On 29/03/2015 23:45, Clive Page wrote:

On 29/03/2015 12:13, Clank wrote:
Personally, whenever I arrive in a foreign city for the first time I
always use ticket machines instead of windows because (a) there's a
much higher chance the machine will speak my language and (b) even
if it doesn't, it's unlikely to make fun of my accent.

I've received some useful pronunciation lessons from ticket clerks - if
one is open, willing and smiling it doesn't normally result in humiliation!


I appreciate anecdote doesn't make data though .

Well so do I. But in two cities in the last few years (Paris and
Rotterdam) I've found machines which won't take British credit or debit
cards and I had to resort to feeding in literally dozens of small coins
to buy my tickets. Fortunately I had just enough, but many tourists
will have had experiences like this and decide a human is more helpful
than a machine.

I haven't come across an issue with UK cards in Paris (either RATP or
SNCF machines). They don't take notes though.


But in the case of King's Cross, they take some trouble on Eurostar to
push sales of Oyster cards, and TfL also encourage their use by having
cash fares which are many times that of the Oyster fare. So I'm baffled
as to why the queues are so long, but it's a fact that they are.

Lots of people simply don't think about it until they arrive.

On Mon, 30 Mar 2015 16:35:58 +0100, Mizter T
wrote:

I haven't come across an issue with UK cards in Paris (either RATP or
SNCF machines). They don't take notes though.

RATP *used* to be trouble IMX, but now that everyone has an EMV card
they are fine. Just as well, as without any complaint on here (well,
I suppose this isn't uk.transport.paris) they have closed all/most of
their ticket offices as well, as have Barcelona and Madrid. (Not
forgetting all those networks where you have to go to the top of a
mountain on the Solstice to get the smart card that is then
rechargeable in millions of outlets.)

Richard.

On 30/03/2015 19:58, Richard wrote:

On Mon, 30 Mar 2015 16:35:58 +0100, Mizter T
wrote:

I haven't come across an issue with UK cards in Paris (either RATP or
SNCF machines). They don't take notes though.

RATP *used* to be trouble IMX, but now that everyone has an EMV card
they are fine. Just as well, as without any complaint on here (well,
I suppose this isn't uk.transport.paris) they have closed all/most of
their ticket offices as well, as have Barcelona and Madrid. (Not
forgetting all those networks where you have to go to the top of a
mountain on the Solstice to get the smart card that is then
rechargeable in millions of outlets.)


:-)

Good point re the Paris comparison.

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

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!

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!

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.

Richard.

On 2015-03-30 22:43:54 +0000, Richard said:

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.

The one at Milan Linate airport (just outside) doesn't take UK cards
and doesn't give change...right nuisance when bringing a hire car back.

Neil
--
Neil Williams
Put my first name before the @ to reply.

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...