When you buy a train ticket with us, in many cases you will be offered the chance to choose a seating preference. Window, aisle, table seats and, in some cases, upper deck or lower deck.
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When you buy a train ticket with us, in many cases you will be offered the chance to choose a seating preference. Window, aisle, table seats and, in some cases, upper deck or lower deck. Vibrating seats to massage you between Manchester and Montpellier, not so much.
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.
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.
Non reservable trainSome 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.
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.
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.
To find routes without seat reservations, you can use our Rail Planner app on any mobile device. Make sure to tick the 'No reservation needed' box when searching for trains.
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.
You can view or change your seat at any time after booking, even onboard while your train is en route. A schedule change, equipment change or other unforeseen circumstance may cause the planned orientation of your train or seat to change before departure.
If you miss your connecting trainIn Europe, international rail travel is protected by CIV rules. This means you'll usually be permitted to travel on the next available train free of charge if your first train is delayed. They do not entitle you to a full refund of your order.
There are priority seats on all of our trains, usually near the doors and marked with a P sign. Most people are happy to give up their seat to someone more in need of it. Simply show your card to someone sitting in a priority seat and they'll see that you have a need for one of these seats.
GS coaches refers to the general seating coach. It is a second class unreserved coach. Normally every train including mail/express trains have atleast two GS coaches one near the locomotive and one at the end of the train. Anyone with a General/Unreserverd ticket bought from counter can travel in those compartments.
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.