My father bought Eurail passes and have them delivered as paper. I have been trying to cement reservations I’ve tried to input the pass cover numbers online and using the app--neither recognize them as valid. The chatbot and use of facebook messenger on Eurail.com was not helpful. I know the website says it needs to be activated at a train station, is there a faster way?
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Eurail Pass Cover Number (paper pass) - Doesn't work for reservations
Best answer by Claudi.
I'm so sorry to hear about this! This might be due to the sub-distributor. You should be able to use this PCN generator to create a new pass cover number. Please reach out to our customer service team if this error persists!
Yes I am. I’ve tried to add the pass on the app to make reservations, and at eurail.com.
The advice from the experienced travellers is to use other ways to make reservations than the Eurail website. Please read more about that below.
Here is some useful information from the experienced travellers in the Community regarding both planning and reservations.
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.
I’m good with how to use a trip planner, etc. My issue is the Pass cover number doesn’t work.
+10Where are you trying to book?
Where did dad buy those? I get impression now that some seller has fobbed him off with years old covers. You can check-see at this site the NEW symbol-in use since last year, that should be on it. You also did NOT make it clear if the nr you use corresponds to what is explained above : E+8 digits.
For altern,+also cheaper ways ue the link above on howtodoyourself. In most cases that nr is not needed then,
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I'm so sorry to hear about this! This might be due to the sub-distributor. You should be able to use this PCN generator to create a new pass cover number. Please reach out to our customer service team if this error persists!
Some very helpful responses here, thank you all.
My Dad says he bought them at Eurail.com, but I was not there. So, he could have bought it from a sub-retailers. The Pass Cover Number is E+8 digits, though as mention has not worked in the Eurail app or at Eurail.com
This PCN generator, does it work like a license key generator for software or does it reassign a Pass Cover Number replacing an old one?
Knyghtmirror wrote:
Some very helpful responses here, thank you all.
My Dad says he bought them at Eurail.com, but I was not there. So, he could have bought it from a sub-retailers. The Pass Cover Number is E+8 digits, though as mention has not worked in the Eurail app or at Eurail.com
This PCN generator, does it work like a license key generator for software or does it reassign a Pass Cover Number replacing an old one?
It just generates a (hopefully) valid number that booking websites will accept. The number used isn’t printed on reservations or linked back so as long as it works and the person using the reservation has a valid pass there is no issue.
AI_G if I’m tracking what you are saying is this will create a Pass Cover Number. I can use the PCN to book the reservations, and use the Paper tickets when asked for to get on the train? Do I have that right?
Knyghtmirror wrote:
AI_G if I’m tracking what you are saying is this will create a Pass Cover Number. I can use the PCN to book the reservations, and use the Paper tickets when asked for to get on the train? Do I have that right?
The pass is your ticket, this is always required to be presented and used correctly. If it is a flexi-pass you need to enter the date of use BEFORE using the first train of the day (don’t pre-fill it in case your plans change).
Then each train you use need to be entered either by filling in the Travel Diary part of your pass cover OR using the app. (I’d recommend the travel diary method as it is one less tech thing to worry about) This also should be done before boarding but again don’t pre-fill it until you are sure you are making that journey so just before is best.
Reservations are separate. For compulsory reservation trains you must have one. These usually are presented in either print at home or display on phone PDF or if got from a ticket office they will issue them in their format. You may or may not be asked to show them at stations or on-board.
The cover number required by some websites is little more than a way of stopping people without passes from buying cheap reservations they aren’t entitled to, it is not usually printed on the reservation document and if required your name matching the pass will be more than enough.
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