I bought a mobile eurail pass on Nov 20 but apparently the pass is being shipped to my place in the US; since I have to leave on Dec 12 I’m concerned that the pass may not arrive in time. There is no number to call, the chat is useless and so is the website if you need to clarify things about your pass. Who do I turn to to have them email me my pass as I had originally requested when I made the purchase? Overall, a very bad experience.
Best answer by rvdborgt
Good you got this sorted.
Reservations are completely separate from the pass. They won't appear in the app and won't add any journey to your pass.
I normally only activate a travel day on the day I intend to travel and I only add a journey to my pass shortly before I board a train. This is to minimise the risk of activating a travel day by accident, or forgetting to cancel a travel day after a change of plans.
A mobile pass is not shipped or sent via the post. You should have received an email with a pass number and an explanation how to activate your mobile pass, within an hour after ordering. Did you receive emails after ordering? If not, then contact customer service.
Also see the mobile pass FAQ.
I did get an email with a pass number and did indeed buy a ticket and reservation for my first leg but have not been able to buy for the next leg because apparently the particular train is full so I can’t buy the reservation. With the email confirming the purchase of my pass there was an invoice but no “pass” as such, nothing that could be scanned which one would expect on a pass; the only thing I can show is an invoice, This seems to mean that I can only buy the next legs from Eurail and not at a train station.
+15
Which trains are you trying to book as we may know other ways to reserve seats on these Trains :)
In the email with the pass number, right below the pass number, it should say "Download the Rail Planner app to get started” en below that "Now activate your Pass in 3 easy steps”.
You can buy pass reservations from anywhere, even without having an actual pass. At the train station, you will often have to show the pass, but you will have that on your mobile after downloading the app and activating your pass.
seewulf and rvdborgt : I had downloaded the Rail Planner. My question is: what do I show the controller in the train when the only thing I can show is an invoice?
seewulf : I am trying to book a trip in France from Quimper to Metz-ville via Rennes (not via Paris) on December 19 in first class
seewulf and rvdborgt : I had downloaded the Rail Planner. My question is: what do I show the controller in the train when the only thing I can show is an invoice?
seewulf : I am trying to book a trip in France from Quimper to Metz-ville via Rennes (not via Paris) on December 19 in first class
Please go and find the mail with your pass number again and then follow the steps to activate your pass. Did you try that yet?
Which train(s) exactly are you trying to book? What is the departure time in Quimper?
First, thank you for taking the time for helping me.
Second: No I didn’t try to activate the pass again. Will do.
Third: Trains I’m looking for on December 19 are:
This is the fastest overall and avoids having to change train station in Paris
rvdborgt : as you suggested I deleted the Eurail app from my iphone and then reloaded it and inputted my pass # and the system came back saying the pass was already in my account but there is no “scannable square” as there is on my first ticket from Paris to Quimper.
I didn't want to suggest to activate again but it was not clear to me that you had actually done the activation.
I assume that your first "ticket” from Paris to Quimper is a reservation. Your Eurail pass is your ticket.
The scannable barcode will only appear in the app (under My Pass) after you have added a train to your trip and then to your pass for a particular day. Have you done that?
That TGV from Rennes to Lorraine TGV seems to be full indeed, in 1st and 2nd class. SNCF confirm this.
rvdborgt : indeed the “ticket” I already have is a seat reservation; I thought that this meant that my Paris to Quimper trip was registered in the app. I have now added this trip in the app and into my pass and I now have a scanable barcode. I know that I don’t need a paper version of it but would like to print it abd can’t find out how.
Thanks for checking on the Quimper to Metz availability on the 19th. So I have to find an alternative (unfortunately via Paris) and do the same as above to get it in the pass.
Good you got this sorted.
Reservations are completely separate from the pass. They won't appear in the app and won't add any journey to your pass.
