How to get Reservations :)



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Ok thanks for the information. What I read here in the community is that they often say not possible even when it would be, but maybe Thalys and Eurostar can't be booked directly via SNCF call center? They can book other international destinations like to Barcelona or Germany. SNCF Call Center is something weard, do accept only some cards, sometimes they do not reserve seats, sometimes yes. 

@rvdborgt do you know something more about it?

My knowledge is the same. SNCF can book Thalys and Eurostar but it seems they often refuse to do so via the phone.

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@Ongong Please ask the question in an extra post and not here! Thanks.

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Several Italian Trains - I always  notice “tickets not available”
Via the ÖBB app / site is it not possible to get tickets/reservations - i.g.  Pisa - Florence.  
After entering in the website ‘discount’  and wanting to add a reservation only, I see for all the trains: “tickets not available”
Does that mean that we can enter the train with our Interrail card without a reservation? 
For the trip Milan - Padua we had to pay a reservation…
What is normal in Italy?

Hi, you have to click on one way ticket and not on only a seat (reservation). 

On that, you don’t need reservations for local trains on Pisa to Florence route. On this route don’t take long distance trains, because the ride is short. 

 

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

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Reservations for trains Italy-Austria-Germany, Italy-Austria and Italy-Slovenia

 

There are some Routes to get from Italy to Austria and Germany. You can travel via Brenner pass or via Tarvisio and Villach. For rides Italy-Germany via Switzerland check here

For rides to Slovenia you can travel via Trieste and Villa Opicina. Or via Gorizia/Nova Gorica.

Interrail/Eurail Global Pass is valid. One Country Passes are only valid in ONE COUTRY. Interrail/Eurail German Rail Pass is valid in Germany and to the train stations in Austria of Salzburg HBF (main station) and on DB-ÖBB Eurocity trains in Austria and Italy between Munich-Innsbruck-Bolzano/Bozen-Trento-Verona-Bologna/Venezia.

To use the EC, RJ and RJX you need for the italian part to pay a supplement. You can often avoid it using local trains instead on the same route. 

 

DB-ÖBB Eurocity (EC) Munich-Innsbruck-Verona-Bologna/Venice,

ÖBB Railjet Xpress (RJX) Bolzano/Bozen-Vienna and

ÖBB Railjet (RJ) Venice-Villach-Klagenfurt-Vienna

 

The DB-ÖBB EC trains are run by a collaboration between DB and ÖBB, also in Italy. The RJ to Italy by ÖBB. They ask a supplement for rides in, to and from Italy. For rides from/to the border station Brennero/Brenner or Tarvisio Bosco Verde from/to Austria and Germany no supplement needed. 

Reservations:

  • optional

Supplement for rides to/from/in Italy:

  • compulsory
  • 10 EUR in 2nd class
  • 15 EUR in 1st class - 1st class pass needed!

You get a reservation for free included in the supplement (except 2nd class booking via ÖBB). 

 

Where to buy the supplement and reservations:

Supplement (compulsory) and reservation (optional) for rides in Italy and Italy-Austria-Germany

  • ÖBB online using this tutorial, no booking fee. You have to click on “one way ticket and day tickets” and not on seat only and add Interrail/Eurail - Globalpass as discount. (reservation cost on top 3 EUR/train, included for free in 1st class)
  • CD online book a normal ticket adding Interrail/Eurail as discount (reservation included)
  • ÖBB ticket office or call center (reservation cost on top 3,50 EUR/train, included for free in 1st class)
  • Deutsche Bahn ticket office or call center (reservation included)
  • Interrail.eu/Eurail.com reservation service (+ 2 EUR/train booking fee - reservation included)
  • On board of the train (maybe you pay a fee on top of the supplement)
  • Ticket offices of CD, SNCB/NMBS, SBB CFF FFS, NS International and other railway companies in middle Europe. 

Reservations (optional) for rides in Austria, Germany and AT-DE.

