I understand you must have a seat reservation. My question is can we change our mind, and change trains and buy another seat reservation - or are we locked into the original seat/train that we reserved?
Posted by
Rick Steves' Europe
16895 posts
This German Pass promo is new and strange. To get 2 free reservations in the same booking, you must enter the code SITANDSAVE on the delivery page before completing check out. You can buy other seat reservations in Germany and there's about a 50% chance you could exchange the existing reservation at a train station before departure. For 3 travel days, for instance, this promo saves $56 per person, but you will spend about $5 (4 euros) per person for each seat reservation that it forces you to buy in Germany. The regular pass doesn't require reservations for daytime trains, but they cost the same if you want them. The promo pass is also not refundable or changeable for any reason, although paying extra for Rail Europe's Rail Protection Plan would give some limited exchange options.
Posted by
OP
DFW
15 posts
So I would not be locked into the original reservation. I am not worried about th cost of another reservation, but worried I would not be able to take a different train than the one I originally booked.
Do I need advance reservations the last 2 weeks of August to go between Amsterdam and Berlin and Berlin and Munich? Looking at the schedules at Bahn.de it looks advisable, but I never felt like I needed them a few years ago.
Posted by
Lakewood, Colorado
19274 posts
As I read it, you are not locked into a specific reservation, but for the pass to be valid when you are using it, you must have a reservation for that train, if it is reservable (ICE/IC/EC, etc). Without a reservation, the pass is not valid and it would be the same as riding without a ticket. No one knows whether you have other reservations. It is just that when the conductor comes by to check tickets, and you show him the pass, you'd better have a reservation for that train.
You don't need advance reservations unless reservations sell out in advance. You can buy reservations, if they are available, right up to train time, but if there are no more seats available, you can't get on that train.
The German Rail website says that reservations are not refundable or transferable, so my guess is that there is zero % chance of exchanging reservations.
Reservations from German Rail are now 4,50€ (about $6) and are for up to two connecting trains.