Try the rail europe eurostar booking center book direct to find a eurostar ticket you can buy in advance. The inter city express, or ice as it is widely known, is the high speed train which links germany to the rest of europe. Once your rail pass has been printed, it is not possible to modify it. Find alternative ways to book your seat reservations below. When you buy a train ticket, in most cases you wont need to purchase a seat reservation. And youll need to book ahead or at least pay a little extra for a spot on nearly all overnight trains in europe. Buy tickets with paypal, applepay, visa, amex and all international credit cards. You can buy ice and other deutsche bahn tickets at railroad stations, at travel agencies, from rail europe u. Europe train pass book your eurail pass today trainline.
This is a fun way to travel europe because you can travel without a plan. We have several trains to catch on the intercity lines not tgv, it would appear. Aside from that youll be in a part of europe where you can mostly just get on any train and show the. We need your support so we can keep delivering quality journalism thats open and independent and that is here for the.
How to book trains in europe by rail expert the man in seat 61. If you absolutely need to do it, you can pay a 15% penalty and a 7% processing fee to exchange it. Search for your route and well tell you if you need a. Find, book, change or cancel your tickets in an instant. Eurail has made it simple to make reservations if you need to. And you ll need to book ahead or at least pay a little extra for a spot on nearly all overnight trains in europe.
Check the timetable to see whether your train requires seat reservations. Some european trains cant be booked through our reservation service. You have three main options for buying pointtopoint tickets. For big discounts, buy tickets up to three months ahead just. A seat reservation is compulsory for nearly all high speed, international and night trains. Night trains can be a way to save time and money in europe, but they arent as great as this sounds. You can make reservations even if your eurail pass is not activated.
This should help you better understand how train ticket fares are. These trains usually dont need a reservation and are a great way to discover every little corner of europe. We find that when traveling abroad, its always best to book before you depart from home. How to book trains in europe by rail expert the man in. Timetables may change due to the current covid19 pandemic, so please check before departure. Therefore, if you are a traveling party of mixed gender the way to ensure that you will be traveling together is to make sure that you book a. Distributers like north americanbased rail europe will help you find your center by sorting out all. Europe is a beautiful continent, but some parts of it are just exceptionally beautiful. If a compartment cant be fully filled by the traveling party alone, some trains may need to separate you into genderspecific compartments. Hi all we will be traveling in france in late april and may. For most trains it is easier and usually cheaper to buy your tickets when you are in europe. You can show up at the train station and hop on, unlike flying or renting a car, which generally requires a reservation far in advance. An example of a night train is the popular route from rome to munich, which leaves rome at 9.
How to buy cheap european train tickets read this advice. As always, i only recommend products and services i trust. Should i buy my rail pass or train ticket before i leave for europe. With the eurail pass, you can discover europe by train and travel across the continent with over 40,000 stations across 10,000 destinations to discover. We combined all of our train expertise with our most frequently asked questions to provide you with a comprehensive guide to european train travel. Travel by train in europe with rail europe, your travel planner. Our search means you can compare and book trains in europe, the u. Many trains in britain require free seat reservations for passengers with a eurail global pass whereas anyone with a pointtopoint ticket, or a britrail pass, can hop on these trains at whim go figure. Please keep in mind that you are also permitted to bring food on to the train, so if you have a specific dietary condition that requires special food, you can purchase before getting on the train and avoid any disappointment if the train you are on does not cater to your. If you re planning to see a lot in a short amount of time on your eurail trip, then you ll most likely need to buy some seat reservations for highspeed routes before you go. For trains operating in popular countries like france, italy, spain, uk and sweden, we include the seat reservation in the train ticket price, so you. Tips and hacks for europe train travel intrepid travel blog.
Unlike rail passes, its generally easy to buy pointtopoint train tickets right at the station whereas most rail passes arent widely available in europe. How far in advance can i book european train tickets. As with most things in life, planning ahead pays off. How to buy cheap european train tickets read this advice first. However, the commuter trains in the netherlands do not need to be booked in advance. You can check the menu card found on board the train when you get on. Do i need to book train switzerland to italy in advance. European train travel is easy, but booking can be tricky. In actual fact, if you can book your european train tickets well in advance, fares are likely to be less expensive than you. They would just require reservations as a supplement to a rail pass. For starters, its the highest train station in europe 3,454 meters.
How do you book reservations on a tgv in france with a. Home guides tips and hacks for europe train travel. Beginners guide to eurail passes 2020 buy a eurail pass. Passholders seat reservation guide rail europe train travel in. You can also sleep in a regular seat on a night train at no extra cost. Rail is one of the most popular ways for travellers to get around europe but ive often heard them bemoan the fact that fares are expensive. In some cases, particularly in western europe, you can make a reservation for a train from a different country, so theres no need to be in your country of departure when you do it. For example, you can book vienna to venice at, but tickets have to be collected from a selfservice machine in italy, no good if youre starting in. If you only choose to board these trains you wont pay an extra dime. The pass validity will start on whatever day you validate it at a station in europe, which can be done any time in the 11 months after you buy it.
As an alternative to high speed and night trains, you can travel on board regional or local trains. France, which tickets do i need to book in advance. You can see which trains require a reservation in our timetable, or you can check by country or by train type. Buying european train tickets by rick steves rick steves europe. Hi all travelling from grindelwald to verona on 28 september 3 people. I am concerned about when i should buy my train tickets.
