Rail Pass Reservations Explained: FAQs and Tips

General

I have a rail pass, but how do I know for which train I need to buy a passholder fare?

When you select your rail pass and then search for the journey you are planning to make, the search results will indicate:

• if it is necessary to buy a passholder fare and if it can be purchased on Rail Europe
• if the pass is not valid on this train, but a regular fare can be purchased on Rail Europe
• if no passholder fare is required and you are free to travel just with your pass
• if a passholder fare is required for a particular train, but is currently not offered by Rail Europe (as the tie up with those concerned railways may not be existing yet for the passholder fares) it can be bought through Eurail, or even locally at the station of departure (subject to availability).

As a rule of thumb, countries in which passholder fares are required to board a fast or high-speed train are France, Spain, and Italy. Even in these countries, you will find plenty of slower trains which do not require the purchase of a passholder fare. A passholder fare is also mandatory for Eurostar services and a number of fast international services to and from Italy, Spain, and France.

At the other end of the scale are countries like Britain, Germany, Switzerland, Denmark, the Czech Republic, and Austria where holders of a rail pass generally do not have to purchase an additional passholder fare to travel by train.

The search results show that it's not possible to do a reservation for the whole journey and that I need to split my search. What does this mean?

When your journey involves one or more changes of trains, it is possible that you need to purchase a passholder fare just for one of the trains, but not the other(s). In this case, we suggest to split your search. Compare the following example where a passholder fare is required for the first train (Eurostar from London to Paris) but not the second one (TER from Paris to Chartres). If you redo the search with that knowledge but only search for London to Paris, you will be able to purchase the passholder fare for the selected train:

When booking seat reservations on our website, what does it mean when the search results show “Free”?

When the search results show "Free," it can mean one of the following:

a) You do not need anything other than your rail pass to travel on the trains shown in the results.

Example: Brig to Zurich.

b) The journey may not be bookable on our website.

Example: Frankfurt to Brussels or London to Manchester.


I have an Interrail pass that allows me to travel on Eurostar. However, the search indicates that my pass is not applicable. What does this mean?

Yes, Interrail and Eurail passes are valid on Eurostar but require the purchase of a passholder fare for travel. However, some passholder fares can sell out just like other fares. When this is the case, we show that the pass no longer applies and offer you to purchase a regular point-to-point ticket instead. Of course, you can adjust your travel time to see if for an earlier or later train a passholder fare is still available.

I don't yet have a rail pass. Can I still buy a passholder fare?

You can certainly select the pass you intend to buy and then do a search for the journey you are planning to make to see if a passholder fare is required and available. This way you can also check if it would be advantageous to buy a rail pass instead of individual point-to-point tickets.

When it comes to purchasing passholder fares, though, a valid pass number is required for Eurail and Interrail passes. These passes do not need to be activated, but they still need to be valid. On Rail Europe, we of course also sell Eurail, Interrail, and Swiss Travel passes.

Do I still need to travel with a rail pass when I have purchased a passholder fare?

Yes, you do. The pass is your ticket - the passholder fare is just an additional reservation required for some trains when you travel with a rail pass.

How is the passholder fare delivered to me?

The passholder fare is delivered just like any other ticket on Rail Europe. Depending on the operator, you can choose between a pdf version and a mobile version which is sent to your email address after checkout.

Is the passholder fare refundable or exchangeable?

Passholder fares have fare conditions, just like other fares. You see the refund and exchange conditions when selecting the passholder fare.

Can I purchase passholder fares via Rail Europe's mobile app?

It is currently only possible to buy passholder fares on the desktop version at raileurope.com. However, any passholder fares purchased there are also accessible in the mobile app.

Note: You also need to add the trips to Eurail's Rail Planner mobile application. Only the seat reservation and QR code are not valid for your travel, you also need to add a trip in the app for the same train for which you have booked a seat reservation. You will need to add this trip to Eurail's Rail Planner mobile application so that a valid QR ticket can be generated to show when asked by the train manager or ticket inspector while travelling.

Before travel

• What should I do if there is incorrect information on my Pass?

If the details on your mobile Pass are incorrect or outdated, please get in touch with our customer service.

• Can I return my Pass for a refund?

A 100% refund applies to totally unused and non-activated passes. Request MUST be submitted before the last possible activation date indicated on the mobile Pass. Pass is considered activated if the first and consequently, last day of validity is defined.

• How do I activate my Eurail Pass?

If you need details about getting started with your Eurail/Interrail mobile Pass, please find the details here.

• How do I make seat reservations?

You can book seat reservations using our Rail Portail for Trenitalia, French Domestic TGV, French International TGV, French Intercites, Eurostar, Lyria, Renfe, Bernina Express, Glacier Express. Please find more details here.

If they want to book seat reservations for other products, your clients must use the Eurail website.

• Where can I find my mobile Pass number?

