I have purchased a four country Eurail select pass for my trip to Paris, Germany, Austria and Switzerland in September/October. I went to the Eurail website to book a train ticket, and it recognized the fact that I have a Eurail pass. However, after I went through the process of selecting the route, when I got to the payment page, it asked me for a full payment for the ticket. I cannot figure out how to make the reservation under my eurail pass. Is there somewhere to get specific help for this query?
Posted by
3439 posts
Did you go here:
https://www.eurail.com/en/plan-your-trip/about-reservations
And click on "right here"?
If you've already bought your Pass and are looking to book your reservations, you can do so right here!
Posted by
OP
Asheville, NC
198 posts
Yes, that's what I did. I went through this process at the link you provided. I bought a first class eurail pass. The fees showing for two people from Paris to Munich are about $100. Could this be in addition to what I paid for the pass? That seems excessive.
Posted by
Washington DC
28073 posts
The pass doesn't cover seat-reservation fees (though they are included in ticket prices when you buy directly), and your trip may involve two different trains. Second-clas seat reservations cost less, I think, and second class is perfectly fine.
Posted by
Tresana, Highlands Ranch, CO, USA
23626 posts
Could be about right. One drawback to using a pass is the fees for reserving a seat. Sometimes that fee, especially in France, can be higher than a discount, advance purchase ticket for that same seat. A rail pass provides flexibility but not always savings. The pros and cons of a pass were well discussed in your Feb 24th question so this should not surprise you.
Posted by
Lakewood, Colorado
19274 posts
Were you trying to get a reservation for a train in France? On French Rail certain trains require a reservation, which comes with a full fare ticket, but costs extra for pass holders. These "passholder reservation" charges cover not only the cost of the seat reservation but include a surcharge for what they consider a premium train. They limit the number of "Passholder Reservations" available on these trains. When the quota is reached, pass holders cannot purchase reservations only, even if seats are available, but must purchase full fare tickets, which come with a reservation.
Try a different train (time), or see if there is a slower, lower type of train (IC, regional?) connection for the same route. Or try another reservation service, such a RailEurope or Euraide. They might have access to a different quota of reservations.
Posted by
OP
Asheville, NC
198 posts
Thank you for your replies. I am getting a better handle on the details.
Posted by
Lakewood, Colorado
19274 posts
According to the German Rail website, full fare for Paris to Munich using the TGV is around 150€/P, so $50/P (43€/P) does sound like a Passholder Reservation.
Another thing you might try: what is the "reservation" fee for Paris to Karlsruhe? Is it a lot less? Once the train is in Germany, German fare rules should apply. According to German Rail, a reservation only on that train from Karlsruhe to Munich is 4,50€/P. There are no hefty passholder reservation fees in Germany.