  • Deutsche Bahn online seat reservation option, ticket office or call center (4,90 EUR/journey 2nd class; 5,90 EUR/journey 1st class; 9,80 for a Family reservation)
  • ÖBB online seat reservation option, ticket office or call center (3 EUR/train online, 3,50 EUR/train)
  • CD online seat reservation option and ticket office (72 CKZ/train)
  • Interrail.eu/Eurail.com reservation service (6 EUR + 2 EUR per train)
  • Ticket offices of SNCB/NMBS, SBB CFF FFS, NS International and other railway companies in middle Europe. 

Do you have a Interrail One Country Pass valid only for Italy or Austria? You have to pay from the border a normal ticket or via interrail.eu or ticket offices a partial pass fee. Interrail/Eurail Global Pass and German Rail Pass valid on all DB-ÖBB Eurocity trains. Not valid on other trains outside Germany.

 

conditions: 

https://www.obb-italia.com/de/angebote/interrail-eurail

 

how to avoid this supplement?

You can often avoid this supplement if you will only go to stations that are not far from the border to Austria in Italy. Like Udine or Bolzano/Bozen. In this cases the supplement is to much for short rides.

  • Villach-Tarvisio-Udine(-Trieste) line use the Micotra local trains instead. Reservation needed (or optional??) but it is free via tickets.oebb.at. No supplement needed. https://www.obb-italia.com/de/ab-italien/micotra
  • Brennero/Brenner you can use the Eurocity till Brennero/Brenner or get there by local trains and change in Brennero-Brenner to local trains in Italy*. Reservation or supplement not needed. Local trains (R - regionale) run hourly. *Trains operated by SAD on lines where also Trenitalia trains are running are not included in the pass. But often they accept it. 

 

LAST UPDATE: 01 JUN 2023 - All information is provided without warranty

 

Eurocity Trieste-Ljubljana(-Vienna)

there is ones a day a direct train between Trieste, Ljubljana and Vienna. The ÖBB Online Shop shows a supplement of 2,70 EUR. But no official information is know by the train company ÖBB Italia that runs this train in Italy.

Reservations are optional.

There are also 2 local trains that run on this route, one bound to Udine. No supplements or reservations possible. 

LAST UPDATE: 16 APR 2023 - All information is provided without warranty

 

Train change between Gorizia and Nova Gorica

There is no passenger trains between Gorizia (Italy) and Nova Gorica (Slovenia), but you can go by walk, bus or taxi from one part of the city to the other. 

LAST UPDATE: 16 APR 2023 - All information is provided without warranty

 

!Please ask questions in a new topic, to not overload this one!

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Domestic trains in Turkey

Reservations are free of charge (except for couchettes or sleepers) and can only be obtained at a ticket office in Turkey.

To book trains in advance, TCDD customer service (cozum@tcddtasimacilik.gov.tr) recommend to buy full price tickets at bilet.tcdd.gov.tr, and then exchange them for free reservations at a TCDD ticket office. Full price tickets can be fully refunded until 15 minutes before departure, and for 80% after that.

!Please ask questions in a new topic, to not overload this one!

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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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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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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.

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Please create your own topic to get better advice.

There are no night trains from Spain to France, however there are some leaving right at the border (Hendaye, Latour-de-Carol, Cerbère).

For timetables it's best to use DB Navigator app or bahn.com -> reliable and connected to the European-wide database. Some companies (notably RENFE) share their timetables quite late.

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Reservations on MAV (Hungarian Rail) Reservations on Hungarian Rail

Please click on the Supplement / Reservation only button marked in the redbox
To add discount you have to first add your birthdate and can then finally select
Here your discount Card I´ve selected International Pass Global Price

 

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DSB Udland Page to reserve trains in Denmark + the Intercities to Hamburg 

 

Here select your Route just note you can reserve just within Denmark and the trains to Hamburg
Select your connection the direct trains cost you 30kr  the connections with a change cost 60krs 🙂 For a Reservation in 1st class you need a 1st class pass. 

 

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By READing above-and als READ: do NOT MISuse this long thread by individual questions. Start new line-or: ALL questions of 1st time users have been posted many times before. Just search.

