My husband and I need to book seats ASAP for March 31, a popular day. We want to travel from Victoria Station in London to Shoreham by Sea. When I begin to book this it says, second traveller. Then it asks for my Europass number. It tells me it is above the QR code on our paper pass. That is an 8 digit number. When I try to type it in, it is too long!!!! So how in the world am I to find my pass number. It also says it is in our ‘confirmation email.’ We neve got a ‘confirmation email.’ Feeling desperate here.
Many thanks!!!
Leslie
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What are you booking exactly, where are you doing it? Note that seat reservations on domestic UK services are for free and optional (and often not possible).
You don't have to reserve anything for this connection. Register the train in the app or your paper pass just before travelling, Just hop on a Southern train to Shoreham, find a free seat and enjoy the ride and show the QR code or your paper pass upon inspection.
You can't reserve seats here, this is a typical, very frequent commuter service.
You can book reservations for these trains (free of charge via GWR) but I doubt it will be necessary, or that you'll have an actual seat assignment, since many of these commuter-like trains have just counted seats.
Seat reservations are not possible on trains in that part of UK, just add to your pass and sit in any seats.
Seat reservations are not possible on trains in that part of UK, just add to your pass and sit in any seats.
GWR offer them though...
Seat reservations are not possible on trains in that part of UK, just add to your pass and sit in any seats.
GWR offer them though...
I know.
The system the GWR website uses doesn’t filter out blank “counted place” reservations which are only supposed to be used in conjunction with fixed Advance fares to tie these cheaper tickets to a particular train.
They only serve to control validity of Advance tickets and quotas for these.
They do not restrict the numbers of other tickets or passenger numbers on these trains or give any priority to holders of counted place reservations over actual seats.
It is a consequence of not using public train numbers and having to bodge the reservation system to restrict train specific tickets when used on reservation free trains.
This wasn’t an issue when only journey planners selling tickets and ticket offices issued reservations, while it is irritating that GWR will issue these blank reservations I wouldn’t complain as it is so far the only way to access free reservations online for anyone who isn’t buying a ticket.
None of the train companies that primarily operate London Commuter services offer seat reservations any more along with some others.
No reservations:
C2C
South Eastern
Southern
Thameslink
Gatwick Express
Heathrow Express
Great Northern
South West Railway
Chiltern Railways
London Northwestern Railway
West Midlands Railway
Greater Anglia
Northern
Transport For Wales
Elizabeth Line
London Overground
Optional Reservations on some services:
GWR
East Midlands Railway
Scotrail
Optional Reservations on all services:
LNER
Avanti
Crosscountry
Transpennine Express
Lumo
Hull Trains
Grand Central
Compulsory Reservations:
Caledonian Sleeper
Eurostar
I think that is a full list.
The national timetable lists availability of reservations on each train and is mostly accurate, although it still shows some Greater Anglia and TfW as having reservations when that is not currently correct.
They are marked by a diamond or a R in the header.
Seat reservations are not possible on trains in that part of UK, just add to your pass and sit in any seats.
GWR offer them though...
I know.
The system the GWR website uses doesn’t filter out blank “counted place” reservations which are only supposed to be used in conjunction with fixed Advance fares to tie these cheaper tickets to a particular train.
They only serve to control validity of Advance tickets and quotas for these.
They do not restrict the numbers of other tickets or passenger numbers on these trains or give any priority to holders of counted place reservations over actual seats.
It is a consequence of not using public train numbers and having to bodge the reservation system to restrict train specific tickets when used on reservation free trains.
This wasn’t an issue when only journey planners selling tickets and ticket offices issued reservations, while it is irritating that GWR will issue these blank reservations I wouldn’t complain as it is so far the only way to access free reservations online for anyone who isn’t buying a ticket.
Thanks for the info!
If the counted places only serve to control the number of advanced tickets, then it's even stranger that these trains are offered to book reservations on, and also that the operators (or RDG) explicitly state in their MERITS data that reservations are possible:
Seat reservations are not possible on trains in that part of UK, just add to your pass and sit in any seats.
GWR offer them though...
Thanks for the info!
If the counted places only serve to control the number of advanced tickets, then it's even stranger that these trains are offered to book reservations on, and also that the operators (or RDG) explicitly state in their MERITS data that reservations are possible:
I expect the reason is that they just don’t care, the British franknstein system that avoids using train numbers works for them on their own systems but whatever way they have of flagging fake-reservation trains doesn’t translate properly to the MERTIS entries.
No doubt it could be fixed were anyone bothered enough to address it but…
The other nonsense with LNER and Avanti purposely marking trains as compulsory reservation when they are not is another level altogether. Here they are actively propagating false data for their own reasons.
Just for info:
LNER do have one unreservable area on their services but it is only about 15% of the available seats. The rest are available to be booked online or at the station and you can easily change the allotted seat(s) online. You do not need a pass number.
Note if you choose a “free” seat in the reservable portion of the train LNER allow reservations at stations up to a few minutes before departure so you may be ejected at any intermediate station on the journey, even if the above seat indicator says different. All reservations at stations will be supported with a printed voucher.
LNER do allow standing and trains can be very busy at any time. although peak times are obviously the highest risk.
