Reservations..when to make, how to avoid!

At InterRailNet.com we get a lot of questions about whether or not to reserve seats for certain trains. We realize that it sometimes is not clear when reservations are required. With this post I hope to clear things up a bit for you.

With the InterRail Global Pass you can travel for free through 30 European countries. With the InterRail One Country Pass you can travel for free in one specific country only. On www.interrailnet.com you'll find more info about these passes.

The general rule on reservations is that all the domestic trains are free and don't require a reservation, for the highspeed trains usually DO need reservations and sometimes charge additional costs. To check if a train needs a reservation I recommend the following website:

http://reiseauskunft.bahn.de/bin/query.exe/en?Id=212.27&newrequest=yes

You can easily fill in your departure station and destination and the site will show the connections. If you click on 'details for all'  you can see the details of the trains. If a train requires a reservation, this is listed as 'compulsary reservation'. There's also a red icon 'R'.

If you're on a low budget I advise you to take the domestic trains. Although the trains are slower, it will free you from extra costs! You'll also see more of the surroundings because it usually makes more stops!

You can use the website above as a tool to plan your trip! If you have any more questions about reservations or anything else regarding InterRail, just let me know on -sheena@eurail.nl- or post a comment!

Sheena

Comments

[aid]

hey ive got a interrail ticket for 3 countries but i am wondering how i can reserve a ticket from salzburg to venice with it, hopefully an over night train. tried doing it online over die bahn website but couldnt find out how to do it. will i have to go to the stationin person in advance to reserve a seat?

[Sheena]

Hi Aid, it depends on where you live what's the best way to make a reservation. If you live in Salzburg or you are Austrian, you can best call the National Railways Callcentre in Austria. Phone# is +43 51717. You can make your reservation by phone. If you're not a resident from Austria, let me know where you live for me to give you a better advice.
Regards, Sheena