Solved

Mistake in Purchasing a Pass

thealimir
Rank
Badge +2

I guess made a mistake in Purchasing Eurail Global Pass (for a family of 4 including 2 kids of 6 & 9 years age)

I was already on a TIGHT BUDGET :’(

Anyways, I purchased a 15 Days Pass (not activated yet) that I thought will work for 2 months, but I just came to know that it works for a month (straight with no breaks??) and a 2-month flexible pass is separate.

So if I cancel this pass now for a refund and get a new 15 day flexible pass, I will have to pay an extra amount as follows:

  • Loss when canceling & getting a refund on the previous pass - $154
  • Additional amount to be paid when purchasing a new 15 days flexible pass - $262
  • Total additional amount to be paid - $422

In case I don’t cancel the existing pass and do the additional journeys without a pass, the following two options exist:

Option 1 - Journeys without Pass (depends on … if I activate the pass on 23rd June & it deactivates on 8th July)

  • Paris to Annemasse on 18th June

Option 2 - Journeys without Pass (if I activate the Pass on 18th June)

  • Copenhagen to Munich on 5th July
  • Munich to Milan on 8th July

I have no experience of making reservations on any train yet in Europe. So I have the following queries:

  1. If I activate the Pass on 18th June, will it expire on 2nd July or 30th June?
  2. Should I cancel the existing pass and buy a new flexible one? Or one of the options given above is more suitable for me?
  3. Can anyone kindly give me an approximate cost effect for Options 1 & 2 above (2nd class trains)?
  4. Any other solution (or even alternate suggested means of transport)?

Thanks

 

 

icon

Best answer by thibcabe 10 June 2023, 12:52

View original

16 replies

T
Rank
Userlevel 7
Badge +5

Did you book the 15 days pass or the 15 days within 2 months pass ? Both exist.

Have you made any seat reservations ? Those remain valid, even if you exchange passes.

Do you really need a 15 days within 2 months pass ? Maybe a 10 days within 2 months one would be enough ? However in Switzerland it is often worth using a pass day, even for short-ish journeys.

Paris - Bellegarde (- Annemasse) needs to be booked soon because a lot of people are travelling on Sundays (evening esp.). Regular tickets will be very expensive. Book here (less fee than on eurail.com) : https://travel.b-europe.com/Eurail-GE/en/booking-tgv#TravelWish

Both Copenhagen - Munich and Munich - Milan will be expensive so I recommend using a pass day there too.

Do not cancel the passes. Instead exchange them, a pass exchange costs 15€.

thealimir
Rank
Badge +2

I booked the 15 days pass and not the 15 days within 2 months.

No. I have not yet made any seat reservations.

I am using this pass in Switzerland for 5 days and I need the 15 days pass and not 10 days pass.

 

If you can answer the queries in my original question, I will book the tickets now

T
Rank
Userlevel 7
Badge +5

Here you go for an exchange : https://www.eurail.com/en/eurail-passes/ordering-info/refund-exchange-policy

Choose the 15 days within 2 months one then, do not forget to buy the 2 "free" children passes.

Seat reservations are compulsory on high-speed trains in a few countries + Copenhagen - Hamburg during summer too, not needed in Switzerland and optional in Germany and Austria (but recommended).

What you need to book :

- TGV Paris - Bellegarde limited 10€ per person, 20€ until the train is sold out (20€ for 18th June)

- Copenhagen - Hamburg : about 5€ per person

- Hamburg - Munich : 9.80€ for the whole family through bahn.com

- and other journeys I assume

Children also need to pay seat reservations. Do not make seat reservations on eurail.com (extra fees), there are cheaper alternatives. Check :

https://www.seat61.com/interrail-and-eurail-reservations.htm

https://community.eurail.com/train-connections-reservations-47/how-to-get-reservations-105

Let us know for further questions.

thealimir
Rank
Badge +2

What you need to book :

- TGV Paris - Bellegarde limited 10€ per person, 20€ until the train is sold out (20€ for 18th June)

- Copenhagen - Hamburg : about 5€ per person

- Hamburg - Munich : 9.80€ for the whole family through bahn.com

- and other journeys I assume

 

The above prices you gave are for reservations including the Global Pass or without?

As for 1 passenger, I am getting 49,90 € for Copenhagen - Hamburg. 99,90 € from Hamburg to Munich from Bahn.com

And 79,90 € for Paris - Annemasse 

 

 

 

 

T
Rank
Userlevel 7
Badge +5

Yes seat reservations with the Global Pass.

You can see that Copenhagen - Munich is very expensive so you better use the pass for it.

(Copenhagen - Munich can be obtained as a single ticket through bahn.com btw but that doesn't matter to you as you'll use the pass).

As explained, buy new passes and get the other ones refunded. You'll "only" pay 60€ in fees altogether so much better than buying tickets for some journeys.

