On 30/03/2015 23:43, Richard wrote:

On Mon, 30 Mar 2015 23:02:45 +0100, Mizter T
wrote:

What's the situation re RER stations run by RATP (so in the centre), as
opposed to SNCF run ones - are there still ticket windows? My guess is
that there probably are, but it's a guess.

I can't remember... I think I saw one at Etoile. Wikipedia still
claims they have ticket offices. But it can be hard to tell, as the
staff still have the office to sit in and dispense advice rather than
tickets. They'll come out of the office if necessary, I've always
found them very helpful.

I've found the SNCF Transilien ticket counters at termini stations
useful places to buy a carnet - they happily take notes too!

Yes, and useful that many people don't realise that the Transilien
machines can also sell them and head off for the heaving metro station
instead. Useful in a city where after spending millions on a
smartcard, a 7-day ticket still has to start on a Monday!

Agreed, I always suggest people head for the Transilien machines - most
just head for the Metro ones (just like in London I suggest that, if
folk have an Oyster they wish to top-up, they should head for an NR
machine rather than a Tube one at a London termini).

Worth noting we do now have a slight mirror of the (nee Carte Orange,
now Navigo) weekly ticket situation - contactless weekly capping runs on
a Monday to Sunday window (not sure that doing it in any other way would
be sensible though - K.I.S.S. and all that).


Card acceptance in France pre-EMV chip standardisation was definitely
hit and miss - learnt the hard way by almost running out of petrol late
at night, card not accepted at at least two unmanned filling stations,
so we had to wait and strike a deal with a friendly local when they
eventually arrived to fill up themselves - lesson learnt!

I've had a few moments like that... with the male urge to see if empty
really does mean empty, and the last last last petrol station only
taking cards.

To bring things back on topic, I ran out of petrol in an operating
London bus lane once. Embarrassing. Thankfully it was the middle of the
day and I didn't end up causing some massive traffic jam. Got a letter
with nice colour video still and a demand for money a week or so later
from a London borough. (FWIW, twas a friend's car - he casually told me
that the fuel gauge was a "tad inaccurate" - alas that wasn't an
entirely fair representation of the actualité!)

The nearest petrol station that I headed to on foot with my can had, of
course, recently closed and become a hand car wash...