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.
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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.
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.
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.
Eurail passes do not cover local transport like trams or metros, only intercity trains. Rail Europe is another company that offers similar European train passes.
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.
The difference between 1st and 2nd class rail travel is the level of comfort and the facilities provided. A 1st class Eurail Pass is more expensive than a 2nd class Eurail Pass, but it also gives you access to seats with more space and extras that can even include food and beverages.
A 1st class Eurail Pass is more expensive than a 2nd class Eurail Pass, but it also gives you access to seats with more space and extras that can even include food and beverages.
Skipping seat selection doesn't mean you won't get a seat on the flight. You might get stuck in the middle seat if you don't pay for one. Even if seat selection is free, you might want to skip it if only lousy seats are available (see the upgrade hack” below).
With point-to-point tickets, however, the ticket price includes the cost of any mandatory reservations (dates, times, and seat assignments are built in, just like with an airline ticket). If you opt to reserve a seat on a train that doesn't require reservations, you'll need to pay a small extra fee.
Here's how the 7pm rule worksIf your overnight train is leaving after 7pm then you can put in the following day's date on your rail pass and use one rather than two days of travel for the overnight trip. Simple!
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.
Many trains offer you a choice of seat types. For day trains, your choice of seating depends on the extra facilities and amount of legroom. For night trains, your choice ranges from a reclining airline-type seat to a private cabin with a comfy bed.
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.