I normally only activate a travel day on the day I intend to travel and I only add a journey to my pass shortly before I board a train. This is to minimise the risk of activating a travel day by accident, or forgetting to cancel a travel day after a change of plans.
rvdborgt : I tried to make another reservation from Quimper to Metz ville on Dec 19, this time via Paris, leaving Quimper at 9:11am on TGV 8710 and then leaving Paris at 3:40pm for Metz on TGV 2613. I went on the SNCF site using the link you gave me two days ago. There is space in 1st class but it will not let me simply purchase the seat reservation without purchasing a ticket (which I don’t need since I have a Eurail Pass). I also tried on Rail Europe but it’s the same story. Any suggestion as to how I can make (and pay for) the seat reservation ? I wanted to call SNCF but by now they are closed so I guess I’ll have to call tomorrow. Thank you again for your help. It is much appreciated.
The SNCF website does not offer Interrail reservations anymore (they discontinued that about a year ago). I used it just to check availability. Online possibilities are:
You can also call Belgian railways (no fee but you'll have to pay phone charges; no pass cover number required; reservation will be emailed).
rvdborgt: just FYI: someone at Eurail replied to my complaint, gave me a pass cover number and walked me through the process to make a reservation through Belgian railway (as you had suggested as well); it all worked with no problem. So this is my last posting on this. Again, thank you for your help.
Which trains are you trying to book as we may know other ways to reserve seats on these Trains :)
I am trying to book 2 reservations from Barcelona to Paris. They want to mail it to me I have a mobile pass and I don’t have time to have it mailed to me before I leave. Can I reserve the seats online they seem to just want my address
The best way to make reservations for French trains is to call SNCF. No need of Pass Cover Number.
https://www.sncf.com/en/customer-service/contact-us/telephone
Press #85 for English, no booking fees, reservations are sent via e-mail
Hi I’m following along this thread as I am travelling on Saturday for weeks with my children I have downloaded the app and activated all three passes I made all of my reservations awhile ago via the Interail website. I’m confused why I cannot see my reservations on my app but looking back through the thread it looks like I will not be able to do that? Can I just ask then what is the purpose of the app? Do we show the Interail pass on every train via the app? And if so how do I show my eight tickets that I have bought online for my seat reservations or do I now have to print them? It all seems a bit muddled I can’t understand why there is not a way for the app to show your seat reservations it would make a lot more sense and have everything in one place! Maybe I’m missing something . Thank you
A first piece of advice is that you deactivate your passes now. In case something unexpected happens on the day of your departure and you for some reason can't travel and your pass is active then you can't deactivate it. Please read more about that below in the advice from the experienced travellers.
As reservations can be made in numerous places there is no way to have them connected to the app.
The app with your pass is your ticket. For each journey you create a ticket. For trains where you have a reservation, you also show the reservation.
For all trains except night trains if should be ok to have the e-reservation on the phone.
Here is some useful information from the experienced travellers in the Community regarding both planning, reservations and activation of pass and travel days.
Planning
The rail planner is normally not up to date, as it only is updated once a month, so to be sure of the time table you better check the timetable and availability on the websites of the national railways. The bigger national railways, like DB (Germany) SBB (Switzerland) and ÖBB (Austria) cover several countries.
Reservations
The advice from the experienced travellers in the community is to use other ways to make reservations than the Interrail/Eurail website. You can look at the guide in the link:
https://community.eurail.com/train-connections-reservations-47/how-to-get-reservations-105
If you, after having looked at the guide, have questions about how to make specific reservation, please give your travel details (departure date, time and route) preferably in a new topic, and you will get advice.
Please note that Interrail/Eurail charges an extra fee of 2 EUR per person and train in addition to the fee for the seat reservation.
Activation of pass
During the activation process, when you choose the start day of the validity of the pass, the first day of the validity period is automatically made a travel day, even if you don't enter a journey, the advice is therefore not to activate the pass before the first travel day as you only can deactivate the pass before 00.00 on the day the validity starts. If your travel plans change in the last moment you will loose travel days if you have activated the pass in advance.
It can be wise to make a test and activate the pass with a start date well in the future and then deactivate the pass immediately, just to see that everything works.
Activation of travel day
The advice from the experienced travellers in the community is also never to activate a travel day, that is connect a journey to your pass, until just before boarding the train, otherwise you might loose a travel day if your travel plans change in a late stage You can't delete a travel day in the past. A travel day can only be deleted until 23.59 CET the day before the travel day.
+15Reservations and the pass are two different things.
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