You can find your mobile Pass number in your order confirmation email, or on your Pass in the Rail Planner app. Pass numbers are 6 characters long and can contain numbers and letters.

• Can I get Eurail pass delivered as a paper document?

Rail Europe does not offer the option to deliver Eurail Passes as paper documents. All Eurail Passes available on the Rail Europe website are issued exclusively as mobile (digital) passes, which can be accessed and used through the Eurail/Interrail Rail Planner app.

• Can I get pass delivered as paper document?

Eurail and Interrail passes cannot be booked as paper passes. When purchased through Rail Europe, Passes purchased through Rail Europe are only available in mobile ticket format. The only exception is the Swiss Travel Pass (Continuous and Flexi), which is provided as a print-at-home ticket and in a PDF format. This PDF can either be printed or conveniently displayed on a mobile device during travel.

Traveling with a Eurail Pass

• How do I use my Pass?

Here is everything you need to know about using your mobile Pass, from getting ready for travel to boarding the train and ticket inspections.

• Can I get a new Pass if it's lost or stolen?

Yes! If your device gets lost, stolen or damaged with your Pass on it, you can opt to move your Pass to another device. Open the Rail Planner app on your new device and go to My Pass to add your Pass using your last name and Pass number from your order confirmation email. When asked, tap 'Move Pass' and follow the steps to have your Pass moved to the new device.

• Can I get compensation for train delays?

Did you experience a train delay of 60 minutes or more during your Eurail trip? Please contact our customer service.

• Is it possible to extend my Eurail Pass?

No, we can't extend or upgrade your existing Eurail Pass with extra travel days or the country validity.

Using the Rail Planner App

• Where can I download the Rail Planner App?

Go straight to your phone’s app store and search for Rail Planner app. The Rail Planner app is supported on Apple devices iOS 16.0 and later and Android devices 6.0 and later.

• Why is my journey split over two travel days?

When you add a journey to My Trip, it calculates how many travel days you'll need, including those for night and sleeper trains. This helps plan your trip more easily and get the most out of your travel days.

• How often does the app timetable get updated?

the Rail Planner app is updated 4 times a week to keep the journey planner as accurate as possible for using offline during your trip. If you don’t have automatic app updates turned on in your phone settings, check your phone's app store before you travel to make sure you have the latest version.

• Do I need to be online to use the app's other features?

it's important you are online at least once every 24 hours. The app does not update in the background, so you’ll need to open the app when you find a connection and we can check your Pass.

If you haven’t been online in more than 1 day, your mobile Pass will be considered inactive and you will not be able to use it until you connect to the internet and open the app.

The mobile Pass

• What will ticket inspectors check?

The ticket is the part of your Pass that the ticket inspectors will check. In most countries, the ticket inspector will visually check the details on your ticket, including the journey information you added, while in some other countries, the ticket inspector will scan the barcode and visually check the journey information.

You need a separate ticket for each travel day. You can create your tickets in advance or on the same day you’re travelling, but you need to have a valid ticket to show before boarding a train, bus, or ferry. Creating your ticket on the train, bus, or ferry isn’t allowed and may lead to a fine.

• How do I use travel days with the mobile Pass?

You can cancel your travel day any time before the start of that day (00:00 local time). Go to My Pass, choose the travel day you want to cancel and tap ‘Cancel travel day’.

Once a travel day has started, it’s no longer possible to cancel it. You cannot cancel a travel day that is in the past.

• Can I travel in a group with the mobile Pass?

Yes, you can add Passes from separate orders to the same device. You just need the last name and Pass number of each Pass you want to add to your device, which you can find in each order confirmation email.

Note: While there is no limit on how many Passes can be loaded into the App, we do not recommend loading more than 20.

• Why do I need to set up authentication?

We recommend you to set up authentication on your device to protect the personal information on your Pass, like your passport or ID number. You can use any of the authentication features on your device, from a passcode to a fingerprint to facial recognition.

Seat Reservation & Train Availability

Check if seat reservation is required & its cost

• While searching for trains on Rail Europe, you’ll see if a seat reservation is required and the cost before booking.
• You can also refer to the General section on this page for guidance.
• If a train cannot be booked on Rail Europe, check the Rail Planner App to view reservation requirements and approximate costs.

Note: Prices on the Rail Planner App are indicative and may vary.

If your train is not showing

• Check the booking horizon (Booking Horizon) to confirm if bookings are open for your travel date.
• If your date is within the booking horizon and the train still isn’t visible, please contact customer support for assistance.

Help with your account

• I can't log in to my account

If you're having trouble logging in, you can reset your password by choosing 'Forgot your password?' and following the steps.

• I haven't received the email to reset my password

The email can take up to 30 minutes to arrive. Don't forget to check your spam folder.

• My orders are missing from my account

It can take up to 30 minutes for your order details to appear in your account.