Skip to main content

I made an earlier post; however bare with me please as I am new to interrailing!

I decided to buy the 15 days for 2 months pass. I made an itinerary which on the most part has worked out; however, my origin is from Split Croatia and I wanted to take a train to Zagreb. The route requires reservation and when I am sent to eurorails external link to book them, all tickets from various days say I am unable to buy the seats. I have heard that Croatia allows you to buy tickets at the box office, hoping that is the case can anyone vouch for this? I am having the same issue with Zagreb to Ljubljana.

I also planned a route from Vienna to Krakow and then Krakow to Prague, again with seat reservations allowing me to boo. This was the earlier post I made regarding this issue where someone commented back how Polish trains usually wait 30 days beforehand to book. Again, can anyone vouch for this? Would it be the same for both to and out of Poland? I also received another external link (oebb.at) where I find the trains, but again, no seats available. To note, Vienna to Poland is an overnight train so unsure if this relates to anything.

Lastly, I have a train booked from Paris to London. It allows me to book the seat reservations, but the times are slightly off. Is that normal? Do I book? Do I not? 

As a first timer, this process has been very stressful. I assumed buying the pass will allow me more fluctuation and access, but it’s been a nightmare and I am scared to book places to stay if I am unsure if I can get on the train. Can you still get on the train without a reserved seat? 
Any guidance is helpful, thank you. 

sorry, seat reservations NOT allowing me to book between Vienna and Krakow and Krakow to Prague!


At what dates are you planning the trips to and from Krakow?


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, when you choose the start day of the validity of the pass, the first day of the validity period is automatically made a travel day, even if you don't enter a journey, the advice is therefore not to activate the pass before the first travel day as you only can deactivate the pass before 00.00 on the day the validity starts. If your travel plans change in the last moment you will loose travel days if you have activated the pass in advance.

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, 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.


At what dates are you planning the trips to and from Krakow?

Leaving Vienna to Krakow September 16 (overnight) and then leaving Krakow to Prague September 19. 


Reply