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Reservations for TGV/ICE DB-SNCF Cooperation, TGV to Freiburg and TGV to Luxembourg

 

All TGV and ICE trains between France and Germany are run by this cooperation except TGV to Freiburg and Thalys trains to Cologne (how to book Thalys look here)

 

Booking reservations for TGV/ICE DB-SNCF Cooperation trains is possible via:

  • Interrail.eu/Eurail.com (2€ booking fee per person and train)
  • RailEurope website (adding Interrail/Eurail as discount card)
  • Deutsche Bahn Ticket Offices or by phone
  • SNCF French railways ticket office or by phone (press #85 for English, no booking fee, delivery via e-mail).
  • SNCF Ticket Machines for rides in France
  • travel.b-europe website for national rides in France (4€ booking fee per booking, Pass Cover Number needed, request it here).
  • SNCB/NMBS ticket office or by phone
  • Swiss ticket office or by phone (delivery by postal mail).
  • NS International ticket office or by phone.

Costs:

  • International rides: 17€ in 2nd class and 30€ in 1st class.
  • National rides in France: 10€ or 20€
  • National rides in Germany: reservation not needed and optional

Reservations for International rides are quota-controlled, so you can book only some seats that are for pass users.

This trains can be used in Germany without reservations. In France there is a compulsory reservation, but all seats can be booked by pass holders.

 

Conditions: pass 1 (global pass - only reservation), pass 2 (One Country France, paying for the German part) and pass 3 (German Rail Pass - paying for the French part).

 

How to avoid TGV/ICE trains on international trips:

Use TGV/ICE trains to Strasbourg and reservation free regional trains Strasbourg to Offenheim from there ICE/IC/EC/ECE trains of DB (reservation optional).

 

LAST UPDATE 29 DEC 2023 - All information is provided without warranty

 

TGV trains France-Luxembourg and TGV France-Freiburg im Breisgau (Germany) booking possible via:

  • Interrail.eu (2€ booking fee per person and train)
  • RailEurope website (adding Interrail/Eurail as discount card)
  • French railways ticket office, ticket machines (one available also in Luxemburg) or by phone (press #85 for English, no booking fee, delivery via e-mail).
  • SNCB/NMBS ticket office or by phone
  • travel.b-europe website for national rides in France (4€ booking fee per booking, Pass Cover Number needed, request it here
  • CFL ticket office for TGV Luxembourg-France
  • Swiss ticket office or by phone (delivery by postal mail).
  • NS International ticket office or by phone.

Costs:

  • TGV to/from Luxembourg 6€ in all classes
  • TGV to/from Freiburg 10€ or 20€

Conditions: conditions TGV Luxembourg and conditions TGV Freiburg

 

LAST UPDATE 29 DEC 2023 - All information is provided without warranty

 

If you have questions, please ask them in a new topic, to not overload this one!

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Reservations for trains (Vienna/Innsbruck/Munich/Zürich/Basel-)Frankfurt-Cologne-Düsseldorf-Utrecht-Amsterdam

 

There are some routes to get from Switzerland and Germany to The Netherlands and Amsterdam. Your Interrail/Eurail Global Pass is valid. One Country Passes are only valid in ONE COUTRY.

Intercity trains in The Netherlands, except IC trains to Germany and Switzerland and IC Direct Amsterdam-Rotterdam-Antwerp-Brussels can’t be reserved. Only add the train to your pass and hop on the train!

Attention: FLX = Flixtrain is not included in your Interrail/Eurail pass. Choose another train.

