Train connections & reservations

Hello,I'm part of a group of 4 or 5 planning to travel from London to Brindisi on 1 and 2 October later this year.I am planning to travel with an Interrail pass, because I am coming back by train the following week and it represents value for money, but the others are travelling only one-way and therefore on regular point-to-point tickets.The issue I'm trying to solve is: how do you buy Interrail reservations and regular tickets and make sure the group is seated together?(I found one other topic on this subject but it was about Ireland, where this problem doesn't appear)The parts of the journey requiring reservations and therefore where this comes up is:On 01/10/2024:08:01 London St Pancras > Paris Gare du Nord 11:28 (Eurostar 9008) 12:18 Paris Gare de Lyon > Genève 15:29 (TGV Lyria 9773)On 02/10/2024:10:13 Milano Centrale > Brindisi 18:24 (Frecciarossa 9805)I'd like to make sure we get table seats on each part and, in the case of the TGV, upper deck seats. Lastly, me being ab

Hi Friends, I’m trying hard to find seat reservation for ICE/TGV trains from Heidelberg/Mannheim/Karlsruhe  to Paris.But seems for all the train DB website shows error message like “Reservation cannot be made”.Like this :However Raileurope website shows message like Seat reservation has to be made at station.  Can someone please help me guide what could I do ?Does it mean that seats are really full or I have to make seat reservation locally from station in Germany ?I’m going to travel with family and toddler .. so don’t want to take chance.I will buy EUrail pass in case I get seats for at least 2 of my journey.Thank you great people. 

I’ve just purchased seat reservations for a trip from Paris to Strasbourg through RailEurope.  I was really surprised to read “Please print them on plain A4 paper before travel and present on board. Do not print in "economy mode" as this can make barcodes illegible. Please note that the tickets must be printed; they cannot be presented via a laptop or mobile phone screen.”This is not a big deal as I probably would have printed off a copy of the seat reservation anyway, but I have always in the past shown tickets whether they be seat reservations or actual tickets on my phone upon inspection.   I have the RailEurope app and there are perfectly good images of the tickets obtainable through that app.    Is there some reason that I am missing why they insist on having paper copies?Peter

Bonjour, Quelqu’un peut-il me renseigner sur comment réserver des couchettes pour voyager la nuit (2 juillet) de Zagreb à Split ?… Nous avons un pass Interrail Global Pass. Sur le site Interrail, c’est impossible.Merci d’avance pour votre réponseBertrand

Hello,  I’ve added a trip to my app and added 5 travellers.  I’ve booked seat reservations but on receiving the ticket via email there is only the one name on the ticket (the first alphabetically) but there are 5 seats listed.  Would this be correct? It’s charged me for 5 seats but should we not receive 5 tickets? Or at least have all 5 travellers listed on the one ticket? Thanks

Hi all - thanks for all your help so far. I have another query for tirano to milan route. I would be reaching tirano around 18.00 on 25th May  by Bernina express. I have to reach Milan central on same day. Could you please suggest train route for same as I am not able to find on app. What can I see is below at 18:48 which has 2 bus changes. Is there no train or app is not showing? TIA 

Hi there.I am looking for people how know about traintravel in Spain. After spending some time at the north cost we want to travel from Ovideo via Madrid to Barcelona. Unfortunately I can’t find any trains leaving Ovideo in August at all. Does ticket go on sale so late?From Barcelona we want to travel to Nimes in France. Train tickets for that day are already available, but I can’t purchase seat reservations. I read about that many people have difficulties booking seats with RENFE.Thanks for your helpJohannesPS: We are a family of four traveling on the two month global pass.

Hi there,I am about to plan an Interrail-Trip with my family through the Netherlands, Belgium, France and Spain next summer. As seat reservations are really extraordinary expensive, we would like to skip them as often as possible. In the Netherlands and Belgium we will have some shorter journeys mainly up to one 45 minutes or one hour in an Intercity. Are trains in the Netherlands and Belgium normally crowded or shouldn’t it be a problem to fine some seats? We well be travelling late morning hours on weekdays and weekends.Thanks for your helpJohannes

