I am trying to scope out a night train from Interlaken to Rome. My actual travel date is in October but since that is more than three months away I am using August 16 as a test date (same day of the week). I will have a Eurail Select pass and want to find out the additional cost of any compulsory reservations. I have searched the DBahn site and found a workable connection (available in Aug and Oct): Interlaken (18:30)-Spiez (18:52) IC1088 Spiez (19:05) - Milano Centrale (21:35) EC59 (reservation)
Milano Centrale (23:20) - Roma Termini (07:27) E1911 (reservation, sleeper) I have used raileurope.com to scope out the cost of the reservations for the two trains but am confused by the results on their website. If I put in the itinerary as Interlaken to Rome, all I get are routings through Paris. If I put in the components of the trip (Spiez-Milan, Milan-Rome) separately , I see the trains I want (EC59 or E1911) and I see a "Select" button with a reservation cost, but there is also a "Reservation Required" link which, when you hover the mouse over it, says that the passholder fares are not available. There are some trains listed that do not have the "Select" button, or the "Reservation Required" link, but simply have a statement that the passholder fares are not available. What does this mean? If I use the "Select" button the confirmation and purchase seems ready to go through. How should I interpret that rollover message?
Posted by
OP
Middletown, MD, USA
40 posts
I should add that the posted prices on raileurope.com, while higher than listed on RS's reservation costs sheet, were about $16 for the Spiez-Milan train and $68 for the Milan-Rome train (1st class) . Alot less than I would expect a full price ticket to cost.
Posted by
Seattle, WA
17439 posts
It seems like you are streteching things unnecessarily to take a night train. The regular ES train between Milan and Rome takes only 3 1/2 hours, so why turn it into an expensive night train journey? For the train from Spiez to Milan, you can make your reservation at the station in Switzerland for a few francs. No need to pay RailEurope $16 for that.
Posted by
Tilburg, Netherlands
2829 posts
This "E" trains are the worst of the worst of long distance rail travel. No need for that at all. You are better either departuring a bit earlier and catching the last high-speed train to Roma, or deaparturing earlier next morney from Milano with an overnight stay (+ dinner if you arrive earlier) there, then heading to Roma with the 1st or 2nd high-speed train in the morning. There are even some non-stop trains doing the sector in 2h57. No need to spend 8 gruesome hours in a night train for that.
Posted by
OP
Middletown, MD, USA
40 posts
I'm considering other options, and am leaning towards taking the night train from Munich to Rome instead of Interlaken-Rome. It is still slower than a day train, but it does save daylight for sightseeing. But really, this question is about the RailEurope website and what it is showing me with regard to reservations. Interestingly, I called RailEurope and gave them this itinerary and the girl who was helping me said that that train did not have a sleeper car. Their website was certainly offering one however. She seemed puzzled and suggested calling back in July, within 90 days of my actual travel dates, to see if they could actually put in a reservation for a sleeper car.