How to get Reservations :)


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Please read first and if you still have questions start a own topic to keep this post as Informationpost as clean as possible.

This post is made by @rvdborgt  @AnnaB@runner.on.rails  @Angelo and myself. 

Planning/Timetables:
Many of you will notice that the Railplanner of Eurail will have sometimes different times of the trains as other Websites/Apps. Or evenworse the railplanner wont show any train for your desired Route. The Railplanner of Eurail only shows the timetables that are shared by the Railcompanies unfortunately not all Railcompanies share these and even update it not frequently. The Result is that the Railplanner of Eurail is not always uptodate and because ofthat I and other experienced travelers recommend to use the Local Websites and Apps to check the times and even book the reservations with them (when possible).


Below here finally the main words :D
Hi if you are useing a Railpass there will be the point that a train needs a Reservation 🙂 Many of you ask where to get a reservation for a specific train.

First of all there are 2kinds :)
Supplements like the Intercity Direct in Netherlands or the German/Austrian - Italian Supplement on Eurocity & Railjets that have to be paid and doesnt include a seat :/.

And Seatreservations like the TGV,Eurostar or Thalys that include in the supplement fee even a seat reservation.

There are several ways reserve a seat :)
A. on the Website of the Traincompany that operate the train.

B. at the trainstation (On major stations you have “International ticket desks” they often can reserve even trains in a different country for example you can reserve your TGV from Munich to Paris already in Prague 🙂 )

C. Via the Railplanner app of  Eurail itself :)  a small service fee will be charged

D. Via the booking Callcenter of a traincompany.

E. Via a Reservation service website or a well experienced Railagency :)

More informations provided by the Man on Seat 61 :) 

General Websites to reserve trains here you can find out which websites can help you. 

We highly suggest to confirm the times of your trains in the Railplanner with Local Railplanner apps or atleast with one of the major ones. I general i recommend even to plan your trips with these app instead of Railplanner.

https://www.seat61.com/interrail-and-eurail-reservations.htm a good helpfull website of Mark Smith.

Manuals for several websites.

German Rail 🇩🇪

Daytrains on oebb.at (Not for Italy) 🇦🇹

Bordercrossing Eurocity/Railjet Italy - Austria/Germany  🇦🇹🇩🇪 - 🇮🇹

Italian Daytrains booked via oebb.at 🇮🇹

Nighttrains on oebb.at (Several Routes)

Reservation within the UK (by rvdbrgt)
🇬🇧

Reservation of Caledonian Sleeper (by rvdbrgt) 🇬🇧

Reservations for Trains in Spain (by rvdbrgt) 🇪🇸

Reservation for the International TGV/AVE France - Spain (by rvdbrgt) 🇲🇫🇪🇸

Reservations on the website of Hungarian Rail 🇭🇺

Reservations on the Website of Czech Rail 🇨🇿

Reservation on the Website of Swedish Rail 🇸🇪

 Reservations within Denmark + Denmark - Hamburg 

Domestic Reservations within Poland (just 30days in advance)


 Thalys, Eurostar, TGV France - Belgium 

TGV France to Luxembourg & Germany 

 

TGV France - Switzerland 

Reservations France - Italy 

Greek Rail 

Reservations Switzerland - Italy 

Croatian Reservations 

Turkih (Turkey) Reservations 


 
@rvdborgt  @AnnaB  many others and myself will try to keep this uptodate and help as much we can with  advices :)

Kind Regards.


82 replies

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Reservations for trains in Germany and many in and out to Germany :)

If you visit bahn.de you can select the Seat only option 🙂 But note doesn´t work for Thalys, TGV to France and OBB Nightjet trains.

