hi,
long time lurker (well, long time ABSENT lurker..), checking in -
I agree, the SNCF web site is crap. May I suggest, as a possible alternative, the Rail Europe web site:
http://www.raileurope.com/us/rail/fares_schedules/index.htmNote, the above link is for US-based travel bookings. If you're booking from another country see "other country" links below the top right of that page.
At the very least, you can use that site to narrow down your route, connections, and departure/arrival times, which might then speed up booking via the SNCF site.
Also, something I used a long time ago, is the book
Thomas Cook European (Rail) Timetables. It's not worth buying just for one trip, but if you can get your hands on a copy at a bookstore or library it might be worth looking through. In it you will find complete schedules for pretty much every rail connection throughout Europe & the UK. It requires a bit of "manual" searching through some maps and tables, but once you sort out how it works it's very useful (hint: start with the "cities" index near the front). I like it in that you can look at multiple connections, times, etc. quickly and often on the same page without having to do repeated schedule inquiries via the web sites.
anyway I hope this helps!
- mike
p.s. FYI I too am looking for some assistance with camping at the circuit, etc., via a thread I just posted (didn’t want to hijack this one):
http://www.clubarnage.com/forum/index.php?topic=6743.0