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When do you have to make a reservation

  • January 29, 2025
  • 7 replies
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Martin Saldais

Hello all

My partner and I are from Australia and want to get a 10 day pass.. this seems all great and all but how do you which trains require reservations and not ? We want to travel from Munich- Switzerland-Austria- back up Germany and then Netherlands.. all I could see was tou need reservations for high speed and night trains... 

Are you always able to get a train with this 10 day pass without reserving ? It is just hard to pre book everything as things don't always work out or run on time in your favour

Thanks community 🙏 

Marty and Verity

Best answer by BrendanDB

Whether you reserve depend all on your travel dates. Travelling outside a holiday, in the middle of a week day on long distance trains? No need to reserve at all. Travelling around the Easter weekend, or in weekends during the summer holiday → best reserve on long distance/high speed services as a lot of people will be out travelling.

You won’t get stuck when you don’t reserve, no worries. That’s an irrational thought even. You’ll be travelling in countries with a very high level of public transport (in comparison to Australia). You really don’t have to be afraid that you’ll get stuck.

In the Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Switzerland you have mostly a minimum service of 1 train per hour, from 6 in the morning until 21h/22h (often running until later) in the evening, between the stations. On busier corridors much more trains, up to 1 train every 15 minutes between bigger cities and places. Trains have huge capacity, there’s always a place. If not, you just stand a bit on the train, wait until the next stop and take the seats of some people that get off at the next station or wait until the next train and have something to drink or to eat in or around the station while you wait.

The pass gives you lots of flexibility. You can always plan a bit of a detour on a slower, calmer, more scenic line, without the need reservations.

The only trains you might want to reserve a couple of months in advance are night trains in those countries. Otherwise reserving one or two weeks in advance (even one or two days in advance are okay for domestic services) are more than enough. And remember, there’s always another train ;)

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  • Full steam ahead
  • 4884 replies
  • January 29, 2025

Have a look at these links for starters :)

https://www.seat61.com/european-train-travel.htm

https://www.seat61.com/how-to-use-a-eurail-pass.htm

https://www.seat61.com/interrail-and-eurail-reservations.htm

In short, Eurail is good value in these countries. Reservations are optional/non-existant there. A good idea on German mainlines on busy days though: like Munich - Cologne - the Netherlands.


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  • Railly clever
  • 5941 replies
  • January 29, 2025

A good thing with your trip is that you will travel in the area where day trains have optional seat reservations.

Last summer there were mandatory reservations on some long distances trains between Germany and other countries, but I haven't seen any information about that for this summer yet. 


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  • Railmaster
  • 10504 replies
  • January 29, 2025
AnnaB wrote:

Last summer there were mandatory reservations on some long distances trains between Germany and other countries, but I haven't seen any information about that for this summer yet. 

Reservations on the ICEs Frankfurt-Cologne-Amsterdam and ICs Berlin-Amsterdam will be mandatory between 28/5 and 31/8, again only between the last stop before and the first stop after the border.


Martin Saldais

Thank you all for the kind replies :)

 

With this information, should we make reservations just in case ?

 

We would hate to be stuck for days without being able to get to next destination cause we didn’t reserve.

 

Also, If we say buy the 10 days pass… do we simply only book and pay the reservation or do we need to quote the 10 day pass number when we book a reservation.. ?

 

Much thanks !

 


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  • Railmaster
  • 10504 replies
  • February 3, 2025
Martin Saldais wrote:

With this information, should we make reservations just in case ?

Not in Switzerland: that would be a waste of money. For longer distance in Germany and Austria, it may be a good idea. No need to book months in advance though, a few weeks (or days, except for very busy trains) is enough.

Martin Saldais wrote:

Also, If we say buy the 10 days pass… do we simply only book and pay the reservation or do we need to quote the 10 day pass number when we book a reservation.. ?

For Austria and Germany you don't need a pass to book reservations. Just book via tickets.oebb.at or bahn.com.


BrendanDB
Full steam ahead
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  • Full steam ahead
  • 1639 replies
  • Answer
  • February 3, 2025

Whether you reserve depend all on your travel dates. Travelling outside a holiday, in the middle of a week day on long distance trains? No need to reserve at all. Travelling around the Easter weekend, or in weekends during the summer holiday → best reserve on long distance/high speed services as a lot of people will be out travelling.

You won’t get stuck when you don’t reserve, no worries. That’s an irrational thought even. You’ll be travelling in countries with a very high level of public transport (in comparison to Australia). You really don’t have to be afraid that you’ll get stuck.

In the Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Switzerland you have mostly a minimum service of 1 train per hour, from 6 in the morning until 21h/22h (often running until later) in the evening, between the stations. On busier corridors much more trains, up to 1 train every 15 minutes between bigger cities and places. Trains have huge capacity, there’s always a place. If not, you just stand a bit on the train, wait until the next stop and take the seats of some people that get off at the next station or wait until the next train and have something to drink or to eat in or around the station while you wait.

The pass gives you lots of flexibility. You can always plan a bit of a detour on a slower, calmer, more scenic line, without the need reservations.

The only trains you might want to reserve a couple of months in advance are night trains in those countries. Otherwise reserving one or two weeks in advance (even one or two days in advance are okay for domestic services) are more than enough. And remember, there’s always another train ;)


Martin Saldais

Thanks so much Brendan!

 

My partner thought the same thing but I just don’t want to get stuck I guess.. yes indeed the trains in europe are better than australia..

 

Look forward to travelling in june and will purchase a 10 day pass soon :)

 

Marty


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