 

ICE International (Basel-)Frankfurt-Cologne-Amsterdam


Reservations:

  • compulsory reservations: between 17 June and 18 August 2023 for rides to/from The Netherlands
  • optional reservation: rest of the year

 

Cost of the Reservation:

  • DB 4,90 EUR per journey 2nd class
  • DB 5,90 EUR per journey 1st class 1st class pass needed or upgrade
  • ÖBB 3 EUR per train
  • CD 72 CZK per train
  • DSB 30 DKK per train
  • SBB 5 CHF per train
  • SNCB/NMBS 6 EUR per train
  • NS International 4 EUR per journey
  • Interrail/Eurail reservation service 6 EUR + 2 EUR booking fee per train

 

Where to buy reservations:

  • DB only* at ticket offices or call center during the compulsory reservation this summer for rides to/from The Netherlands. Outside this period possible also via bahn.com
  • ÖBB online shop.oebbtickets.at using the option seat reservation only
  • CD online cd.cz using the option seat reservation only
  • DSB online via travel.b-europe.com/dsb-rail 
  • Interrail.eu/Eurail.com reservations service (+ 2 EUR booking fee/seat)
  • Ticket offices of DB, ÖBB, CD, SBB CFF FFS, SNCB/NMBS, NS International and other railway companies in middle Europe. 
  • Call Center of DB, ÖBB, CD, SBB CFF FFS, SNCB/NMBS and NS International.

Do you have a Interrail/Eurail One Country BeNeLux? Or German Rail Pass? You have to pay from the border a normal ticket or via interrail.eu or ticket offices a partial pass fee.

 

conditions: 

LAST UPDATE: 20 JUN 2023 - All information is provided without warranty

 

 

IC/NJ Amsterdam-Basel-Zürich, IC Amsterdam-Osnabrück-Hannover-Berlin and NJ Amsterdam-Innsbruck/Munich/Vienna

 

Reservations:

  • compulsory reservations: for couchettes and sleeper cars on Nightjet services Amsterdam-Basel-Zürich and on seat, couchettes and sleeper cars for Nightjet service Amsterdam-Innsbruck/Vienna
  • optional reservation: for seat cars on IC/NJ Amsterdam-Zürich and IC Amsterdam-Berlin

 

Where to buy reservations:

 

IC Intercity train:

  • DB online bahn.com seat only option or DB Navigator App, at ticket offices or call center (4,90 2nd class/jounrey; 5,90 1st class/journey)
  • ÖBB online shop.oebbtickets.at using the option seat reservation only (3 EUR/train Online)
  • CD online cd.cz using the option seat reservation only (72 CZK/train)
  • DSB online via travel.b-europe.com/dsb-rail (30 DKK/train)
  • Interrail.eu/Eurail.com reservations service (+ 2 EUR booking fee/seat)
  • Ticket offices of DB, ÖBB, CD, SBB CFF FFS, SNCB/NMBS, NS International and other railway companies in middle Europe. 
  • Call Center of DB, ÖBB, CD, SBB CFF FFS, SNCB/NMBS and NS International.

NJ nightjet train:

  • Interrail.eu/Eurail.com reservations service (+ 2 EUR booking fee/seat)
  • ÖBB online shop.oebbtickets.at using this tutorial, no booking fee. You have to click on “one way ticket and day tickets” and not on seat only and add Interrail/Eurail - Globalpass as discount
  • Ticket offices of SBB CFF FFS, ÖBB, DB, SNCB/NMBS, NS and other railway companies in middle Europe. 
  • Call Center of SBB CFF FFS, ÖBB, DB, SNCB/NMBS and NS.

Do you have a Interrail/Eurail One Country BeNeLux or Austria? Or a German Rail Pass? You have to pay from the border a normal ticket or via interrail.eu or ticket offices a partial pass fee.

 

LAST UPDATE: 20 JUN 2023 - All information is provided without warranty

 

 

!Please ask questions in a new topic, to not overload this one!

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Reservations Belgrade - Bar

Reservations for the night train can be booked via e-mail:

A reservation from Belgrade can be booked by sending an e-mail to rezervacija.karata@srbvoz.rs, which you can then pick up at the station.

A reservation from Bar or Podgorica (maybe also from other stations) can be booked by sending an e-mail to info@zpcg.me, which you can then pick up at the station.

Maybe this also works for reservations for the day train. Let me know whether it does.

!Please ask questions in a new topic, to not overload this one!

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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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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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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)?
 

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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