We plan to use Eurail passes, but are wondering if we should make reservations. Some trains, according to bahn.de, call for "compulsory reservations." If so, how do we do that, from the states? Or once we are in Europe? We are travelling Berlin to Gorlitz to Salzburg to Lauterbrunnen to Basel to Frankfurt.
Posted by
Lakewood, Colorado
19274 posts
Very, very few trains in Germany require compulsory reservations. If they do, you can probably make the reservations at the counter, particularly a few days in advance. If you want to make them before you go over, do so on the German Rail website. Just go to where it says "Purchase" for full fare tickets. There you will see an option (radio button) for "seat reservation without ticket".
But, don't just assume that a rail pass is the best option. Germany has a lot of discount offers. You might find that P2P tickets using these discount fares will cost less than a rail pass. Do the math.
Posted by
Tacoma, WA, USA
671 posts
Agreed that the P2P often make the most sense over the passes- that was what my research revealed and what we went with. If you buy P2P tickets, it does not reserve your seats automatically. You will be on the train, but you will sit where there is space available in the class you purchased.
We were told we didn't need to reserve seats, but I felt better doing so, and I am so glad we did. Maybe because it was the holiday season (post-Christmas), but our trains were over-full. Had we not reserved seats, we would have been sitting on the floors, for hours, with kids (this was from Nuremberg to Berlin- which started in Austria- and then from Berlin to Mainz- passing through Frankfurt.)
I think the reservations are a small price to pay to be able to relax and have a seat. Oh, and you do it through the Bahn website. You can do it at the same time you buy tickets- it's an option when you purchase them.
Posted by
Edmonton, AB, Canada
668 posts
Another benefit of reservations is the way trains operate in Europe. Sometimes, particularly long distance trains, get split up and all of the train you board may not be going where you want and you need to be in the correct car. Reserving a seat ensures you are in the right car for your destination.
Posted by
San Francisco, California, USA
446 posts
"I think the reservations are a small price to pay to be able to relax and have a seat. "
Agreed, especially if you are traveling in second class. First class usually has more available unreserved seats. But, you never know. On a trip I took from Dresden to Berlin last May, the first class was full -- in fact, when I got on, there was somebody sitting in my reserved seat and I had to ask him to move.
Posted by
Lakewood, Colorado
19274 posts
Berlin to Görlitz (Gersdorf), Görlitz to Salzburg and Basel Bad Bhf can all be done with advance purchase online ticket from the German Rail website for as low as €29 pP for each leg. You can get a Europa-Spezial Schweiz ticket from Freilassing to Interlaken Ost for as low as €39 pP. Freilassing, Germany, is across the river from Salzburg Hbf (€2,10 fare).
All of these tickets are available from the German Rail website. They require at least 3 days advance purchase but earlier is advised (they go on sale 3 months before the travel date and sell out quickly at the lowest prices). So, that totals €126 ($170) pP for all but Interlaken to Basel. Interlaken to Basel, full fare, will only be about $50 pP.
That's in 2nd class, but 2nd class is certainly good enough. A Eurail Saver pass in only available in 1st class for almost $400 per person with a pass, about $220 plus misc for point-point.
If you purchase these German tickets online from the Bahn, reservations are €2,50, about half the price they would be if you purchase reservations with a rail pass.