Hello
the app only gives you timetables but not seat availiabilities. Is there any way to check seat availiabilities before buying a Pass ?
I wouldn’t like to be in the situation of purchasing a pass, and seeing after that, that the night trains I wanted to book are sold out ! If so I wouldn’t have any choice but to request a refund (including a 15% fee)
thank you !
Best answer by rvdborgt
View originalSometimes-depends on route/country/company. Obviously not via the app, but via the sites of the relevant companies.
These re-started overnight trains are a kind of new hype and understandably -as they were also in the distant past- very attractive for passholders. But other as in the past it is now strictly reserved, with high surcharges and sometimes quota-these lines also have to make some money and cannot only take pax who hardly pay.
IF you really have no ALTernative, in time nor date, then better book ASAP for normal tickets on their site. OR-bite the green bullet-check flites. Or if money-short: the BlaBla or Flix-bus, their normal fares are often lower as only the supplmt to pay for a train with a pass
These passes are for leisure travel-seeing unexpected small lines, areas that you would otherwise not go to, fill seats that would otherwise run around empty and for those who have a little bit of flexibility and time to spare. A FRenchmen should know about the eternal strikes and social movements that pester the trains there. Not things that most pas-newbees here on this forum seem to have-they all want to rush through a few cities that anyone wants to go to and then start complaining about the hassles.
Currently, you can see availability on the Interrail website after logging in and after buying a pass. Unfortunately, Interrail seems to be reluctant to show availability without buying a pass.
There are some other websites though:
For domestic TGVs in France, you can check Belgian railways.
For Thalys and Eurostar, another Belgian railways page.
For ÖBB NightJet, via ÖBB (using these steps)
Night trains to/from Czechia can be checked via Czech railways.
If you have other trains in mind, just ask.
Just wondering about the same thing.
Planning to travel through Fance then into Spain with the Pass.
Do they seriously expect me to buy a pass and potentially waste 15 % of my money gambling/ hoping a seat is available?
Sounds like a scam to me..
Currently, you can see availability on the Interrail website after logging in and after buying a pass. Unfortunately, Interrail seems to be reluctant to show availability without buying a pass.
There are some other websites though:
For domestic TGVs in France, you can check Belgian railways.
For Thalys and Eurostar, another Belgian railways page.
For ÖBB NightJet, via ÖBB (using these steps)
Night trains to/from Czechia can be checked via Czech railways.
If you have other trains in mind, just ask.
I know this was not directed at me.. but is there a way to check for Spain as well?..
Planning to travel through Fance then into Spain with the Pass.
Do they seriously expect me to buy a pass and potentially waste 15 % of my money gambling/ hoping a seat is available?
I think they need to be convinced and to be shown that it is necessary to see availability without having a pass. I've already seen a few cases where indeed people cancelled their passes after finding out there was no availability anymore for their intended journeys.
Anyway, for Spain online reservations are currently not possible (you could check at a DB ticket office though or by phone), for domestic TGVs in France you can check Belgian railways (see link above) and TGVs Germany-France and France-Spain can also be checked via DB (ticket office or by phone).
Ok.. couple days later and still no response from the Interrail support.
I however did talk to DB, deutsche Bahn. They told me this:
They can not book the thalys train for me from Cologne to Paris, as that line is not covered by interrail pass anyway (??). Further they said, on the high speed trains there is only a tiny section of seats reserved for InterRail Pass holders and I should just try my luck by showing up at the train station and ask for a seat reservation there directly. Yes I’ll just gamble my way through Europe.
If what DB told me is true, it makes a whole lot more sense for InterRail to not show any seat availabilites on the webpage, as this might discourage people from buying the Pass once they realized the seats are all taken.. So I’m getting a step closer to declaring this a scam operation.. hate to say.
Wouldn’t cost me a fortune more to just book the tickets and pay in full price myself, at least that way I know I will have a seat..
thanks everybody
I however did talk to DB, deutsche Bahn. They told me this:
They can not book the thalys train for me from Cologne to Paris,
Incorrect. DB can book Thalys, including Interrail reservations.
as that line is not covered by interrail pass anyway (??).
Incorrect of course.
Further they said, on the high speed trains there is only a tiny section of seats reserved for InterRail Pass holders and I should just try my luck by showing up at the train station and ask for a seat reservation there directly. Yes I’ll just gamble my way through Europe.
Very bad advice for Thalys and the international TGV trains in general.
I however did talk to DB, deutsche Bahn. They told me this:
They can not book the thalys train for me from Cologne to Paris,
Incorrect. DB can book Thalys, including Interrail reservations.
as that line is not covered by interrail pass anyway (??).
Incorrect of course.
Further they said, on the high speed trains there is only a tiny section of seats reserved for InterRail Pass holders and I should just try my luck by showing up at the train station and ask for a seat reservation there directly. Yes I’ll just gamble my way through Europe.
Very bad advice for Thalys and the international TGV trains in general.
Well its impossible to reach anybody on the DB hotline, so I went to the train station in person to ask my questions and this is what they told me. Not really sure what to do now..or what else I could do.
Is there only a small amount of seats allocated for eurail for the Eurostar and other trains? If I find availability on the website directly with Eurostar does that that mean that eurail will work and I can get a seat.
the reason I ask is that i want to see if there is seats from Brussels to London before I buy the pass. The office at Amsterdam airport told me there are no seats for eurail just regular seats so don’t buy the pass
I would think that the office at Shipol are correct.
There is a limited number of pass holder seats on the Eurostar and on popular departures and during high season those sell out weeks, and sometimes months in advance.
The best place to see the availability of passholder seats on the Eurostar is
https://www.b-europe.com/EN/Booking/Pass#TravelWish
Press "later trains" and eventually you will find the next available connection.
If you have a mobile pass you need to generate a Pass Cover Number in order to make the reservation at b-europe. You do that here in the PCN generator:
https://community.eurail.com/news-and-announcements-39/pass-cover-number-generator-is-live-5653
Thanks for the details. When I click on the link it shows availability and takes me to a point where I need to put in my pass number . Does this mean there are seats and I should have confidence when I buy the pass there will be availability?
Yes, b-europe does not show full trains.
The caveat is that I assume like most booking applications it locks out the selection for a short time to allow completion of the booking but it will release them after a period.
Thank you but I’m not entirely clear. So does beurope provide accurate details on whether there are seats available ?
Yes, b-europe does not show full trains.
The caveat is that I assume like most booking applications it locks out the selection for a short time to allow completion of the booking but it will release them after a period.
The link in my reply above will only show trains with pass holder seats. The price should be around 30 EUR for a seat in 2nd class.
When do you plan to travel?
On the 21st July
brussels to London.
I haven’t bought the pass because the guy at the station told me there are no seats to London, however when I check on the link you sent it says that I just need to pay euro 32. so does that mean there are seats and I should buy the eurail pass in confidence
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