Hi Everyone,
I have a Eurail Global pass and will be traveling for two weeks in August. I will be starting off in Germany, but will end up in France. There is one train that I need to take -- Nice to Frankfurt -- on the last day of my trip. I need a reservation, but I was wondering whether I am able to get reservations for French TGV trains at a German (DB Bahn) station? If so, I could simply get the reservation the day I arrive (still more than two weeks in advance) and save some money.
If this train has limited reservations for pass holders like some in France, I would not wait but get the reservation ASAP.
especially if it's to get you back to your departure airport!!
The most straightforward route is 11 or 12 hours via Paris.
That usually means TGV to Paris, cross Paris to Gare de l'Est (from Gare de Lyon), then another TGV to Karlsruhe or Mannheim and a final change to an ICE to Frankfurt airport.
Because the TGVs are rationed for pass holders (and cost money) and because they are so long and so critical, you are advised to get them reserved ASAP, critically.
There is an occasional ICE for the Paris to Mannheim leg which also requires a paid reservation for the French portion of travel.
Because these reservations are so critical and time is short I suggest you get those reservations taken care of before leaving home. Remember that the reservations are for a specific train, not any train on a route so you will find it difficult to change your plans. Unfortunately that is a real down side of a rail pass.
Since your initial post hints that you are leaving Frankfurt to fly back home on the evening of your last day, a ten or eleven hour train trip may just not get you there in time. I would seriously suggest looking into a flight from Nice to Frankfurt - I see online that Lufthansa may do it. (Whatever you do, don't take a flight to Frankfurt-Hahn Airport, which is a long way away.)
Thanks, everyone. I've gone ahead and made seat reservations for the trip to make sure I can actually get on that train. (Yes, this is to get back to my departure airport, though I've padded my trip so that I'm returning to Frankfurt the day before my flight in case there is a delay.)
