Where did you make your seat reservation for the ICE? And how much did you pay?

Your ticket (the railpass is your ticket) is valid on the new train, but you have to make the correct passholder reservation.

It should be €18 for the passholder reservation, on either train. You can make the reservation at raileurope.com

If you have paid €4.90 for a seat reservation from DB, that wasn’t valid for use with a railpass. It is valid only for people who hold a normal ticket.

I booked directly with DB, following the instructions for “Seat Only’ as per the rail pass instructions. Total payment was 9.80 euro for the two seats. The App would only take me to the website link and it was difficult to use so I booked on my computer. 

I’m not sure which instructions these are?

Seat Only is correct for DB trains within Germany, and also (I think) for the compulsory reservations that are in place between Germany and many of its border countries during this summer.

But for France-Germany TGVs or ICEs, you need to pay the €18 passholder fare. 

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Go to www.raileurope.com (on desktop, not mobile), add your railpass in the search box and search for Paris to Karlsruhe. (You only need a passholder fare on the cross-border train.)

You should see results for €18 per person 1352, in either class. (Only choose 1st class if you have a 1st class pass!)

If you want a reservation on the second train, from Karlsruhe to Frankfurt, you can do that through DB for €4.90. Or slightly cheaper on ÖBB for €3.

On the App, follow the country “Germany’ link -  I have a mobile pass - Book with DB.

I could not see any link information on the DB website for passholder fares. Could you provide me with a weblink?

I have also done the same method with Baden Baden - Basel. Came up with the same amount.

Will I need to get a refund and rebook?

If you search on the Trip Planner, it shows the reservation costs. (Eurail charge as extra €1 booking fee, t that’s why it’s €19)

You don’t need to do anything for this one, just a reservation at DB is okay.

It’s a bit confusing sometimes, but for some routes there’s a surcharge above the reservation cost on cross border trains. Only some trains crossing the border have it (luckily). The High Speed Routes Germany-Paris has it, and also some routes From Germany, through Austria, to the North of Italy. Most other routes don’t have it.

Here’s a link an overview: https://www.eurail.com/en/book-reservations/reservation-fees/international-train-reservation-fees

(Some prices might have been indexed recently, but it gives you a good indication)

No, that one’s fine. It’s just a regular seat reservation needed for Germany-Switzerland, so the one you have is fine.

In fact, Eurail charge a €2 booking fee and the price list they use for the rail planner app has not been updated...

Thanks for the clarification.  I am concerned I don’t have a reservation for the Paris to Karlruhe leg, On my Sitzplatzreservierung it says Paris Est   ICE 9573 “2 sitzplatze, Wg  etc.

I still have a lot of journeys to complete and I want to the easiest/right thing from here so your advice is invaluable.

Do the Eurail Mobile App and the online website bookings sync? I want all major legs confirmed due to the itinerary to meet friends as family and booking pressure during summer on fast trains. For this type of travel is it best to use Eurail Mobile App, Eurail website, Raileurope, direct booking with train company…..or head to my local travel agent. 

My travel agent said to book on the App which I started to do but for the Fast train journeys I want to take it doesn’t seem to be the best way to book ahead of time due to the seat reservations needed with trainlines, the App no being up to date etc

Journeys still to book:

Basel - Bern  - Brig (won’t take fast train to avoid tunnel - no reservation needed  - will just get on train)

Brig - Milan (won’t take fast train - will ‘journey’ through Stresa and other smaller towns - will there be cross border reservation needed?)

Milan to Salerno (or Naples - TBC) - fast train - need to reserve

Salerno (or Naples)  to Rome - fast train - need to reserve

Day trips from Milan with friend (TBC - Milan -Verona or Venice - will use fast train and try to book day ahead)

Day trips in UK from Cambridge or Woking to London (no reservation)

Paris to Rouen Return - (unsure about reservation)

I have also reserved seats on the Eurostar - London to Paris - done through the Eurostar site with passes

I really appreciate the advice and guidance on this. I thought it was going to be quite straightforward, but it’s not turning out to be as easy as I had hoped.

Well, you have a reservation for for the wrong price...

No they don't. Reservations are entirely separate from the app.

The app cannot book anything. It can only forward to come of the websites where you can book. For a number of trains, it doesn't even forward to the best websites.

Where best to book is on this page:

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

Not needed. Reservations in Switzerland are a waste of money, if at all possible.

Travel date is important here. There will be engineering works from 9 June until 8 September.

Most trains Paris-Rouen need a reservation.

