How do I make sure both my partner and I buy the same train ticket.
Can I purchase both tickets in one place.
I have a eurail
my partner does NOT have a eurail pass
Best answer by thibcabe
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you said…. available for passholders at €70 for a reservation from Interrail reservation portal
How do I do that?
Be in possession of a 1st class pass as 1st class seats is all that is showing as still available.
2nd class seats on this train are still showing as available from Mulhouse France (08.53) - Paris. It is possible to get to Mulhouse from Zurich from the 06.59 changing at Basel SBB
Eurail is a company in the Netherlands so they mainly work on business hours (7am - 8pm). Not quite different than here in Switzerland...
I can make an itinerary suggestion for you and your partner to Paris on Saturday if you'd like
Either you buy 2 tickets at the same time on sncf-connect.com and you should be seated together. TGVs are great but they are often so busy... if you book one of the cheap connections, then it's quite certain that you'll be seated together. You then use your pass after Paris or get a refund.
Or you find connections that fit you on sncf-connect.com (have at least 2 available seats in 2nd class for example), go to the train station tomorrow and ask what you'd like.
Itinerary suggestions :
- Zurich (at 5:59 or 6:08) - Basel 10-20 CHF for your partner + free for you
- Basel - Mulhouse - Dijon - Paris at 11:12 100€ for your partner + 40€ for you
Or
- Zurich (departure 10:30) - Neuchâtel - Frasne 38 CHF partner (half-fare) or 64 CHF full fare + free for you
- TGV Frasne - Paris (arrival 16:12) 48€ partner + 10€ you
Or
later TGVs from Zurich (11:34, 13:34,...) 140-150€ partner + 37€ you
Or
Zurich (07:36 or 07:59 via Liestal) - Basel SBB 11-13 CHF half-fare, 22-27 CHF full-fare (saver tickets) partner + free for you
Basel SBB (09:21) - Strasbourg - Paris-Est (12:38) 140€ partner + 20€ you
Unfortunately that's pretty much everything...
Last addition to my post
This is my favourite option so to speak :
- Zürich HB - Neuchâtel 10:04 - 11:34
- Neuchâtel - Frasne 12:06 - 13:06
- TGV Frasne - Paris 13:15 - 16:12
Price is the lowest and you'll sit together as the TGV isn't that full !
Partner :
- 21 CHF (half-fare) / 42 CHF (full-fare) Zürich HB - Neuchâtel (saver ticket on SBB app or sbb.ch)
- 70€ or 71.30 CHF Neuchâtel - Frasne - Paris
You : 10€ Frasne - Paris
Let me know and I hope that your trip will go well
I fully expect eurail is just waiting to fail me again, on my continued trip.
The Eurail/Interrail websites should only be used to book a reservation if you can't avoid it. They're often more expensive and not always reliable.
I’ve booked this one: - Paris-Nord - Lille-Flandres 17:46 - 18:48 20€ 2nd class seat
For this portion: - Lille-Flandres 19:09 - Kortrijk - Antwerpen-Centraal - Schiphol Airport 23:19 reservation-free do I just get on the train? do I need anything like a ticket or proof of anything?
Thanks --- this was super helpful.
My gumpyness is back to normal.
Wooo Hooo --- I did it, I did my FIRST interail travel.
I went from:
- Zurich to Paris
- Paris to Amsterdam
- Amsterdam to The Hague and back
- The Hague to Brussels
- Brussels to Gent and back
- Brussels to Frankfurt
- Frankfurt to Zurich
All in about 7days
All these trains had train transfers throughout the journey, so I’d say I was on 15ish different trains in 5 countries.
My take away from this experience: TAKE THE BUS or WALK
EVERY single train (except the Zurich to Paris) Was delayed, or late or …. you won’t believe this but BROKEN down.
A few examples:
- my train from Brussels to Zurich -- Supposed to take something like 8hrs (1 transfer). Instead it took over 12hours and about 8transfers.