Just click on this link and the Seat Only option that is marked above 🙂 https://www.bahn.com/en/view/index.shtml

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Reservations for trains in Czech Republic 🙂 Here an example for a Nighttrain :)
https://www.cd.cz/en/spojeni-a-jizdenka/ Bookingpage of Ceske Drahy (Czech Rail)
 

Please fill first your Journey details and the correct amount of travelers. no need to indicate you have a Railpass
Select your desired connection and click on "I want a Reservation Only”
Select your Travelcomfort and after that click on the redbox
Select your desired Comfort: 4 berth or 6 berth couchette and Triple, Double or Single sleeper Deluxe (shower and WC within compartment) or Normal (washbasin within compartment)

Important if you travel with 2 persons in a double or with 3 persons in a triple sleeper to tick the box we want to travel together in the same compartment
Please click here the we want to travel in the same compartment option if you want a "Private compartment" for you and your fellow travellers

 

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Here a short manual for Reservations on oebb.at 🙂 Website of Austrian Rail 🙂 This is the manual for daytrains (except Italy) for Nighttrains  please scrolldown to the next manual.

For a manual how to pay the Germany/Austria - Italy Eurocity/Railjet supplement  please scrolldown to the overnext post :)

for Italian Daytrains scroll further down

Please select your Route and click after that on the Book Ticket option (Even if you already have a Railpass)
If you click the via option you can search for a connection via a prefered station for example Innsbruck - Salzburg via Zell am See instead of the direct train.

Finally click on the seat only option to reserve just a seat.

 

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Nighttrain Reservations on oebb.at 🙂 Here a short manual how to reserve Nightjet and Nightjetpartner Services online. https://www.oebb.at/en

Click at the link to get a reservation for nighttrains then fill in your desired route and traveldate after that click on book ticket

Berlin - Przemysl, Munich - Zagreb ,Vienna - Bucharest , Zuerich - Budapest you can reserve here aswell (Nightjet Partner Trains)  or the special Interrail offer for the Route to Lviv and Kiev

Berlin - Przemysl, Munich - Zagreb ,Vienna - Bucharest , Zuerich - Budapest you can reserve here aswell (Nightjet Partner Trains)
Click here on once more on Single and Daytickets (even with a Railpass)
You get a first overview of trains with few fares these are normal fares for non railpass holders. To get the railpassholders fare click please on the top right "Who is going" at Change.
Here you can select who is traveling. After you set the correct ammount of travlers please click on each traveler at the "Add Discount"
Ad the end of the list of discountcards you should find Interrail/Eurail. Just click on it and after that "Confirm" under the list and finally Confirm at the top right corner
Yet you can see the starter fares for railpassholders. 14€ is the standard Eurail/Interrail reservation for a seat on international Nightjet trains. If you want more comfort (Couchette or Sleeper just click on the 14€ and after that you can select the differrent travelcomfort categorys.
For example a private seating compartment for you and your fellow travelers only or a private couchette compartment for your family (up to 6)  Note that these Private Compartments offer are a own ticket no need to use a a Interrailpass if you select one of these offers :)
Or of course the standard reservations for shared seat compartments, couchette & sleeper compartments. (A single sleeper means you have a compartment for your own)

 

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Reservation and Supplement for the Eurocity/Railjets
Germany/Austria to Italy (Munich/Vienna to Verona,Vienna,Bologna,Rimmini) + Trieste - Villa Oppocina (EC135,EC136)

The Eurocity/Railjet on these Route are currently reservation optional (You can buy one but it´s not compulsory.) Due the high demand on this route it´s a good idea to reserve in advance. On these trains you have to pay a supplement (no reservation) of 10€ in 2nd Class or 15€ in 1st class in the pictures below i will try to show how you can  pay the surcharge already online at oebb.at

 

On the First page you cn select the Route and traveldate click then on book ticket.
To apply the Interrail/Eurail discount please click on change in the red marked box
Here you can add the correct amount of travelers and please add for each one the Interrail/Eurail as discount and click on confirm. and finally on next.
Now click on Find Services and then please on Oneway and daytickets (NOT the Seat only) it´s strange but the seat only option doesnt work for these trains.
You will find many results and see the prices on the right side. I will take the direct train with the 10€
Finally you are almost finished and find here in the Redbox the “Aufpreis Brennerverkehr” which is the supplement for this Train if you travel to Italy. In the yellow box you find the 1st class option (For those that hold a 1st Class railpass and wanna travel in 1st class) direct under that you can add the reservation. As said it´s optional to buy the reservation but i highly recommend one.

