How do you know if a seat is reserved on a train in Europe?

Reserved seats are marked by a paper stating which seat and for which route is reserved. 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.



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You will need a seat reservation for most high-speed trains and all night trains in Europe. Reservations are often required in France, Italy and Spain. Trains in these countries are popular and will quickly get full, especially during the summer months.

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Advance tickets can be an especially smart buy for popular high-speed trains (such as France's TGV trains and Italy's Le Frecce trains), which frequently sell out.

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Seats are allocated automatically when booking your train ticket. You will also be able to change your seat according to your preferences (aisle seats, windows seats…) and subject to availability.

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Train tickets for the Eurostar usually go on sale 330 days before the date of travel. Book in advance to make sure you get the cheapest options as those tend to sell out, leaving only the more expensive tickets.

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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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Can I choose a specific seat? Not while you're making a reservation. 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.

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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 main contenders are Omio, Rail Europe and Trainline. Those three are all legitimate companies, and established ticket resellers for European train tickets. (They're official partners of the European national train companies.) And they all put you on the same trains!

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In most places, tickets for slower regional or medium-speed trains cost the same whether they're bought two months or two minutes before the train leaves. Round-trip tickets can be cheaper than two one-way tickets in some countries (Britain, Ireland, and Spain; sometimes in combination with advance purchase).

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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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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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What happens if I've missed the last train connection? If you've missed the last train connection due to a delay, don't panic. Rail operators cannot leave you stranded mid-journey, especially if the delay is within their control.

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