Then when arriving in Italy buy the actual ticket for the train?
Posted by
Lakewood, Colorado
19100 posts
People do that all of the time with rail passes. However, in most cases, you can get reservations at the station right up to train time (and in most of those cases the reservation will not be necessary). You can certainly get all of your reservations when you arrive.
As for Germany, German Rail sells reservations alone online for €4 ($6) individual 2nd cl., €5($7.50) individual, 1st cl. If you buy them online or at an automat, with a ticket, they are €2 and €3 respectively. If you purchase a family reservation online/automat with a ticket, it's €4/€6.
So, a 2nd cl. reservation, purchased online with your ticket for a family of four would be €6, about $9. RailEurope would charge $44 for the same reservation, $11 per person, regardless of age.
Posted by
OP
Knoxville, TN, USA
7209 posts
I worked with a lady from Trenitalia last year who sold me seat reservations for my school group, and we got a good discounted price. I had to transfer money to a Trenitalia account from the USA for her to purchase the seat reservations. Then when I arrived I paid the remaining balance in person at Roma Termini for the actual ticket for the EuroStar. So, yes, you can buy a seat reservation seperately from the ticket when working with Trenitalia.
Just wondered if it was possible to do the same thing using RE to purchase the seat reservation.
Posted by
Tresana, Highlands Ranch, CO, USA
23301 posts
Keep in mind that Rail Europe is a travel agency and not a railroad company and over priced on may of their tickets. My guess is that you are better off working directly with a rail company.