 

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Merci beaucoup pour tous ces renseignements. Je viens d effectuer la réservation du train de nuit Ljubljiana Munich en couchette avec la réduction interrail :)

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SNCF Rail now started again to sell reservations via phone 😕 We wanna show you some other options how you get Reservations for Trains within France 🙂 (Links provided by @rvdborgt )

  1. Eurails own reservation service via App or Website (2 EUR fee per seat)
  2. Belgian railways (4 EUR fee per order). You need to request a pass cover number first.
  3. ACP rail (also with a fee, but it doesn't seem to work right now)

You can also call Belgian railways (no fee but you'll have to pay phone charges; no pass cover number required; reservation will be emailed).

https://www.sncf.com/en/customer-service/contact-us/telephone

 Press #85 for English, no booking fees, reservations are sent via e-mail.

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Danke/thanks for this nice overview.

The only other railway that also allows it online is AFAIK and have seen, SJ in Sweden. Did not check the other scandinavian raileays, but these are usually among the most advanced in this respect.

In some countries one does not really need, nor is it even possible to reserve domestic trips, like BE/NL/LU (free anyway), IE., though it may be possible.  Also note that as for .A> additonal fees may have to be paid. And for using a tr-agency, most likely this will-and most will decline to do that without also buying a ticket from them.

The major stumbleblock/problem also re most postings on this forum is RENFE in Spain, which makes it as difficult as possible. It may seem simple-just go to a staffed station, but in practice this often also leads to confusion, languageproblems or a shrug like ´no can do´ or ´full already´.

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The tickets.oebb.at website is still the same and works same as shown by @seewulf in the screenshots, but the first page has now a new layout. You can look for a normal ticket and then when you get all the possible connection click on 1x adult and there you can add as discount Interrail/Eurail. 

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Okey i will try to create a list of Reservation pages arround Europe :)
German Rail for many trains within/arround Germany

Austrian Rail (A lot Nighttrains in middle Europe and ofcourse trains in/arround Austria)


Eurostar & Thalys Services (AMS/BRU/LON/PAR/CLG) PassCoverNumber needed

Domestic Trains within France (PassCoverNumber needed)

Trains within Poland (just select first the train and then in the Discount section NRT/Railpass/FIP

Trains in & arround Czech Republic

Trains within Hungary

Trains in Sweden (+ Routes to Oslo/Copenhagen/Narvik) PassCoverNumber needed

Trains in Denmark (and the IC´s Germany - Denmark)

Nighttrain Berlin - Hamburg - (Copenhagen) - Malmö - Stockholm (Discount Code Eurail / Interrail)

Bernina Express (the panoramic train)

Glacier Express (Panoramic Train)

 

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Italian daytrains via oebb.at 🙂 Thanks to @rvdborgt  for notifying me about the new possibilty to reserve Italian daytrains via Oebb.at

 

First select your Route and your traveldate/time
Even if you wanna just reserve a seat please click the option One Way tickets and day tickets
You will get first results please note that this are Standard prices please click in the red marked box top right on change.
Yet you can add as much travelers as needed and add on each traveler the discount Interrail / Eurail Globalpass (at the end of the list) and click on “Confirm”
You get some results for example the 13.48 direct Highspeedtrain for 10€ :)

Please note that on the 14.26 depature only the first train will be reserved.
It looks like OBB can reserve just direct routes if you wanna use the 14.26 depature you have to search first Venice - Bolgona and afterwards Bologna - Milano.

