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Reservation seat: price temporarily unavailable Zurich - Paris


Hello,

I have a global Interail Pass.

I need to book a reservation for our return trip Zurich - Paris. I would like to book a traject with 2 changes (Zurich - Bâle, Bâle, Strasbourg, Strasbourg - Paris) but I can’t book because it’s written “Prices temporarily unavailable. Aucun résultat n'a été trouvé dans le système de réservation. Revenez dans quelques heures pour consulter les tarifs et effectuer cette réservation.” on the traject Strasbourg Paris. The train is ICE9574.

Do you know how I could book? I checked on the Swiss train company but I don’t see how to book with an interrail pass.

Many thanks!

Julie

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Best answer by rvdborgt 20 May 2022, 21:27

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There is no need for a reservation between Zürich and Basel (Bale). The trains run frequently and the trip is only a bit more than an hour. Hardly anyone makes reservation on ordinary Swiss trains.

Can you give the departure date and time on the journey Basel Strasbourg and Strasbourg-Paris?

Userlevel 7
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Please also give the date. That is relevant for availability and for the timetable.

You can also just book your TGV reservations at an SNCF ticket office (without booking fees; Interrail charges an extra booking fee of 2€ per person and train). But don't buy reservations for Zurich - Basel: that's a waste of money.

thanks for your anwser! actually the problem is really for the Strasbourg Paris train. The date is 7th August: the trains earlier car be booked via fees of 48 euros for the 4 of us. But the train we would need to take is marked as “compulsory reservation seat” but “Prices temporarily unavailable”.

It leaves from Strasbourg at 12.19 (arrival 14.05 in Paris)

I understand from your anwsers that I should go directly to an SNCF ticket office to book?

Many thanks

Julie

Userlevel 7
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thanks for your anwser! actually the problem is really for the Strasbourg Paris train. The date is 7th August: the trains earlier car be booked via fees of 48 euros for the 4 of us. But the train we would need to take is marked as “compulsory reservation seat” but “Prices temporarily unavailable”.

It leaves from Strasbourg at 12.19 (arrival 14.05 in Paris)

I understand from your anwsers that I should go directly to an SNCF ticket office to book?

OK, the problem is that there are no 10€ pass holder seats available anymore and Interrail has a long-standing bug that they can't show the 20€ seats that are then available until the train is full (that's how it works in French domestic trains). Instead, it will display a message that it can't find a price. Belgian railways show it correctly (for 4 persons here):

If you want to use this train, then you can book it at an SNCF ticket office or by phone. Booking via the Belgian railways website will cost 4€ booking fee and you'll need a pass cover number. (Interrail charges a 2€ booking fee per person and train, so 8€ in total for your group).

Great, thank you!

I have actually another question: if I book on the Belgian website or at a SNCF ticket office, I will only be able to book the Strasbourg-Paris part. Yet, my trip (counted as one of my 4 included trips in my Interail Pass) will be from Zurich. Will it be okay and counted as one trip?

On the Belgian website, no train can be found on this day from Strasbourg to Paris:

No trains found

No trains matching the specified time have been found. Please choose earlier / later trains or adjust your travel details (number of transfers allowed, departure or arrival station etc...).

Other possibility: timetables for your travel date may not yet be available in international journey planners.

Userlevel 7
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I have actually another question: if I book on the Belgian website or at a SNCF ticket office, I will only be able to book the Strasbourg-Paris part. Yet, my trip (counted as one of my 4 included trips in my Interail Pass) will be from Zurich. Will it be okay and counted as one trip?

  1. Interrail does not count trips or journeys but travel days. On a travel day, you can use as many trains as you like.
  2. Reservations are separate from the pass. Whether or not you book optional reservations for certain trains in a journey, is not relevant for the validity of your pass. That's up to you.
  3. In this case, reservations are not possible in the TER between Basel and Strasbourg and unnecessary between Zurich and Basel: it's a Sunday morning and in Switzerland almost nobody makes reservations.

By the way, I've read a few times that pass holders living in France received TGV reservations for their inbound and outbound journeys for free when bought at the SNCF ticket office. I've never been able to find more information about this, but it doesn't hurt to ask about it at the ticket office.

Thank you, I’ll go to ticket office and ask, I’ll let you know!

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On the Belgian website, no train can be found on this day from Strasbourg to Paris:

I can assure you I didn't make my screenshot up…

Which Paris station did you choose? It's usually the best to take "Paris” and not a specific station. The planner can then use any Paris station.

Hello, eventually I took the tickets at an SNCF ticket office, it was 20 euros per ticket.

Many thanks for your help!

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