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Question

Can I get a refund for seat reservations I just made today, so I can repurchase directly with operator to make seat selections

  • July 6, 2026
  • 3 replies
  • 32 views
J

After purchasing several reservations on Eurail for our group of 4, traveling in Austria and Switzerland, I tried to make carriage and seat selections only to discover that Eurail does not allow me to do so, although the selections could be made on the operators’ sites when reservations are made there. I do not recall during the reservation process being informed by Eurail that seats cannot be selected with Eurail reservations, but they can be selected by purchasing the reservation directly with the operator.  If they had done so, I would not have purchased reservations on Eurail.

So, I would like to get a refund for the reservations I just made today on Eurail and then repurchase the reservations directly with the operator and select seats.  How can I do this?  Eurail says that reservation refunds depend on the operator.  Will it require contacting the various operators?  

This is an important issue to us, not only to have seats we enjoy, but for logistical reason.  We have several very short transfers between trains and so wish to sit near the luggage racks and exits to aid us in getting off the trains as quickly as possible. 

Thank you for your help.

 

3 replies

R
Railmaster
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  • rvdborgt
  • Railmaster
  • July 6, 2026

Reservations for Austria are refundable under certain conditions. Reservations for Switzerland are non-refundable. See the conditions on this page.

Reservations for domestic Swiss trains are actually a waste of money, also for a group of 4. For Austria, it depends. For long journeys during holiday season, they can be a good idea.

It should have been apparent on the Eurail website that you can't select seats, since the option is not offered before you pay.

If you want to select seats, then first check which seats you actually have (use the seat maps offered by ÖBB) and if you then decide you want other seats, you can book them through ÖBB.

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.
D
Full steam ahead
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  • Danhiel
  • Full steam ahead
  • July 6, 2026

​@Janet Dolan 

If you have a short connection, you can take your luggage earlier and wait near the doors. Even if you  are near the luggage racks, the aisle may already be crowded with people waiting to exit.

And if you miss a connection in Switzerland, this is not a problem. On almost all lines you have another train 30 minutes later. 

And don’t expect that all trains are on-time in Europe, even in Switzerland.

 

The information I provide may contain errors and are not official responses from Eurail/Interrail.
A
Railly clever
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  • AnnaB
  • Railly clever
  • July 7, 2026

Making reservations in Switzerland is really a waste of money. If you enter the train at the front or at the end, there's usually less people. 

If you let one person from the group enter the train without luggage to find seats, then the rest of you can handle the luggage. That can usually save some time for finding seats.

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