Hi all,I have my Eurail ticket and I have downloaded the eurail app. Our trip starts next Sunday 20th May: London-Paris, Paris-Grindelwald, Grindelwald to Chur, Chur to Milan.Instead of booking seat reservations via the app I have reserved some seating via ‘Rail Europe (London to Paris and then Paris to Basel).   I now see I can reserve seating via eurail app.  When trying to do so, Grindelwald to Lucerne is ‘paper ticket’.  Is there somewhere I can edit this?  Otherwise it is asking me for the hotel address!!  In fairness, seat reservations are not necessary but it’s Interlaken to Lucerne (scenic route) and just wanted to have seat booked just in case. Also, is there an update on the train line from Tirano to Milan Centrale? Can some assure me that it’s a 3 hour journey and is it best to book tickets separately on Trenord/Trenitalia website altogether as Eurail app says it’s a 5 hour journey!Another thing, on the app on my phone I have a trip called Adventure2024 but when I sign onto

Bonsoir! Avec ma copine nous souhaitons réserver un train le 4 juillet de Budapest à Rijeka, seul hic, aucun prix ne s’affiche.Le site nous informe qu’il faut réserver les places (ce dont nous sommes bien conscients) mais ne nous informe à aucun moment qu’il n’y a plus aucun ticket disponible, cependant les trains d’avant ont un prix qui est affiché.Nous avons regardé le même trajet pour toutes les dates suivantes et même soucis.Est ce que quelqu’un a la réponse à ma question et saurait nous aider?  (Voir screenshot attaché)

Hello,On the Rail Planner application, on a night train journey between Budapest (HUN) and Brasov (ROM) on 14 July 2024, I see that booking is compulsory and I am offered 3 fares: a seat at €5, a bed in a shared compartment at €15 and a private cabin at €100.When I go to the interrail.eu website to book my seat, I'm only offered a €5 seat, with no possibility of booking in a shared compartment.Does this mean that there are no more shared compartment seats? Or does it mean that you have to use another site?Because if I go to the website of the operating railway company, I can book a seat in a shared compartment, but at a much higher price...Sincerely

OK  Traveling in August from Bayreuth DE to St. Moritz-It’s 9 hours with 4(!) transfers.  Not sure it is advisable but particularly because one connection is 7 minutes.Is this a crazy endeavour?  On one transfer it tells me its a 10 minute walk. This one in Nurnberg has nothing just “transfer”The means of getting between these two points are kind of limited.  I could probably drive it but cars are insanely expensive with drop off in a different country as would be a car service though it might actually make some sense.I’m trying to plan carefully rather than put myself into a difficult situation.  

Hello - I am in Australia looking to book a passholder reservation (Eurail global 2nd class) from Barcelona to Marseille on 4 July.This does not appear possible on the Eurail website and Rail Europe is not providing a passholder price, only full fare. Can I only book at a station once in Barcelona, and will passholder fares still be available then?thanks

I would like to make seat reservations before I actually arrive in Europe. Can I reserve seats with a non-activated pass? I am thinking Eurostar, ICE, etc. I have tried searching this forum for this topic - and indeed it has come up before. But usually the only answers side-step the question, and ask about the specific travel plans of that person asking. Can someone please let me know if it's possible to make reservations without activation? If not, then it's possible to find trains completely full. 

We are planning a trip next year from 28 June to 12 July.  We are holding off buying the pass to see if there is an Autumn/Black Friday offer.  We can now book the Eurostar for our dates.  Is it possible to make a booking before we buy the pass?

Hi Friends. I have a Eurail global pass till 14 June. I wish to book a train today from Zurich to Aalen (Germany) to travel on 30 May. The Eurail Planner shows Train EC 8 from 10.59am to Karlsruhe HBF Arriving at 2.10pm. After changing train in 56 mins to IC 2161 at 3.06pm to Aalen 4.57pm. It says for both trains reservation is not required and Im ready to board. When i click to receive a printout from home, there is a charge of about $26usd (3 pax) from Zurich to Karlsruhe and from Karlsruhe to Aalen $65usd. It says i can buy a seat reservation but its not required.So does it mean I just go to Zurich station and board the train with my Eurail global pass and no need to have a printout showing my tickets and seat number. Please advise. Its my first time booking a no reservation seat. So i can sit at any of the available seat in both trains? Another train timing shows 6 min transfer at Karlsruhe, but im not sure if the time is enough to alight and change train as we have 2 big and 2 sma