- One of the trains BROKE down and we all had to get off the train and get on another -- so your seat assignment, that didn’t happen
- One train decided to NOT go any farther, I was supposed to exit at XX stop but instead the train stopped a few stops early and said the train would not go any farther.
- About 90% of the trains had no way of “charging” a device. So when the train stops and kicks everyone off to find a new train -- well, let’s hope you accounted for that in your batter power of your device (where your ticket is).
- Take a look at the 2 images, one indicates that the train plans to depart in something like 1.7million minutes (or 3,200 years) Hmmm, do you think I have time to get off and get some food. The other shows that we are driving at 200+ km per hour, but we have 0minutes to arrive and the original arrival time is X and the delayed time is Y and yet the current time is an hour later.
- The best story ---- so the train is “stuck” at the station. it’s 12:50 right now and An announcement comes onto the speaker…. we Will need to wait here for awhile, I will tell you what’s up at 13:50. About 20min min later the same person communicates (over the speaker) we are still waiting and I will tell you what’s up at 13:50. it’s now about 13:10. I see some people get off the train to get some food. At 13:15 the train pulls away from the station - no warning - no communication. I look around and I no longer see those people that got off the train. When we arrive at the final stop there are pieces of luggage in the train with NO one taking them. Did the train seriously just leave people at the station. The person on the announcement said he would “talk to us” at 13:50.
- I talked to person on the train, she said she takes the same - point to point (no transfer) train often to see her mother. She said she seldom has a straight forward ride -- it’s almost always failing one way or another. And sadly, this evening the train was not going to get her to where she needed to be so she was looking into getting a hotel room for the night.
OH MY GOD I have about 10more stories --- Like I asked a train person, at the train station, at the ticket counter if my train was on track 5. they said they didn’t know. I said, isn’t the train supposed to leave in 10minutes --- they said they didn’t know. I said on the board it shows track 5 with a departure in 10min (did I read that correctly) they said they don’t know where the train is and if it will ever arrive. I said, then what should I do - they said to go sit down and wait for an announcement because they don’t know when/if/where/if ever the train will arrive. FYI - I only asked the question to Confirm what I read -- I was playing it safe and didn’t want to make a silly mistake and get on the wrong train.
at this point I think I’ll throw away the remaining 1.5months of this interrail pass. I think I’ll go rent a car. Seriously - I could have driven from Zurich to Brussels AND back in the time it took me to take the train 1 way.
OH - you might be asking yourself --- this has nothing to do with Interrail, all the problems were with the train “company(ies)” And you'd be right. However, the app that I used (that interrail said to use) had key information missing from the app - so I had to “triangulate” with 2 other apps to get the information I needed. This then means I used up LOTS of data and Charge on my phone.
Believe me - I know many people will read this and tell me this was an isolated experience and they never had this problem. And I understand, for some people it just works. However, I’m not going to keep trying a food that makes me sick because someone else liked it. Anyway - I’m glad my experience is over and I look forward to using other means of transportation in the future. For example - I’m supposed to go on another trip in about a week, I’ve started looking at car rentals and flights because I will NOT use the european train system.
Eurail is a ticket, only the second person needs to buy a ticket.
For a more useful answer to your specific situation provide enough information to actually know what it is you require.
i must reserve a seat on the train.
my partner must buy a ticket.
what happens if I reserve my seat and they can not buy a ticket
????
There are lots of potential ways of solving your solution but it depends on what country, route train, date, time, class, preferences...
As you live in Switzerland, any SBB ticket counter will be able to help you and book seats if it is needed
Again we need more info to help you !
OK -- 1st time user here and soooo many issues.
I’m booking a ticket from Zurich to Paris
I have a eurail pass
my partner does not have a eurail pass
I checked and confirmed there were seats for both of us.
I purchased their ticket (full price) via sbb online
I then went to eurail and pressed the purchase button and now it say’s there’s no room on the train.
This is EXACTLY what I was worried about --- what happens if I buy one ticket and there isn’t room for the other person.
I’m thinking Eurail is a scam. now I need to go to the train station and see if I can get a refund.
I’ve now checked other times for the train ticket and each one say’s the trains are full from Zurich to Paris (Saturday morning at 6 or 7am)…………..
