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Seat Reservations But No Tickets ?

I made some seat reservations but decided not to use Global Pass (long story, don't ask). Does anyone know of a work-around to buy tickets only for those trips that I have seat reservations for? It was dumb thing, I know but it is what it is now. Actually I will save some money by buying point to point tickets even if I can't use the seat reservations I already have. For Bavaria the Bayern tickets at 57 euro each are a great deal.

Posted by
3003 posts

I do not understand the story you are telling. Just the info that regional tickets of Deutsche Bahn such as Bayern Ticket allow regional trains only (no ICE, no IC) for which you cannot make seat reservations. For seat reservations in ICE and IC you can use Deutsche Bahn website without buying a ticket.

Posted by
21145 posts

If this is for Germany, Deutsche Bahn 2nd class tickets come without seat reservations. So just buy tickets for the trains you have seat reservations for. Otherwise, just forget about about the 4.50 EUR they cost you.
If they are 1st class reservations,at 5.90 EUR, a 1st class ticket comes with a reservation, so it is money down the drain.

For Bavaria the Bayern tickets at 57 euro each are a great deal.

Must be a 2-person 1st class Bayern Tickets. A little overkill that.

For other countries, like France or Italy, national trains come with seat reservations to begin with, so I guess you can throw them in the trash can.

Posted by
11294 posts

It seems that you have seat reservations for some trains, but since you didn't buy the Global Pass, you have only the reservations and no tickets. If this is correct, for countries where seat reservations are optional, like Germany, just buy tickets for those EXACT trains, without reservations. Then, you're all set.

I don't know a way to use reservations for countries, like France and Italy, where the reservations are mandatory and so are always sold with the tickets. Perhaps you could e-mail the train companies, or Rail Europe, and see what they can do. But, you may just have to eat the cost of some the reservations.

EDIT: Cross-posting with Sam, who I see had the same ideas.

Posted by
8889 posts

It might help if you told us what countries (which rail companies) this is for, and which trains.
As the others say, for some companies (DB ICE trains for example), reservations are optional, so you can just buy the tickets to go with the reservations.
For others (SNCF TGV's or Trenitalia Frecciarossa for example), reservations are bundled in with the ticket, it is only pass-holders who ever buy a reservation separately. So without a pass your reservations are worthless.

And the Bayern Ticket (and other German Länder tickets) are only valid on local trains (not ICE), precisely the ones you cannot reserve.

Posted by
41 posts

OK, seat reservations are for 1st class Pass in Germany, Austria, and Italy for 2 seniors. I only made reference to the Bayern tickets because if I have to throw the reservations away I won't lose much if I buy Bayern tickets for those trips n Germany. The reservations where more than $4.50 & $9.50 as Sam mentioned (2 seniors). They were $13.31 & $14.00 in Germany, $23 in Austria and Italy. It may be possible to purchase tickets from Rothenburg ob der Tauber to Munich on the same train but at a higher cost than is worth it to save the reservations. Will check that out. From Munich to Salzburg I think the Bayern ticket is the best way to go and lose the $14.00 seat reservations since the seats are in 1st Class and the tickets are more expensive than Bayern. Seats from Venice to Florence are a loss since seats come with the tickets. The same from Florence to Milan. All in all I will still come out better for the 10 day tip by buying point to point tickets, some in 1st and some in 2nd.

Posted by
41 posts

Checking the DB site for tickets from Rothenburg ob der Tauber to Munich the trains for which I have seat reservations are IC 2065 &
ICE 1221. Depart at 11:06 AM on RB 5889 with changes at Augsbach and Nurnberg. The cheapest tickets are 111.80 euro plus seats are included.. There are Bayern tickets for 2 seniors for 57 euro, a little slower but cheaper even with the lose of the $13.31 seat reservations. From Munich to Salzburg seats are 1st class print at the station for EC 217, tickets are 63.80 euro and also include seat reservations, Bayern tickets for a few minutes later are 57 euro for 2 seniors.Doing the math it is best if I toss all the seat reservations.
Another lesson learned and after traveling by train in Europe for more than 20 years i should have known better than to put the "cart before the horse" as they say.

Posted by
21145 posts

The reservations where more than $4.50 & $9.50 as Sam mentioned (2 seniors). They were $13.31 & $14.00 in Germany, $23 in Austria and Italy.

Actually those prices were in Euro, so 4.50 EUR pp would be about $5.10 at current exchange or $10.20 for 2 people, but if you were getting a 1st class pass, you would need 1st class seat reservations at 5.90 EUR pp (not $9.50) so at current exchange about $13.40 for 2 people, so that would look about right.

I assume the $23 for Austria and Italy would be equivalent of two 10 EUR Italian EC/Freccia seat reservations.

My suggestion to make up for these losses is to buy 2nd class Bayern Tickets for 32 EUR rather than 1st class for 57 EUR. First class is really gilding the lily on regional trains. In fact, the little connector train between Rothenburg and Steinach doesn't even have 1st class seats. Other trains will just have a couple of 1st class seats in one section of the carriages. So on one journey alone you would save 25 EUR, about $28. That is more than you spent on the seat reservations for 2 journeys.

Edit - And if you really want seat reservations, I see they are available for purchase at DB automats and travel centers in major stations for 1 EUR (I think) on the regional trains from Steinach to Treutlingen and the connecting train to Munich. They are not available on the Meridian (regional) trains from Munich to Salzburg.