The email says this: “Remember, you'll need physical copies of your reservations to show the conductor on board the train, along with your eurail Pass. Showing this email won't be enough, so make sure you keep your print-outs somewhere safe.”

Whether a Eurail seat reservation needs to be printed depends on the specific train company and country, as the system is currently in a transition phase. For approximately 95% of European trains, reservations are issued as e-tickets (PDFs) that can be displayed on your smartphone or within the Eurail Rail Planner app. However, certain high-speed and international routes—notably those in Italy, France, and Spain, as well as night trains—still require a physical Paper Ticket printed on security paper. If you receive a reservation via registered mail, you must carry the physical original; a print-out or photo of it will not be accepted. To be safe in 2026, you should always check the "ticket type" in your confirmation email. If it says "e-ticket," a digital version is fine; if it mentions a "paper ticket," you must have the physical document in hand before boarding the train to avoid heavy fines or being denied boarding.