Kind Regards

from @seewulf  & @rvdborgt 

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Italian daytrains via oebb.at 🙂 Thanks to @rvdborgt  for notifying me about the new possibilty to reserve Italian daytrains via Oebb.at

Very well found! This will be a great help to a great many travellers :-D

I note there are a couple of irregularities which I trust OEBB will gradually iron out:

  1. Even when the 1st Class box is ticked, the system suggests under Reservation Details that the reserved seat will be Sitzplatzreservierung 2. Klasse. This appears to apply to all bookable non-OEBB trains in Italy. Hopefully once bought, the seat reservation received will be a 1st class one, but the only way of finding out is to go ahead with the purchase.
  2. Some places can’t be booked from. For instance, OEBB can now book the SBB train to Zurich from Genova, but it can’t book the identical one from Bologna for some reason. Also the daily Ligurian coastal IC to Roma can be booked from Ventimiglia or San Remo, but not Imperia.
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I would add the warning, that if you book reservations for Italy via ÖBB, they are not refundable. But you can give it back if you make a mistake in the first 3 minutes after booking. 

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I would add the warning, that if you book reservations for Italy via ÖBB, they are not refundable. But you can give it back if you make a mistake in the first 3 minutes after booking. 

Are they refundable when you book them elsewhere? Belgian railways basically say the same thing (NL/FR).

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I note there are a couple of irregularities which I trust OEBB will gradually iron out:

  1. Even when the 1st Class box is ticked, the system suggests under Reservation Details that the reserved seat will be Sitzplatzreservierung 2. Klasse. This appears to apply to all bookable non-OEBB trains in Italy. Hopefully once bought, the seat reservation received will be a 1st class one, but the only way of finding out is to go ahead with the purchase.

I think it's just an error in the English text. If you put a 1st class seat in your basket, then you will indeed see "1st Class incl. seat reservation Sitzplatzreservierung 2. Klasse” in the details. However, if you then go to the German site and check your basket there, then it will say "1. Klasse mit Sitzplatzreservierung Sitzplatz 1. Klasse”.

  1. Some places can’t be booked from. For instance, OEBB can now book the SBB train to Zurich from Genova, but it can’t book the identical one from Bologna for some reason. Also the daily Ligurian coastal IC to Roma can be booked from Ventimiglia or San Remo, but not Imperia.

Have you already asked ÖBB about it or should we maybe all complain to get it higher on their priority list? :)

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Ah, I see my original post has turned up (so you’ve already seen me say the two things above elsewhere...) Apologies!

 

  1. Some places can’t be booked from. For instance, OEBB can now book the SBB train to Zurich from Genova, but it can’t book the identical one from Bologna for some reason. Also the daily Ligurian coastal IC to Roma can be booked from Ventimiglia or San Remo, but not Imperia.

Have you already asked ÖBB about it or should we maybe all complain to get it higher on their priority list? :)

I didn’t bother because they never replied to my other (probably now solved) question about the carriage seating class. But I certainly could do :-)

I think with the Ventimiglia IC you can book from pretty much any other station on the route, the only reason I found out about the problem with booking from Imperia was because that precise journey factors into my own plans this summer, and Imperia was where I found the cheapest hotel along the coast.

But after then doing a bit of research, I realised the reason the OEBB site was having trouble with that particular stop is because it’s only been a few years since FS rerouted that line away from the coastline and into a succession of very long tunnels (a bit of a shame tbh, the old line looks like it was incredibly scenic). There’s now only one Imperia station, which is the new one titled simply “Imperia”, but the OEBB search engine still displays a choice of Imperia Oneglia and Imperia Wharf, both of which are now closed. OEBB’s timetable hasn’t been updated to reflect this.

Reservations for trains in Germany and many in and out to Germany :)

If you visit bahn.de you can select the Seat only option 🙂 But note doesn´t work for Thalys, TGV to France and OBB Nightjet trains.

Just click on this link and the Seat Only option that is marked above 🙂 https://www.bahn.com/en/view/index.shtml

Hello, I wanted to know, how through the website of the German train company, the route will be linked to my pass (just with a reservation of seats)?
 

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Hello, I wanted to know, how through the website of the German train company, the route will be linked to my pass (just with a reservation of seats)?

It won't. Reservations are completely separate, regardless of where and how you make them. This also means that you always have to add a journey to My Trip and then (shortly before boarding) to My Pass.

Hello, I wanted to know, how through the website of the German train company, the route will be linked to my pass (just with a reservation of seats)?

It won't. Reservations are completely separate, regardless of where and how you make them. This also means that you always have to add a journey to My Trip and then (shortly before boarding) to My Pass.

