Hi, I've traveled on trains in the U.K., and you can tell which seats are reserved because there is a paper reservation ticket placed in a slot on the back of each reserved seat. We're traveling through France, Switzerland and Italy using Eurail passes, and I would like to know how you can tell a seat is reserved by someone else. Do they use a similar system such as the U.K.? Thanks very much,
Gary
Posted by
Grand Falls-Windsor, NL, Canada
307 posts
Much the same on the continent...there will be a conspicous slot with a reservation slip in it located somewhere near the seat
Posted by
Danville, VT
12040 posts
I don't know about all the countries you listed, but some may have a system similar to Deutsche Bahn. There's a digital display that indicates between which cities the seat is reserved. If the reservee doesn't show, the display turns off, and the seat is now considered free.
Posted by
Genesee, ID
1840 posts
Tom, And in our experience that digital display is on the edge of the overhead compartment. Its about an inch wide and hardly noticeable unless you are in tune with the workings of the system. Is that right?
Posted by
Danville, VT
12040 posts
No, it's pretty easy to see and very noticable, at least on the ICE trains. If you're an average sized adult, the display lies at about eye level, and for compartments, it sits right by the door. You would have to willfully ignore it not to see it.
Posted by
Monein, Pyrenees, France
425 posts
Don't worry ... if you are in someone's seat, they will show you the display! :-) Roger