Skip to main content

Hello, my girlfriend and I want to go from Stockholm to Goteborg in August this year (August 15th). We have already booked the Interrail ticket, but it is not possible to book a reservation for any train. The latest train where I could book a reservation would be on June 3rd. Starting with June 4th, I cannot find any single train on any date where I could book a reservation.

Is every single reservation after June 3rd outbooked, or can I only try to book the reservation like 3 months before the trip (like in Germany) or so?

 

Thank you in advance for all answers (and sorry if my english is not the best 😉 )!

August is too far in the future for Sweden. There's no fixed booking window, but I'd expect reservations to become available 2-3 months in advance, depending e.g. on engineering works planning.


If you go with the SJ regional train via Örebro, you don't even need a reservation to go between Stockholm and Göteborg. 


but I'd expect reservations to become available 2-3 months in advance, depending e.g. on engineering works planning.

You are optimistic @rvdborgt 🙂 SJ said earlier this year that they hope to be able to release tickets in the middle of the month before, so tickets for August should at the latest be available by mid-July.


If you go with the SJ regional train via Örebro, you don't even need a reservation to go between Stockholm and Göteborg. 

Are you sure that I would not need a reservation for that train? Everywhere I looked for that train said that I would need one.

(I looked at Interrail, SJ and OBB)


If you go with the SJ regional train via Örebro, you don't even need a reservation to go between Stockholm and Göteborg. 

Are you sure that I would not need a reservation for that train? Everywhere I looked for that train said that I would need one.

(I looked at Interrail, SJ and OBB)

The train is an SJ regional train where reservations are optional. The information in the Railplanner is wrong. You need reservations for SJ high speed trains and SJ IC trains, not for SJ regional trains. 

Where did SJ say that you need a reservation with Interrail on this train?


Where did SJ say that you need a reservation with Interrail on this train?

Since all planners (DB, ÖBB, SBB etc.) show mandatory reservations for these trains, it's likely that SJ include this in the timetable data they send to the European Timetable Centre (MERITS).


Since all planners (DB, ÖBB, SBB etc.) show mandatory reservations for these trains, it's likely that SJ include this in the timetable data they send to the European Timetable Centre (MERITS).

SJ is sending the wrong info to MERITS. If you read about the SJ regional trains on the SJ website you see that the reservations either are optional or not possible to make. Interrail also states reservations on SJ regional trains as optional or not possible to make in the information about Swedish trains.

 


Since all planners (DB, ÖBB, SBB etc.) show mandatory reservations for these trains, it's likely that SJ include this in the timetable data they send to the European Timetable Centre (MERITS).

SJ is sending the wrong info to MERITS. If you read about the SJ regional trains on the SJ website you see that the reservations either are optional or not possible to make. Interrail also states reservations on SJ regional trains as optional or not possible to make in the information about Swedish trains.

 

Oh, thank you very much for your detailed answer :)


Since all planners (DB, ÖBB, SBB etc.) show mandatory reservations for these trains, it's likely that SJ include this in the timetable data they send to the European Timetable Centre (MERITS).

SJ is sending the wrong info to MERITS. If you read about the SJ regional trains on the SJ website you see that the reservations either are optional or not possible to make.

SJ had a web page where they explicitly said: "No seat reservation is required for travel by SJ Regional train.”

That page has disappeared unfortunately (or was moved and rewritten). I can only find it in the archive now. On the SJ website, I can now only find a web page with trains/routes that cannot be booked, but not that any reservations on SJ Regional are optional.
I wonder whether SJ have mixed up “reservations are compulsory” and "reservations are possible”, which can also be indicated in MERITS.

@Camilo. @Mukhammad Does Eurail have any contact to SJ and if so, could you ask them to correct their timetable data so that SJ Regional trains only have optional reservations?


@rvdborgt 

Here's the information saying that it is impossible to make reservations on certain routes with SJ regional trains. 

 


@rvdborgt

Here's the information saying that it is impossible to make reservations on certain routes with SJ regional trains.

Yes, I found that page, but it only says where you can't book. It doesn’t say that reservations are optional where you can book.


@rvdborgt I'll sent a text tomorrow to my friend who works as a educator of ticket inspectors at SJ. She'll know. We have been discussing the need for Interrail reservations with SJ before. 


@SK1999 

On the regional train between Stockholm and Göteborg there's one carriage (no 2) where you can't make reservations so as long as you travel in that one, there's no risk that you sit on someone else's seat. You are fine to travel in other carriages as well but if someone with a reservation comes you will have to move. In Swedish trains there's no way to see if a seat reserved or not. 

 


Reply