Which trains are you trying to make reservations for, and which website are you using?

Give us a bit more information, and somebody will be able to help.

Avoid the Eurail website for booking reservations if you can.

Please check this page for the best places to book:

https://www.seat61.com/interrail-and-eurail-reservations.htm

If that doesn't work for you, then please mention route, date and departure time of the train(s) you want to book.

We were trying to book the Marseille to london on June 9th at 0903. 

This website is trash. Lol

Once booked will I be able to find that booking in the eurail app? We made a booking from Paris to Marseille and it's not showing up in the eurail app. We booked through sbnf of something along those lines. We have the confirmation email but it's not in our app. This seems to be a huge pain in the ass to have to keep.going to an email confirmation when we want to jump a train..

Marseille-Paris is available for €20 per person.

Paris-London for €30 in 2nd class or €38 in 1st.

You can book on raileurope.com (desktop website only).

By default, most planners will propose the 13:42 train from Paris but you may want to take the one at 14:42 to have a bit of margin. 13:42 is just enough to meet the minimum change time requirements but doesn't really leave room for delay.

Reservations are entirely separate from the pass. They can't be booked in the app and won't show up in the app.

So everything is separate and I just have to keep an email folder to show everything? Once on the train and they come around for tickets, do I show them my eurail app? I appreciate your help, this is just very confusing and way different than the US train system. 

Maybe make a separate email folder for reservations. Or download the PDFs and store them in a separate folder on your phone.

You show the QR code in the app, and if reservations are mandatory, you also show those.

Have you looked at the getting started page? Especially the part "Getting ready to board the train”.

As @rvdborgt says, reservations are completely separate from your pass - they can be bought elsewhere and never show up in your Eurail app - and you need both to travel. Be ready to show both (& your passport) at a ticket check. This sounds odd, but works quite well really!

You can keep the reservations in your email or print them off if you like. I tend to save the PDF into the Books app on my iPhone so they’re always to hand. The Eurostar reservation can be saved in Wallet if you have an iPhone

At Marseille, you’ll have to show the reservation PDF at the entrance to the platform, and maybe the QR code on the pass too. Same at Paris when you board the Eurostar. You need the reservation to operate the ticket gate, but usually they’ll ask to see the pass too.

Thanks for all the help! I think I have an understanding. I already set up and added my pass to the app. I believe I create a trip on the app and then go buy seat reservations through the websites that you provided. I'll have to be ready to provide both for the ticket agents. Does this all sound about right? 

Yep, you’ve got it.

One more tip. You don’t need to activate your pass, or your travel days in advance. In fact it’s a good idea not to, in case your plans change. You can do it on the day, just before you board.

Post the rest of your trip if you like, and we can provide more advice for specific destinations. Eurail is great, but it’s not always as simple as we’d like!