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Trip planning

  • 6 March 2024
  • 7 replies
  • 98 views

¡Hola! I’m from Argentina; I’m traveling to Europe in May and I’m analyzing the convenience of purchasing a railway pass.

  • Day 1) ALVIA 04095 / Madrid - Santiago de Compostela
  • Day 3) ALVIA 04134 / Oviedo - Madrid
  • Day 7) EUROSTAR 9126 / London - Amsterdam
  • Day 9) NS IC145 / Amsterdam - Berlin
  • Day 11) DB IC60408 / Berlin - Zurich
  • Day 12) FFS IC3    / Zurich - Chur // RB IR38 / Chur - St. Moritz
  • Day 13) RB RE9 / St. Moritz - Tirano // Trenord RE8 2827 / Tirano - Milano //  Trenitalia FR 8803 / Milano - Ancona
  • Day 14) Trenitalia IC541 / Ancona - Roma
  • Day 15) Trenitalia FR 9503 / Roma - Napoli // Trenitalia FR 9662 / Napoli - Roma

I have 3 questions for you:
1) I’m seeing that some sections require a seat reservation (from 5 euros in regional to 40 in the Eurostar); others say that a reservation is not required, but it is recommended (for example in Switzerland, 10 euros) and others directly say that a reservation is not needed. In these latter cases, how is travel guaranteed? Is there always a seat available?
2) One of the sections is Berlin-Zurich, at night. I see that it allows reservations, but I had thought about a bed. Can you only reserve seats?
3) The sections of Spain do not appear, although they do exist. Does that mean they can't be booked yet but later they can?
Thank you so much!

  1. + 2. Spanish railways don't publish timetables very early. They will appear later.
  1. Book the Eurostar on raileurope.com, that's cheaper than via Eurail.
  1. Reservation is recommended. Book on tickets.oebb.at, cheaper than via Eurail.
  1. You can book a couchette or sleeper on nightjet.com. Add the Eurail discount.

In Switzerland, reservations are not needed and generally a waste of money.

The Italian trains (IC and FR) can be booked cheaper on raileurope.com. RE doesn't have reservations.

For trains without reservations: You can sit on any unoccupied seat. For less crowded carriages, go to the front or the end of the train.

Trains with optional reservations: The reserved seats are indicated by a little piece of paper or a LED screen, which shows from where to where this seat is reserved.

Hola, on Raileurope I found Eurostar #9126 at 144 €. Through Eurail the reservation is 40 €. When you say it's cheaper, do you mean that it's better to pay one day less for the pass and buy the normal ticket at RailEurope? Or that on Raileurope I can indicate that I have a Eurail pass to get a discount and end up paying less?
The same with the ÖBB Nightjet: I found couchette and sleeper cabin for 159 € / 179 €. I simulated the purchase and got to the credit card information, ready to pay, without being asked for a rail pass. How do you indicate if you have a pass?
Thank you very much for the information and help.

For trains without reservations: You can sit on any unoccupied seat. For less crowded carriages, go to the front or the end of the train.

Trains with optional reservations: The reserved seats are indicated by a little piece of paper or a LED screen, which shows from where to where this seat is reserved.

Thank you very much for the information and help!

On Rail Europe (desktop version) click on "add railpass". Otherwise the website cannot guess you have a pass ;)

Same thing on nightjet.com -> add Interrail/Eurail as a discount under "passengers".

Hola, on Raileurope I found Eurostar #9126 at 144 €. Through Eurail the reservation is 40 €.

The actual reservation costs €38. Eurail always add a €2 fee per person and train.

That also looks like you have a 1st class pass. Rail Europe will then first show a 2nd class reservation because that's cheaper (€30), but you can change it to 1st class.

On Rail Europe (desktop version) click on "add railpass". Otherwise the website cannot guess you have a pass ;)

Same thing on nightjet.com -> add Interrail/Eurail as a discount under "passengers".

Haha... Systems are good but -it's true- they can't guess... :)  I thought "discount cards" was something different. I see that instead of 159 € and 179 € it shows me 60 € and 105 €, respectively. Thank you so much!

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