Thanks again, I got it! 

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Seat reservations in Great Britain via GWR

 

Reservations for day trains in Great Britain are optional, regardless of what the rail planner app says. You can get them free of charge from a ticket office in Great Britain or via myaccount.gwr.com:

  1. Create an account. (It weirdly doesn't accept spaces in the surname.)
  2. Sign in, and click Bookings at the top.
  3. Click on the “Make a seat/bike reservation“ box, and in the appearing pop-up, click on Next.
  4. Fill in the form and select the desired train.
  5. Select a fare. You can select any, as long as it is in the correct class (Standard=2nd class).
  6. Click on Continue and select “I would like to reserve a seat”.
  7. Choose your preferences and click on "Add reservation”.
  8. It says you won't be charged, and indeed you get the free stand-alone seat reservation without needing to enter any payment details.

Even though it's the GWR website, this works for any route in Great Britain where seat reservations are available.

For reservations in the Caledonian Sleeper services between London and Scotland, see below.

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Booking accommodation in the Caledonian sleeper

Services:

  • London - Inverness / Aberdeen / Fort William
  • London - Glasgow / Edinburgh

Procedure:

  1. Go to the Caledonian Sleeper website and fill in From and To and other journey details.
  2. Check "Room supplement Only”.
  3. A pop-up will appear, check the "I understand” box and click on Done.
  4. Click on "Get times & tickets”.
  5. Select the accommodation you want and click on "Next step: GUEST DETAILS”.
  6. Fill in your details and click on “Next step: REVIEW ORDER".
  7. Review your order and click on “Next step: PAYMENT”.
  8. Fill in your details and click on "Next step: PAY WITH CARD”.
  9. Fill in your payment details and click on "Pay”.

You can click on the "VIEW MORE DATES” button to see an overview per month, with for each date, per compartment type, how many are still available.

Note: also check normal fares. Some advance fares are cheaper than a pass reservation (room supplement).

Its dificult reserv in the moment i am in the estation ? 

As Frenchrail (SNCF) stopped to sell Reservations online and via phone 😕 We wanna show you some other options how you get Reservations for Trains within France 🙂 (Links provided by @rvdborgt )

  1. Eurails own reservation service via App or Website (2 EUR fee per seat)
  2. Belgian railways (4 EUR fee per order). You need to request a pass cover number first.
  3. ACP rail (also with a fee, but it doesn't seem to work right now)

You can also call Belgian railways (no fee but you'll have to pay phone charges; no pass cover number required; reservation will be emailed).

 

Can Belgian railways only book within France? Because I was looking from Munich -> Paris and Paris -> Geneva, but could not search it on b-europe website

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As Frenchrail (SNCF) stopped to sell Reservations online and via phone 😕 We wanna show you some other options how you get Reservations for Trains within France 🙂 (Links provided by @rvdborgt )

  1. Eurails own reservation service via App or Website (2 EUR fee per seat)
  2. Belgian railways (4 EUR fee per order). You need to request a pass cover number first.
  3. ACP rail (also with a fee, but it doesn't seem to work right now)

You can also call Belgian railways (no fee but you'll have to pay phone charges; no pass cover number required; reservation will be emailed).

Can Belgian railways only book within France? Because I was looking from Munich -> Paris and Paris -> Geneva, but could not search it on b-europe website

The b-europe website mentioned above will only book domestic trains in France. You can book Munich - Paris and Paris - Geneva via the Eurail website (whenever it gets back online - I suppose soon) or by phone via French railways (they sell reservations again via phone, press #85 for English) or Belgian railways. The French number should be cheaper to call.

If you have more questions, please ask them in a new topic, so as not to overload this one.

Hi, thanks for the instructions! I have a problem with ÖBB, I want to make a reservation for NightTrain from Maribor to Split on July. When I just look the tickets, ÖBB is showing the offers, but when I add the Eurail discount ÖBB shows “tickets are not available.”

Can you help me, what is the problem? I guess there is still space in the train, but I can’t make the reservation in the internet..

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