Seat reservations necessary??

I am looking at my RailJet tickets from 2 weeks ago. I bought them through SBB since I originated there, and I see I have a separate sheet with a reservation for 5 chf, approximately 3.50 euro. I wasn't given a choice, the 5 chf res fee was included in the price I was shown. Were the trains crowded? Not really. If you want to keep your group (how big?) together, they would come in handy. I see you also stop in St Poelton and Linz. You risk getting bumped out of your seat if someone boards with a reservation, but if this is not a big concern of yours, I guess you could go without. If a reservation was mandatory, then RJ should have included it in the price, nicht wahr?

I've never made or needed reservations on RJ in Austria.

BUT - I've never ridden on such a big holiday as May Day....

If I were the one riding on such a busy day I would certainly have a reservation if I could plan ahead.

That's going to be a big travel day as it is a holiday weekend. When I travel here, I usually pay for a seat reservation to keep our family together. It is so cheap anyway. You can buy your seat reservation at one of the many OeBB offices when you arrive in Vienna (you don't need to do it so far in advance as Austrians tend not to buy reservations).

Thank you, everyone!! I decided to go ahead with the seat reservations since it is a big holiday from the sounds of it. And we are traveling with 8 people, so would rather not be spread all over the trains!! It does seem strange that the reservation price is not included with the ticket, or, at the very least, that the site doesn't show a way to make seat reservations. Or I didn't see it, if it did. I emailed oebb.at for the information, and they are going to make them, but that seems like a lot of bother for them, as well as me!! However I will feel more comfortable with us having reservations, I think. Actually, until I read the posts here, I didn't realize that May 1 was a big holiday!!!

Hi,

I never reserved a seat on the RJ for that route, but then it was never on 1 May. That date, a national holiday, is their version of our Labor Day, the first Monday in Sept. national holiday, Tag der Arbeit. I would suggest getting the reservations.

As with all national holidays in Austria, shops are closed (I mean all shops, including grocery stores). Restaurants and attractions, however, will be open. On this day there are usually numerous parades of various union groups/demonstrations for worker's rights, etc.

Oh, George....thank you!! I see it now, .....guess I overlooked it when I was booking. Now I will know where to look to do the actual reservations for the additional bookings that I make! It didn't make sense that oebb needed to be emailed for EVERY reservation, and now I see that it was totally my mistake, and that they have it right!!!

In general I don't think you need seat reservations. BUT I have been on trains that were pretty crowded so I would make seat reservations if you want to keep folks together.