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Timetable and Seat Reservations Update

Timetable and Seat Reservations Update

 

Here is a comprehensive breakdown of the new timetable data, updated seat reservation information, and important travel connections👇

Timetable Updates

We have added and optimized our timetable data to help you plan better: 

  • Serbia Timetable Data Added: You can now access timetable data for Serbia, making it easier to plan your travels in this beautiful country.
  • Estonia Timetable Data Added: Estonia’s timetable data is now available up to a month in advance.
  • Euskotren Timetable Data Added: While not valid with a Eurail Pass/Interrail Pass, Euskotren data is now included up to a few weeks in advance, enabling new route planning options to Bilbao not via Barcelona.
  • Vilnius-Warsaw-Krakow Timetable Optimized: This route now appears as a direct train, with a note indicating a change at Mockava on the border. Previously, these trains could not be found in the timetable.

Evolving Challenges

Wengernalpbahn: Although the timetable currently shows the Lauterbrunnen-Kleine Scheidegg route as valid, it is only valid till Wengen. We are actively seeking a solution to this rather complex issue.

Seat Reservation Booking Improvements 

We have made improvements to our reservation system to provide you with a smoother booking experience:

  • Eurostar and TGV Availability: It is now possible to check availability for Eurostar and TGV trains directly from the timetable before purchasing your pass.
  • Rail Europe Enabled Passholder Reservations: The following services are now available for Passholder reservations through Rail Europe:
    • Eurostar trains
    • Various French trains, including TGV (International), TGV Lyria, ICE to/from Germany, Intercity, Night trains (Intercité de Nuit), TER Nomad and Grand Est (Fluo)
    • Italian trains such as Frecciarossa, Intercity (notte), and Eurocity trains Italy – Switzerland
  • Intercities in Spain, now bookable through our reservations system
  • European Sleeper, now bookable through our reservations system
  • DB's New Booking Module for Passholders: Deutsche Bahn has introduced a new booking link specifically for Passholders to facilitate easier reservations, especially for:
    • TGV & ICE routes between Germany and France 
    • Brenner Railjet and Eurocity trains on the Munich – Italy routes
  • Mandatory Reservations on TER Fluo: Effective from July onwards, certain TER Fluo trains (Grand Est) will require mandatory reservations, available through Rail Europe.
  • Happyrail Bookings Expanded: Happyrail now supports bookings for international AVE routes (Lyon-Barcelona and Marseille-Madrid) and other trains operated by Deutsche Bahn, Trenitalia, ÖBB, and domestic Spanish routes.

New Routes and Connections

  • Snälltaget Seasonal Trains: Seasonal trains to the Alps are now accessible to Passholders, adding a new dimension to your winter travel plans.
  • Three Country Train: The new Aachen – Maastricht – Liège route, launched by Arriva, extends into Belgium, offering seamless travel experiences.
  • Three Country Train: A new connection from Villa Opicina – Pivka – Rijeka now links Italy, Slovenia, and Croatia, opening up more travel options in the region.

Additional Important Updates

  • Swiss Travel Benefits: You no longer need to activate a travel day when using Pass benefits in Switzerland.
  • International OCP Austria Route: The OCP Austria route is now valid for direct international trains from Austria to Italy, including Railjet and Eurocity trains to various Italian cities such as Verona, Bologna, Venice, and more.

We hope these updates positively impact your travel experience and make your Eurail journey even more enjoyable. Happy travels!

 

Happyrail states they only offer reservations for those who bought their interrail/eurail passes directly from them.

I think the link to the DB reservation portal doesn’t work. It only leads me back to this topic.

And happyrail seems to struggle with doing reservations for AVI trains from intermediate stations in France to Spain e.g Valence to Barcelona or Perpignan to Madrid. But at least Lyon to Barcelona seems to work.

It’s cool to hear about all the improvements especially concerning the reservations in Spain. Good work!

@Al_G There is indeed a pop-up that states this. However, it is no longer true and we have flagged it to them for updating. 

@eurocity101 Happy to hear that you enjoyed this update! We’ll be posting them here more often. I fixed the DB link and it now leads to the booking module. Thank you!

@Sarah W thanks for this usefull update!

Happyrail states they only offer reservations for those who bought their interrail/eurail passes directly from them.

That message doesn't appear anymore on the Dutch booking website. I think they forgot to delete it on the other booking pages. Or they didn't get to it yet.

  • Swiss Travel Benefits: You no longer need to activate a travel day when using Pass benefits in Switzerland.

This rule isn't new by any means, so I suppose you probably mean: Junfraubahn has finally agreed to play by the rules.

@rvdborgt Precisely 😎 

🎉 Update from Happyrail: They will soon remove all messaging that states, "reservations are only available for those who bought their Interrail/Eurail passes directly from them."

It seems the reservation service for Spain<->France doesn’t work at the moment. Anyone having similar problems like me or am I the only one who can’t proceed to payment? (trying for 19th October, Madrid-Marseille)

It seems the reservation service for Spain<->France doesn’t work at the moment. Anyone having similar problems like me or am I the only one who can’t proceed to payment? (trying for 19th October, Madrid-Marseille)

I was struggling with this train for a few days, and today I finally managed to book it. The winning combination was to book through the Interrail reservation service, rather than Happyrail, and to book the entire relation from Madrid to Marseille, even though I’ll be taking the train only to Narbonne. The date I did was 9th of September.

However, it’s not all trains between Spain and France that have this issue. The Lyon-Barcelona AVE could be booked without issue.

Thanks a lot @mei-b → now it worked via Interrail :)

Thank you for the news. Unfortunately, there seem to be a lot of problems:

  • Train Vilnius-Krakow: The Interrail app only finds the connection Krakow-Vilnius. The app does not find the return journey Vilnius-Krakow.
  • The option to check the availability of seats on the TGV and Eurostar is very good. But it would be even better if this also worked in the Interrail app.
  • If I enter ICE or TGV routes from Germany to France in the Interrail planner and then read in the app how I can reserve them, the option via DB with the new booking module is not displayed. It is of little use if the link is only here in the post but not stored in the Interrail app.
  • If I enter ICE or TGV routes from Germany to France in the Interrail planner and then read in the app how I can reserve them, the option via DB with the new booking module is not displayed. It is of little use if the link is only here in the post but not stored in the Interrail app.

The app is very incomplete for the websites where you can book. For Italy, for example, Rail Europe and ÖBB are missing, although these websites have been offering Trenitalia reservations for quite some time now. This part in the app needs a serious overhaul. I don't use it myself and always refer people to Seat61:

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

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