Mmmhhh this pass is a special case. Don't you have a booking number anywhere ? Create an account with any email and then it should be possible to create a trip and then add the number + first/last names. Not all people buy their passes on the official website (myself included) so this option exists.
You can book all domestic seat reservations here : https://travel.b-europe.com/Eurail-GE/en/booking-tgv#TravelWish (4€ fee per order).
Cross-border trains are very popular and can sell out a few days in advance. They can be bought at DB ticket counters or on interrail.eu. First check if there's still availability online on sncf-connect.com and then you could go to a ticket counter if it doesn't work.
Don't worry there are multiple alternatives if they're sold out : cross-border regional trains like Offenburg - Strasbourg, Saarbrücken - Metz,...
For further questions mention route and travel date. I'll gladly help ! :)
Thank you very much for such a fast response!!
Yes I got a booking number but the problem is that I already activated the pass in the app. But as far as I can see it is not possible to connect an account to the app. It sounds stupid but I really can’t find any option to do so.
Yes I am already taking a regional train to cross the border towards france, thanks for the tip! I‘m more concerned about my connections within france. Bit from what u are saying those don’t seem to be that much of a problem?
Ah then the app and the website aren’t really connected. For example seat reservations bought on the website will never appear on the app : whenever asked you have to show both the PDF (reservation) + QR-code on the app (ticket).
It is also recommended not to activate your pass in advance in case you wake up ill or there are strikes, etc. Once a travel day has started it cannot be cancelled.
Yeah availability a day or two in advance is not an issue, especially on routes with frequent trains like Paris to Lyon, Lille or Bordeaux. But if you need to take a specific train to connect elsewhere I’d recommend booking earlier. There is a 10€ limited fare, then 20€ until the train sells out.
It’s always possible to take the slower reservation-free TER regional trains but they do not run often (as opposed to Germany) : 2-3 times a day is not uncommon...
Thanks a lot! I actually got a step further! That really helped!!
Now I got one more (hopefully) question.
i wanted to take the Train from Strasbourg to Marseille St. Charles on the 2nd at 9:03 o clock. Now it says „Prices unavailable“ and I got transferred to this website: https://travel.b-europe.com/Eurail-GE/en/booking-tgv#TravelWish
Here it says „train fully booked“. Are there any other possibilities to get a reservation online in advance then? Or is it hopeless for that train now and I should take a different train?
Unfortunately TGV intersecteurs (those avoiding Paris) are really rare and popular…
This train is fully booked for the whole journey but there are some alternatives :
- TGV Strasbourg - Dijon 09:03 - 11:11 20€ (1 seat left so book ASAP!)
- TER Dijon - Lyon Part-Dieu 11:41 - 13:42
- TGV Lyon Part-Dieu - Marseille St-Charles 14:06 - 15:46 20€ 2nd class or 22€ 1st class incl. upgrade !
You can book the upgrade through b-europe.
If the first TGV has sold out in the meantime either take the slow route via Mulhouse, Belfort and Besançon or spend a few hours in Strasbourg and take the afternoon TGV : it’s a lovely city and the weather should be great on Monday.
You can still hope for cancellations on some parts of the journey like Strasbourg - Lyon : they do happen at short notice but you need to check often and book right away.
Last option : you could get any ICE to Basel SBB using your pass and then cross Switzerland all the way to Geneva (a full-fare advance ticket would cost about 50 CHF/€). From Geneva TER to Lyon using your pass. Not necessarily faster but something to keep in mind...