Per bahn.com : the Copenhagen - Hamburg train at 09:05 on 5th July is almost fully booked. There are still more than 4 seats left but you won't be able to sit together. In order to do so you'll either have to take the 05:05 train (very early departure) or the 11:05 train (very late arrival). This route is a bottleneck as it is the only railway to Sweden and further. All other trains won't have as much problems.

On which day are you going to Copenhagen ? This journey will also need to be booked soon.

thealimir
Rank
Badge +2

Thank you for your advice.

I have to travel to Copenhagen on 30th June from Antwerp.

Can you tell me how to get the 20 Euro price while booking the train from Paris to Annemasse. I don’t understand where to add my Global Pass details while placing order. I tried to understand the procedure from a few form posts, but couldn’t get it.

Also on Bahn.com, where to add the Eurail Pass?

R
Rank
Userlevel 7
Badge +9

Can you tell me how to get the 20 Euro price while booking the train from Paris to Annemasse.

Use the URL provided:

https://travel.b-europe.com/Eurail-GE/en/booking-tgv#TravelWish

It's a specific page to book pass reservations.

Also on Bahn.com, where to add the Eurail Pass?

You choose "Seat only”.

Please ask questions in the community and not via a private message. That's the quickest way to get a response. I don't work for Eurail/Interrail.
thealimir
Rank
Badge +2

On your advice, I have booked the seats from Paris.

However, the seat from Copenhagen to Munich is not getting through on Bahn.com and is always giving me this error

The Current Transaction has been aborted due to an error

I have changed the payment methods as well as the computer, but same error.

R
Rank
Userlevel 7
Badge +9

However, the seat from Copenhagen to Munich is not getting through on Bahn.com and is always giving me this error

The Current Transaction has been aborted due to an error

Which departure time?

Please ask questions in the community and not via a private message. That's the quickest way to get a response. I don't work for Eurail/Interrail.
T
Rank
Userlevel 7
Badge +5

DB often can't handle mandatory seat reservations but I thought that it'd work this time because I could see a seating map.

Instead use this for Copenhagen - Hamburg : https://travel.b-europe.com/dsb-rail/en/reservation-only#Outbound

Edit : cd.cz

And bahn.com for Hamburg - Munich : seat reservation only

Let me know if it works !

R
Rank
Userlevel 7
Badge +9

Instead use this for Copenhagen - Hamburg : https://travel.b-europe.com/dsb-rail/en/reservation-only#Outbound

cd.cz now also seems to work and is a bit cheaper than DSB :)

Please ask questions in the community and not via a private message. That's the quickest way to get a response. I don't work for Eurail/Interrail.
T
Rank
Userlevel 7
Badge +5

Great news ! Thanks :)

thealimir
Rank
Badge +2

DB often can't handle mandatory seat reservations but I thought that it'd work this time because I could see a seating map.

Instead use this for Copenhagen - Hamburg : https://travel.b-europe.com/dsb-rail/en/reservation-only#Outbound

Edit : cd.cz

I am sorry, but your line cd.cz has confused me. What is the difference between : https://travel.b-europe.com/dsb-rail/en/reservation-only#Outbound and cd.cz? (by the way, whenever I click on cd.cz to check price, it says “Unfortunately, we cannot sell tickets online for the selected connection. You can find out the price and conditions for purchasing a ticket at the listed contacts”)

 

Secondly, as mentioned in some other forum, for this long train from Copenhagen to Munich, a night train is better. So can you suggest any available night train, if I leave from Copenhagen on the night of 4th July, as I have to reach Munich on 5th July?

 

T
Rank
Userlevel 7
Badge +5

For Copenhagen - Hamburg : there are 2 good websites to book : DSB/B-Europe with 4€ booking fees or cd.cz with a bit cheaper reservations + no booking fees (total 272 CZK = 12€).

Here is how to book through cd.cz :

The only night train available would be from Malmö at 22:25 or 23:07 from Copenhagen Oerestad (a suburb) : 1999 SEK (171€) for a private compartment for the 4 of you.

Arrival in Berlin at 08:47, from there loads of ICE trains to Munich.

However you'll need 2 pass days for this journey.

thealimir
Rank
Badge +2

Thank you.

Can you please comment on this Train (IC 399) from Copenhagen to Hamburg?

It leaves from Copenhagen at 2348 hrs & arrives at Hamburg at 0626 hrs. It's for 292 CZK. From Hamburg, I will take a train to Munich. The advantage is, that my whole day won’t be wasted on travel & would have half day of 5th July with me as well.

T
Rank
Userlevel 7
Badge +5

As a solo traveller, why not maybe. As a family ? I wouldn't recommend it. It is a regular train with seats, lights will be fully on throughout the night so you'll have a hard time sleeping.

If you were to take this train, save a pass day and use the pass only from Hoeje Taastrup at 00:03. Buy regular tickets for Copenhagen - Hoeje Taastrup.

I'd still really advise the night train from Malmö or Oerestad (cheaper than a night accommodation while travelling) or a night in either Copenhagen or Hamburg. The latter would be a nice break between all the long journeys you're planning.

Reply


Terms and Conditions & Privacy PolicyCookie settings