I'm slightly confused about this pass, when it comes to the high speed and night trains. For example, when booking a train from Paris to Brussels on Thalys, I only have to reserve a seat, right? I don't have to pay for the ticket, do I? Will this require calling Thalys? It doesn't seem possible to just reserve a seat online without buying a ticket. Also, on a CNL train from Amsterdam to Berlin, I only need to reserve a seat, not buy a ticket, right? I can't seem to do that online, either.
Posted by
Ottawa, Ontario,, Canada
521 posts
Hi Renee,
You are correct about the reservations. Your pass covers the distance travel, but does not cover any reservations. Both the Thalys and the night trains require reservations. You will also need reservations on the following, should any apply to you:
TGV (high-speed trains - in France)ES or AV (Eurostar - in Italy)AVE (high-speed trains - in Spain)
This is a very limited list, but covers the main ones.
As for making the reservations, I am not aware of anyone who booked Thalys with a railpass so I do not know if you need to book a reservation in advance, and if it can be done on the website. If you know their number, calling them directly is probably best.
As for the night train, you can book just a reservation through Rail Europe but their prices bill in a surcharge. The other three options you have are to call Deutsche Bahn and do a reservation over the phone, use Euraide to book it at a cost of $50, or wait until you are in Europe to book the trip from any major train station.
If you are waiting until you are in Europe, it should not be a problem so long as the night train trip will be at least a few days out. If you are travelling during the busy summer months, then you will want to book as soon as you can.