Hi Friends. This is my family (Wife and adult daughter) 1st time travelling to Europe. We will be arriving in Paris in the next few days and from there intend to go to Switzerland by train. We have already bought the Eurail Global Pass for 22 days.Im not sure if we should go to Zurich, Bern or Geneva. We want to see Lucerne, Interlaken, Zermatt, all via train. We would appreciate if you guys can suggest a suitable route via train including the train number and if its covered in the global pass and if reservation is a must.  Eg Zurich 3 day stay, then train from Zurich to Lucerne & at lucerne stay for 3 days, then from there go to Interlaken etc. We are ok to pay the reservation but not sure about the Swiss pass and which route it covers.We want to see the scenic routes by train, but not sure which route to take and how many days is it sufficient in each city. We would like to travel from Switzerland to Italy to Lake como via train. We are not sure which train routes are not covered

Hi. I am travelling as a family of 3 adults. I wish to know what is the best way to travel via eurail from Paris Gare Du Nord to Granada. I see same train number 9713 leaving from Gare du Nord and Gare du Lyon to Barcelona. Are they the same? We are hoping to see the Alhambra, and from there going to Malaga by train.We intend to go to Morocco by ferry for a day or two and after that planning to go Switzerland.  We would like to avoid long stopover if possible. Else we have to book a hotel for the night. Which is the best ferry to take to Morocco. Is it covered in the Eurail Pass. Thanks

Hello,I want to book a trip from Lyon to Vienna via Zurich. I'm traveling with my daughter and our two bicycles. However, I can't see where to specify that I'll have two bikes with me. It seems strange not to mention it, especially since there is an extra charge for bicycles.Thank you for your response.

Bonjour,J’essaye de réserver, en vain, depuis quelque mois un trajet de la France vers l’Espagne (Madrid ou Barcelone peut importe). Et encore maintenant à un mois du départ cela parait impossible, le passage vers l’Espagne ne semble pas possible. Que dois-je faire ? Je commence à désespérer… J’ai lu sur un autre topic qu’en demandant en gare le jour du départ c’était possible, mais j’imagine mal mes vieux parents s’organiser ainsi au dernier moment. A l’aide !Hello,I've been trying to book a trip from France to Spain (Madrid or Barcelona, whatever) for a few months now. And even now, with a month to go before departure, it doesn't seem possible to get through to Spain. What should I do? I'm beginning to despair... I read on another topic that asking at the station on the day of departure was possible, but I can't imagine my old parents organising it at the last minute. I need help!

Hi, I am travelling from spiez to milan and then to Florence on May 29. From spiez to Milan I have taken 08.05 EC 51. Please suggest which train to take from Milan to Florence trainitalio or italo? How much gap we should take between the two train change based on EC51 reaching milan on time. Thank you. 

I’m considering whether to buy an Interrail pass. I have already decided on the journeys I want to take and they are on fixed dates to fixed places. When I look for the route in the Interrail planner I can’t find the stations - I’ve read the FAQ and see that you can ‘add stations manually’. But before I buy the pass I’m wondering what happens if/are any lines not covered?

Hello everyone, my name is Nathan and I will be travelling with 6 of my friends all over the Europe this august between the 1st and 17th of August. We planned to do : Paris → Amsterdam  Amsterdam → Berlin Berlin → Vienne Vienne → Ljubljana Ljubljana → Zagreb Zagreb → Budapest Budapest → Prague and then take a flight between Prague and Paris We will stay in each place for 1 to 2 nights and sometimes take a train during the night in order to not pay any hostel (for ex. between Berlin and Amsterdam). However, when we try to reserve any seats, it says that we don’t need any reservations. Does that mean that we just go to the train and enter it hoping there are any places left ? If there any places available, can we just stay in the corridor or we must go out ? If we must go out of the train, we are in a pretty sh*tty situations since we have all of our hostels reserved in advance. How does we active a travel-day on our pass ? We just have to show our phone with the reservations ? 

Hello, I’m preparing for my Interrail this summer and I am booking some seat reservations. Is it normal to pay 15 euro for a 40 min train? I find it kind of expensive to pay 30 euros for two trains when the total travel time is 2 hours, when I have already paid for my Interrail pass. I did not find it expensive in other countries.

How can I indicate on external sites that I have an Interrail ticket? This is so poorly stated. It is not attractive at all to travel like this. What a hassle.