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Mobile Pass and Macbook

  • 4 July 2023
  • 5 replies
  • 80 views
M

Hello,

I have purchased a Eurail Global Mobile Pass (5 Days) flex through Rail Europe to use for travel in September & October.

I have reserved seats for travel in Switzerland and into France, entered them in the My Trip section of the Rail Planner app.

When I log onto the eurail site on my Macbook (easier to use at home) it tells me I have no trips planned. I guess they don’t “talk” to each other?

If I enter the same trip on my Macbook will it cause complications on the Rail Planner App?

Also when I go to the Bahn site (for example) I can find a way from Strasbourg to Bregenz to reserve seats but I cannot find how to avoid paying the full fare when just wanting to reserve seats?

This is all new to me so I apologise for asking questions which must seem quite basic - I have looked through the linked help articles but perhaps I’ve missed something? Frankly after several days of trying to sort the process out I’m at the point of asking for a partial refund and just booking direct.

So many other complications and difficulties for me I’m afraid but hopefully your help will answer these questions?

Thank you

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Best answer by Al_G 4 July 2023, 04:01

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A
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There is no direct connection between the app and the eurail website. You need a pass on your account to use the reservation part of the website but it will have no effect on the app. Only the app controls your pass

Entering journeys on app does not reserve seats, think of it more like filling in a personal log, just one that is required and may be checked by the odd nosy inspector.

Reservations are separate.

If a train is reservation compulsory they are part of the requirement to travel on that train and you will most likely be expected to show them.

If a train is not reservable then all you need is your pass-app filled out correctly.

If a train has optional reservations then these will be just to hold a particular seat and not a requirement to travel, you will rarely be asked to show these.

On bahn.com on the main search page there is a separate  smaller button (bottom left) to search for seat reservations.

 

This thread gives instructions on how to get reservations from many sources.

 

A
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Strasbourg - Bregenz you really don’t need to reserve, it will be non-reservable French TER Strasbourg - Basel. and various options across Switzerland, some reservable others not but reservations in Switzerland are not necessary.

 

Edit: You should avoid the direct Strasbourg - Zurich TGV as these require very expensive reservations that are not worth it, use the connection at Basel as above instead.

M

Thank you very much for your replies AI_G.

A great help and much appreciated - I will go through your advice and the link provided carefully.

Matt

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The recommendation from the experienced travellers in the community is to only make reservations through the Eurail website if no other options are available. Please read more about that below. 

 

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 you choose the start day of the validity of the pass. Once the validity has started it can't be changed even if you haven't travelled. The advice is therefore to wait with activating the pass and starting the validity until the first day of your travel as you only can deactivate the pass no later than 23.59 CET on the day before the validity starts. If your travel plans change in the last moment you can't deactivate the pass and change the validity. 

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 and create the ticket (QR code), 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.

Please note that I don't work for Interrail/Eurail and that I don't reply to personal messages.
M

Thank you AnnaB. I’m clearly either slow - or at least late to the party.

I have read a great deal (some of it even sinking in) - and will follow your advice closely.

While still in Australia now - and not using the pass (until the Glacier Express in mid September) - it is a leap of faith for me that all will go well. I have reserved seats for that trip but not knowing if all will go well or if I’ve done everything ‘right’ gives me quite a bit of angst. Really it seems I won’t know until the last day before or when boarding the train?!

Thank you again for your time and advice🙏

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