Experience the incredible variety of different european cultures, or travel around a single country and soak up the local ambience. However the premium trains like tgv do offer discounts on nonrefundable tickets when bought far enough in advance. Consult or your favorite travel agent or guide book if you need help choosing an itinerary to match the. Once you have booked a train ticket with us, its exchange and refund rules will be indicated in your rail europe booking confirmation email, as well as printed with your train ticket andor on the ticket jacket in the case of paper tickets. Any segments that use a tgv must be booked in advance the earlier you book, the less youll pay. This is how seat reservations work for swiss and european. Seat reservations are compulsory for most high speed, international, and night trains.
In many cases, these required reservations arent so much a matter of space constrictions, but a surcharge for the privilege of riding the fastest or fanciest train. To travel with eurostar using your pass you need to book your seat in advance and pay a seat reservation fee. Jungfraujoch top of europe was high on my switzerland bucket list. Read capitaine trains insider guide to taking trains in europe. Youll be travelling in either standard or standard premier, depending on the class of your rail pass. On most of europes trains, reservations arent required, and theres. Book a seat reservation with rail europe and enjoy a hasslefree trip. Most dont require a seat reservation, so you wont have to pay any. Bbc travel top sites for booking european rail tickets. Do i need to make a reservation if im traveling with a rail pass on an overnight train. Popular trains book up quickly, so we would recommend booking your seats 2 months in advance. A eurail pass gives unlimited free travel on all the normal scheduled train services run by the national train operator in each of the countries it covers, although you ll need to make a reservation andor pay a supplement on some trains, see the countrybycountry guide. Booking european train tickets in advance train travel forum. Train tickets europe travel by train rail europe train.
I already have hotels and plans scheduled for certain days so i would hate to miss a train especially a. Regional trains will take you anywhere in europe, from the smallest village to the largest capital. A seat reservation is a guaranteed seat onboard a train. So 2 out of 3 type of trains in europe do not require a reservation with your eurail pass. For instance, board the euronight train in munich in the early evening and wake up in budapest the next morning, ready to explore. Frances highspeed tgv trains always require seat reservations, and usually book up early.
Compare and book train tickets for eurostar and 200 other train and bus companies. But even unreserved pointtopoint tickets have some flexibility, since you can. Regionalle trains local trains do not require a reservation. Heres everything youll need to succeed at booking train travel in europe. If you need to buy pointtopoint train tickets in advance for your european vacation, discover tips on how and where to get them. Any segments that use an intercities train, may need booking in advance some dont, but its best if you do book to get cheaper fares and to guarantee a seat. The best way really depends on of the train you are taking and the amount of time you have before your trip. All you need to know about train tickets, destinations and more. If youre planning to see a lot in a short amount of time on your eurail trip, then youll most likely need to buy some seat reservations for highspeed routes before you go. For travel with a rail pass, you would purchase reservations by searching a route on our homepage. Everything you need to know about european night trains. Night trains carry you over long distances while you sleep. You dont need to specify exactly what date you want your eurail pass to start when you buy it.
Here there is no discount for advance purchase, you buy a ticket and it is valid on any train, but you must stamp validate the ticket before you get on the train to stop you using it twice. There are only a few trains in switzerland that require a seat reservation. But it can be smart to buy in advance for certain trains and destinations, especially if your dates are set and you dont want to risk a specific train journey selling out, or if you re. Youll probably need to buy seat reservations for the journeys within france, and some of those can be a bit pricey, but hopefully not more than 20 or so and only for one or two of them. If you have a train ticket, you dont have to worry about booking a seat reservation.
Night trains usually have sleeper compartments, which should be reserved in advance and which add cost to a eurail pass or european train ticket, even one for a night train. Operated by deutsche bahn, ice trains are modern stateoftheart trains which can reach speeds of up to 300 kmh and use tilting technology to maintain these speeds on the bends. Depending on how much you plan to travel in the additional country, it may be more cost effective to purchase regular train tickets for those trips. Europe do i need to book train switzerland to italy in advance. How to purchase train tickets for europe strategies for buying. You still need to pay reservation fees for many trains in addition to the pass. You can make reservations at most train stations as youre travelling around europe. Find out if you need to make seat reservations or book other reservations for your rail trip. You can learn to deal with the slower trains later, or purchase them from rail europe book direct. If youre planning to see a lot in a short amount of time on your interrail trip, then youll most likely need to buy some seat reservations for highspeed routes before you go.
Ticket prices, in euros, for some routings are available. You must arrive at least 45 minutes before your train departs so one of our team. All other trains can just be boarded with a rail pass or a ticket and do not need to be booked in advance. If you will be traveling by highspeed train for example, the thalys train from amsterdam to brussels and paris you will need to book your tickets in advance. You simply buy a ticket and hop on the next train, similar to. This post probably contains affiliate links, which means i earn a commission at no extra cost to you if you click through and make a purchase. Not only will it save you time, money and stress, but you will also be able to enjoy trains for what they really are. Interrailing guide for beginners 2020 save the student. While some trains require a reservation like most overnight excursions, most of them do not require you to book ahead. First things first choose which pass you re going to travel europe with. Europes rail network is an ideal way to move between the larger cities, and if you book overnight journeys you can save on the cost of a hotel room. Choose where you want to go and check whether you need to reserve a seat. Hi alan, yes, tgv trains are covered by rail passes. Passholders seat reservation guide rail europe train.