Do Eurail trains have assigned seats?

Seat reservations are not included in your Eurail Pass, but for a fee they guarantee you a comfy seat on busy routes across Europe. On most high-speed trains and all night trains, seat reservations are mandatory. Find out more here. First things first – choose which Pass you're going to travel Europe with.



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You can hop on and off most trains as you please with your Eurail Pass, but some trains ask you to buy an additional seat reservation before you can jump aboard.

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Passengers are entitled to one seat per fare, to ensure other paying passengers are not excluded. Unless specific seats are assigned, seating is on a first-come, first-served basis. Seat availability is not guaranteed until we provide you with a reservation confirmation.

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Each passenger paying a fare will be entitled to a seat, to the extent coach seats are available. Passengers are entitled to one seat per fare, to ensure other paying passengers are not excluded. Unless specific seats are assigned, seating is on a first-come, first-served basis.

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The train operator may not have released seat reservations at that time. The train operator will only open seat reservations when the train path has been confirmed by Network Rail. This is usually 12 weeks ahead of your travel date. The train on which you wish to travel is full at the time of booking.

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Your seat will be automatically assigned when you complete your reservation. You may change your assigned seat at any time after your booking is complete using interactive seat maps on the Amtrak app or on Amtrak.com. There is no fee to change your seat.

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To find trains that don't require reservations you can use our Rail Planner app on a mobile device. Make sure to tick the 'No reservation needed' box when searching for trains. In some cases, reservations can't be avoided simply because no other options are available.

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We ask for your passport or ID number for safety and verification that the Pass you are travelling with is actually yours. You may be asked to show your passport or ID card when your Pass is being checked by ticket inspectors, so the number on your Pass should match the number on the passport or ID you are carrying.

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Because some trains are more expensive than others, or historically have received less income from Eurail/Interrail to cover the large amount of passholders making use of those trains (Spain and France mainly). Reservations are usually a fraction of the cost of regular 1st class tickets, with some exceptions.

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Many French trains need to be reserved in advance, and seats can be limited at times. Make your train trips in France comfortable and reserve your seats before the journey even begins! Most French high-speed trains and night trains can be reserved up to 2 months in advance.

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We advise you to start making reservations at least 2 months in advance. Many high-speed and night trains can already be reserved from 3 months in advance, and will get fully booked in that period.

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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.”

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If you do not purchase a seat assignment, one will be randomly assigned free of charge. However, your party may be separated.

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Non reservable train Some carriers don't provide seat reservations on all or some of their trains. This is common on regional trains, shorter routes and during peak travel times on commuter routes. On these trains you can sit in any vacant seat in the class your ticket is booked for.

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These are normally on the side of the windows. If a whole carriage is reserved, there is a paper stating again the route on the door to the train. Some times you will see a paper stating express reservation. This means that the seats might or might nt be reserved, they are made available for last minute reservations.

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It's pretty logical that the front car is the most dangerous place in a head-on collision, and the last car worst if the train is rear-ended, so National Association of Railroad Passengers president Ross Capon suggests riding in the middle cars.

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