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I have never done interrail/eurail before and I’m considering using it for an upcoming trip. I can’t seem to find an answer for the following (specific) scenario.

Scenario: I have a 3 year old. I know she doesn’t need her own pass, and I know that I can get her the (free) pass for 4-11 year olds if I want to make a seat reservation. We want to take the train from London to Paris, and I don’t mind keeping her on my lap.

Question: is seat reservation mandatory for my child on “seat reservation mandatory” train rides? Has anyone here been in this specific scenario? I’ve read a lot that seems to indicate she doesn’t need her own reservation, but nothing that explicitly says she won’t.

On Eurostar the reservation is only mandatory for 4 year old and older. As long as they sit on your lap they can travel for free. They simply need their own passport. Here is the website (not linked to Interrail) : https://www.eurostar.com/rw-en/travel-info/travel-planning/travel-with-children

Here is a good resource for travelling with children (although a bit outdated) : https://www.seat61.com/european-train-travel-with-children.htm

General seat reservations info can be found here (it's often best to avoid interrail.eu due to extra fees) : https://www.seat61.com/interrail-and-eurail-reservations.htm

Extra info on Eurostar : https://www.seat61.com/interrail-and-eurail-passes-on-eurostar.htm

Eurostar is best booked through the Belgian Railways (4€ fee per order) : https://www.b-europe.com/EN/Booking/Pass#TravelWish

The passenger category is 4-88 y.o. (why 88 we may ask...)

Thank you for all of this valuable info!

I suggest that you get a free children's pass for your 3 year old child and then you can decide if you want to buy a reservation or not. You can only get the free children's pass at the same time as you buy an adult pass.

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