to cross the border. Also note: I'm under 26 years old, so some discounts might apply.
I go to the http://oui.sncf website and look up tickets for this trajectory. A ticket is offered for €8,80 one way.
Left image is -26, 26+is on the right image: no price difference.
I wonder if this can be done cheaper?
Left image is -26, 26+is on the right image: no price difference.
I wonder if this can be done cheaper?
I go to the NMBS International website. I get quoted €7,80 as a -26, €1 less than at http://oui.sncf . 26+ passengers however get quoted €10,30, 17% more expensive than when bought through http://oui.sncf
Little side note: Omio & Trainline seem to source their prices from NMBS, while RailEurope is simply not able to sell a ticket for this train...
Aulnoye-Aymeries is not the latest station before the border, however the train does not stop at any of the other stations closer to the border. Just for fun, I look up what it would cost if starting from Maubeuge (closer to the border)...
Surprise! At NMBS International I get quoted a cheaper fare, €6,1 -26 and €8 26+. And even more interesting: it routes me from Maubeuge back to Aulnoye-Aymeries before going to Mons using the same train as the previous tickets. Of course, you can just skip the first train...
http://Oui.sncf chargers more for this routing, €12. Age does not matter for SNCF.
Then I discover this on the national NMBS site (so not NMBS International). Apparently there is a "Crossborder" ticket, but the price is not mentioned.
I ask NMBS on Twitter and they provide me the price list for this ticket type. €5,40 for 18+. That's the cheapest fare so far!
(I later find out that you can find these prices in the full price list, but who reads that 41 pages long page turner?)
(I later find out that you can find these prices in the full price list, but who reads that 41 pages long page turner?)
Let's buy it... or not. This ticket is only available from NMBS ticket machines and ticket offices... in Mons. So you can buy a ticket from France to Belgium from NMBS, but you first have to go to Belgium to buy it. No possibility to buy it from NMBS online.
By the way, if you try to buy a ticket for this connection through the national NMBS site, it redirects you to NMBS International. No mention of the cheaper crossborder ticket...
Then I start wondering: if NMBS sells a special ticket type, would SNCF sell this "crossborder" fare as well? I find the answer on the page of the local transport network TER Hauts-de-France: yes they do ("Billet Transfrontalier"), and they do sell it online - for €5,40!
Note that the €5,40 fare is almost half of the adult fare NMBS International quoted in the beginning, but you must indeed make an enormous effort to find and buy the fare. This should change.
I must note that the crossborder fare can not be combined with other tickets, but this is not a problem as you have to switch trains anyway in both Mons and Aulnoye-Aymeries, as the train terminates on either side. You simply start a new journey with a local ticket afterwards.
Cross border connections are vital for local communities and easy ticketing is important to make travelling by train an attractive alternative. Unfortunately, this example shows there is still a long way to go!
Misschien voer voor een parlementaire vraag, @BuystKim @jefvandenbergh @MarianeVerhaert @JorisVDBroucke @troggeman? Gelijkaardige dynamieken spelen op de verbinding Kortrijk <> Rijsel & Charleroi <> Maubeuge. De NMBS zou dit ticket in 2020 toch perfect online kunnen aanbieden?