Eurostar doesn't sell pass reservations online. I suspect you've used the B-Europe website (Belgian railways) and paid an extra €4 booking fee.

For your reservations in/from/to France and Italy, you can use www.raileurope.com (desktop website only, click on "Add rail pass”). If that doesn’t work for you, then please provide route, date and departure time of the train(s) you are trying to book.

Thanks @rvdborgt!

Travel date is important here. There will be engineering works from 9 June until 8 September.

We travel June 5th so should miss works hopefully. 

Most trains Paris-Rouen need a reservation.

Is there normally capacity available to book the day before?

Eurostar - yes I booked on B Europe

Thanks for the advice to book on raileurope.com - I’ll do this. 

Your advice is so valuable. Many thanks.

Yes you’ll be fine for the large works on 5th June. There is though the year-long closure between 10am and 3pm on weekdays but you can probably pass through the zone earlier.

Otherwise take the scenic detour via Locarno (Centovalli railway, cute little metric gauge trains). Then reservation-free hourly RE to Milan.

Paris - Rouen: availability is not an issue, maybe apart from Friday evenings when all students go home for the weekend.

Ah...I was hoping to do scenic from Brig to Milan between 1pm and 6pm on a Wednesday so thats not going to work if there is a bus and it takes the motorway as some have suggested. Is that correct? I’ll look for Brig to Locarno instead. 

We’ll be doing Paris - Rouen mid week so that should be fine, :)

Thanks for the info.

You should be fine then as the closure ends at 3pm (after Domodossola). For example fully by train:

- RE Brig - Domodossola 13:22 - 13:54

- time to check out the city center, nothing too special

- R Domodossola - Milano Centrale 14:56 - 16:35 (possible to stop in Stresa and take a later train)

I believe they don't care running buses between 10am and 3pm. There is a single bus to Arona at around midday but it takes forever.

During the 3 month closure they will indeed take the motorway.

So you have the itinerary above or the (pretty much) hourly trains between Domodossola and Locarno.

I have just changed my Reservation on DB from Paris to Frankfurt to a later time  - now 15.55pm departure - previously was 10.57am. It has changed my reservation on my DB account but the PDF download hasn’t updated to the new time. Is this a concern?

Also previously @rvdborgt mentioned I had a reservation from Paris to Frankfurt, but for the wrong price. Is that something to be concerned about and needs amendment, or am I just lucky!!?:)

A reservation for € 4,90 (5,90 € 1st class) is not valid with a railpass. It should result in a (expensive) fine aboard the train. In fact you do not need a reservation but a supplement (Passzuschlag) for 18 € if bought before.

Thanks. I am getting “this is not a valid number’ message when ringing the DB customer service number on their website. Is there a different number to call when ringing them outside Europe?

What are you trying to do? The 4.90€ you paid is unlikely to get refunded.

To get the proper passholder fare book through Rail Europe (no fees).

Thanks, I don’t want it refunded, I just want to ensure my ticket it valid and pay any additional amount if needed. I’ve asked my travel agent to look into it with Eurail. The time I’ve booked on DB and have a reservation for are now coming up an unsellable on Rail Europe (when I checked) so I need my ticket to be valid. 

I'm not sure your travel agent nor Eurail will be helpful honestly.

DB couldn't have sold you a valid passholder fare, only the invalid 4.90€ fare. You should disregard that booking.

Have you booked something else? Where? How much? It should be 18€ per person. Do you have a PDF incl. seat numbers and mentioning the 18€ fare?

On Rail Europe you should check one train at a time so Paris - Karlsruhe only (as the 15:55 departure is heading towards Munich and doesn't stop in Frankfurt).

Due to engineering works that day only some ICEs stop in Frankfurt (Main) Hbf: there is notice on DB Navigator.

Trains from Paris to Frankfurt terminate in Mannheim, the 15:55 departure isn't affected as it's heading towards Munich though.

Hi there, yes I have a PDF with seat numbers and fare amount printed on it. The original ticket was for Paris to Karlsruhe, changing to Frankfurt at 10.58am. The alternative travel itinerary I have on my DB account (after I amended the booking time to the later time of 15.55) still changes at Karlsruhe, and goes through Manheim. (It says HBF omitted and trains stop alternatively at Main Sud). This is fine as I’m being picked up.

The reservation that you bought from DB is not valid from your last change of train in Germany and to Paris. Please follow the advice given and get a new reservation for the train to Paris. Otherwise you risk having to pay a some 35 EUR extra on board.