Taking other than the reserved seats in the reserved train in France or Italy

  • 13 January 2022
  • 2 replies
  • 114 views

Hi to all!

 

At the moment, as having described in the last topic, we are planning a trip through France and Italy together and unfortunately, it is not possible to get coherent seats in some trains.

That’s why I’d like to ask those who have already travelled to France and Italy if it is a problem if you choose other than the reserved seats in a train where the reservation is compulsory - assumed the train is not crowded and there are many empty seats. Is it important to take exactly the reserved seat showed in the reservation or is it sufficient to take the train mentioned there? Which purpose follows the reservation in France and Italy - just the one that every traveller gets a seat or also the other one that every traveller is assigned to a special seat? I’ve also read nothing about a fine for travellers just using another seat but the same train.

 

Thanks for your answers!


2 replies

Userlevel 7
Badge +5

For trains with obligatory REServation-in FR all TGV and IC, in IT alle ´frecce and IC, they will sell a small nr of ´overthelimit´ REServations, in FR TGV this may mean one has to sit on the fold up seats in the halls if really all normal seats are taken, most of times there will be a few noshows.

Due to this (other as f.e. in Germany or Austria) as all seats can be reserved, there are NO marks for what seats are reserved for what sector. In FR obviously, as nearly all trains serve Paris, the first sector out of P and last into will be the busiest.

AFAIK currently in IT they only do windowseats, due to covid and distancing.

As a general rule swopping seats-asking the one who sits close by is possible, but noone is obliged to do that. I have no experience with these new online passes, but in normal life this was often done, esp. in Italy where its impossible for the big families to even consider to sit apart for even a short time. Also many non regular travellers do not even know how this system works or confuse car and seat nr or whatever mistake can be made, it will.

Userlevel 7
Badge +9

AFAIK currently in IT they only do windowseats, due to covid and distancing.

It has been 80% capacity for some time now.

Reply