I just recently bought a 10 day in 2 month eurail flexi pass for my trip to europe this summer because I figured out that buying point to point tickets to all the places I'm going was going to be way more expensive. I know that you have to pay reservation fees and even with those it's cheaper to use the pass. However, I'm now getting nervous about not being able to GET reservations..I was under the impression that buying reservations in Canada or the US is way more expensive then buying them while in Europe, but if I wait until I'm in Europe will they be all sold out? I also want to be a bit flexible while in Europe and I don't want to have to leave somewhere because I had already bought the reservation for the train. I was just planning on making reservations when I got to europe since for the first 2 and half weeks I won't be travelling around by train. Will I be okay for reservations..? We're also planning on taking night trains from Rome to Venice, Venice to Vienna, Vienna to Prague, Prague to Krakow, and Krakow to Berlin if there is one. Should I buy those reservations now? Thanks for any information you can give me!!
Posted by
Minneapolis, MN, USA
8700 posts
You've already bought a pass so it's a moot point now, but here is something for future reference. If you compare the price of FULL FARE point-to-point tickets to the cost of a pass, then a pass can look like a good deal. If you compare the pass to the cost of buying discount fare p2p tickets well in advance on national rail sites, then the pass may not be such a good deal after all.
Popular night trains can sell out weeks in advance so you should buy your sleeping accommodation supplements now. National rail companies limit the number of seats they allocate to passholders. If you wait until you get to Europe to buy seat reservations for daytime trains, those seats may be gone on a particular train you wish to take even though the train is not sold out.
Yes, it's more expensive to buy reservations now from Rail Europe than it is to do so in Europe. However, if you need to make many reservations, then buy them from EurAide. For one $60 US processing fee they will sell you all the reservations you need for all the trains you need at in-Europe prices. You'll need to call them. Their US phone number is on their Web site, www.euraide.com.
Posted by
OP
Vancouver, BC, Canada
3 posts
What about regional trains? You don't need reservations for those, do you?
And yeah I'm trying to get my reservations for the night trains sorted out, but on raileurope.com it just says that you have to buy the reservation at the local station...does that mean they're sold out or are they telling the truth?
Do you know if there is even a night train from Krakow to Berlin? I tried looking on rail europe under the reservation section but it wouldn't even show me because the pass doesn't cover Poland.
Thanks for all your help!
Posted by
Minneapolis, MN, USA
8700 posts
There is open seating on regional trains and reservations aren't even possible.
There is a Rome-Venice night train; but according to the experts at Budget Europe Travel Service, Rail Europe doesn't sell tickets or passholder reservations for it. You can travel that route in less than four hours on EuroStar Italia Alta Velocita trains.
The message saying that you need to check at the local station may mean that Rail Europe doesn't have any more reservations for a particular train. You could call them and talk to an agent about this. Or you could call EurAide. Or you could call the friendly people at BETS. Their advice is free. Their toll-free number is on their site.
For Krakow-Berlin you can take a night train from Krakow to Szczecin and a regular train from there to Berlin.
The best site for train timetables for virtually all of Europe is the German Rail site. After you get summary timetables for point A to point B, click on the arrow to the left of the departure time(s) of your choice to see the connecting points, if any.
Posted by
OP
Vancouver, BC, Canada
3 posts
Thank you so much for all this information!
One last question..why don't people just take regional trains ( I know they're a bit slower) if there's no reservation fee? Do they usually fill up pretty quickly?
Posted by
Ottawa, Canada
4555 posts
Nathalie, lots of people take regional trains....for regional journeys. But they can be quite a bit slower than the faster trains....and things drag out when you have to make connections across regions. It's sorta like taking a couple of buses into downtown Vancouver from Port Coquitlam rather than using the WCE train....only over a longer distance.