I'm trying to book myself a TGV for the start of January (2009) but can't even see the timetables yet, let alone book. I know they change on December 15, but how long before this are they released for viewing and booking?

Thanks!
Chris

I'm not sure. Your best bet is to check the german site for train sites all over europe. They'll be the first to get the new schedules. The only other thing to do is get a copy of the Europe Train timetable book.

I myself have a hard time reading them, especially for a two or three stage trip. An easier, and just as accurate source is to find a friend with a Europass, and look through their more concise book. This book is much easier to use, with all the trains TO the location you want to go to.

I've never seen THIS book aside from the Eurrail package.

Heres a comforting thought. Rail routes rarely change, and you can probably plan on using the old schedules for a rough idea of scheduling. When things change, its often because of temporary changes that aren't in the new years tables either. I myself have winged it from trip to trip, and actually gotten the schedules from the stations in the country I'm in.

The Germans, by the way, are the kings of efficient rail travel. Their people can hand you a schedule for any trip you want on a computer printout with very clear connection and travel times. They even hand out transfer schedules on the train you're on. Go to the customer service area for this printout. They'll be glad to help you.

The Italians take the prize for the LEAST efficient and informative train service in Western Europe, but keep your head on straight and you'll get to where you're going.

If you schedule according to the frequency of train service, and don't pay attention to the exact times, you can wing it very effectively and still arrive in your hostel on the day you wish...(most of the time, barring temporary problems). I never count on arriving at a certain hour anyways while using the trains.

Can you even book for a time that has no schedule? You probably can't. You should book at a time reasonably close to your leaving time, in case train schedules change on your route due to temporary problems.

Thanks for the reply. I found out eventually on the raileurope website that tickets for next year are on sale from October 15. Hopefully I can snag a cheap ticket!

Bahn.de is good to check for stuff but you won't be able to get prices ...at least I haven't.

No, you can only get prices on bahn.de for trains within Germany or possibly international trains starting in Germany. The new railteam setup hasn't helped a great deal either: I still find it best to use either the national website (voyages-sncf for France) or a broker like Rail Europe.