But SBB say’s there are seats.
Please mention date and departure time. Without that we can only guess what the cause could be. TGVs Switzerland-France don't have pass holder quota so if normal tickets can be booked, then there should also be pass holder seats. But there are multiple possible reasons why reservations can fail.
The best way to book would have been to go to the ticket counter and book both the pass reservation and the normal ticket there, so you could be seated together. You can still book the pass reservation at the ticket counter or by phone via SBB or SNCF and mentioned carriage and seat number of the normal ticket and ask for a seat in the neighbourhood.
-
4/29 (saturday) depart Zurich 7am - to Paris
2nd class
This really seems like a scam.
I wrote an email to your support line and NO response
I wrote a request on this forum and well…….
I called the number on the app and the person on the line said they didn’t know anything about the app.
SOOOO frustrating. so very frustrating.
HOW am I supposed to trust this service (eurail). I planned on going somewhere after Paris (on my own) but now how am I supposed to trust this service will work. my first (very first) attempt and it has failed.
There is no 7am Zurich - Paris.
There is a 7.34 direct and this only has 1st class fares left, available for passholders at €70 for a reservation from Interrail reservation portal or full ticket from SNCF at €215. From the seating chart there are only 2 of those left to book.
7:34 is correct.
It wasn’t full just 10min ago. and how can I make reservations for 70euros if I only have the 2nd class eurail?
I’m seeing RED right now.
7:34 is correct.
It wasn’t full just 10min ago.
Did you click all the way to the payment page? Otherwise you can't be sure.
yup ---- I did.
7:34 is correct.
It wasn’t full just 10min ago.
Did you click all the way to the payment page? Otherwise you can't be sure.
you said…. available for passholders at €70 for a reservation from Interrail reservation portal
How do I do that?
you said…. available for passholders at €70 for a reservation from Interrail reservation portal
How do I do that?
Be in possession of a 1st class pass as that is all that is still available.
2nd class seats on this train are still showing as available from Mulhouse France (08.53) - Paris. It is possible to get to Mulhouse from Zurich from the 06.59 changing at Basel SBB
be in possession of a 1st class pass ---- SOOOOOOOOO that wasn’t helpful.
Before I purchased the ticket I also checked the earlier train (highspeed) and there were tickets there. So as soon as I purchased the ticket I went to “reserve” the ticket I wanted then checked the earlier ticket and BAM -- both were sold out. HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE.
You can only see the availability of sests through the Interrail/Eurail website after you have bought the pass.
If you looked at the Interrail/Eurail before you bought the pass you only see the price and this doesn't mean that there are free seats available.
By the way. If you live in Switzerland you can't use a Eurail pass but have to use an Interrail pass.
Which ticket did you buy for partner ? Maybe it is a first class ticket. How much did you pay for it ?
Otherwise get a refund of their ticket, it should be possible. Then go to the train station and book another 2nd class ticket via Mulhouse or Strasbourg. It isn't direct but doesn't take that much longer. Also ask for a seat reservation next to your partner for you
That way your seat reservation will only cost 20€/CHF (maybe 10€/CHF if you're lucky) as the TGV ride is only within France (way cheaper)
The TGV Lyria Switzerland - France has the most expensive seat reservation fees unfortunately
Here is a schedule that would work :
- Leaving Zurich at 05:59 or 06:08
- Change in Basel, Mulhouse and Dijon
- Arrive in Paris at 11:12
Zurich - Basel :
- about 11 CHF saver ticket (half-fare) OR
- about 21 CHF saver ticket (full fare)
Basel - Paris :
- 100€ 2nd class (40€ with 2nd class pass) OR - 110€ 1st class (41€ with 2nd class pass = seat reservation + surcharge)
Does your partner have a half-fare card ?
Let us know
Otherwise travel later if you can = leave Zurich at 10-11:00 and there are lots of cheaper options with more availability
By the way. If you live in Switzerland you can't use a Eurail pass but have to use an Interrail pass.
yeah I know.
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