Trains between Nurnberg and Salzburg

First, R Europe is a travel agency and only sell tickets for the trains they list. You should be using the bahn.de site. IF reservation are REQUIRED for a particular train then you are required to have a reservation. The penalty can be severe if you don't have a reservation and it is required. Generally all high speed trains require reservations. Some train system limit the number of seats available for pass holders so that could be the reason they are sold out. The French do but do not know the policy for DBahn.

Got it ... How do I reserve on. Bahn site?

Just bumping this up to the top because I am frustrated! I totally understand that Rail Europe is an agent - what I can't figure is how I reserve a ticket on a train through bahn.com. Anyone have a link?

OK - figured it out. Question - I can only reserve a seat (I have a German Rail pass) between Nurnberg and Munich. Won't allow a reservation to Salzburg - gives me some message that reservations can only be made with tickets for international trains. I was told that with a German Rail Pass that reservations are advised but not required - unlike a ticket holder where you MUST reserve a seat. Is this true? I understand that we might not get seats but am confused on that part because I see on some trains reservation required and want to be sure. When I get to Germany can I make reservations at a ticket counter? Anyway - I did price out tickets vs. passes and did get passes. I did price out passes on Bahn and Rail Europe and they seemed the same while reserving a rail on rail Europe is MUCH more expensive.

Reservations are not required on any trains in Germany except the ICE Sprinter, of which there are very few. Sprinters run, for example, run non-stop in each direction between Frankfurt and Berlin in the morning and evening (only two trains/day each direction). German Rail does not limit pass holder reservations. "Reservations only" are used not just by pass holders but by those who have already purchased tickets and by Bahn Card holders. I assume you would take an ICE from Nuernberg to Munich and go from there by another express train (EC or RJ). If so, find the connection on the Bahn Query Page. Click on "Purchase for the connection you want". On the next page, in the first blue field, it gives you the option to purchase "Seat reservation only (no ticket)". The reservation will be for up to two trains in one direction, ie, Nuernberg to Munich and Munich to Salzburg.

Thanks Lee - I did get the reservation from Nurnberg to Munich but the next leg gives me this error message: "It is not possible to make a reservation for international connections at www.bahn.de without the purchase of a ticket. Please remove the check mark from the field "Reservation for seat only", if you would like to buy a ticket for this connection." Do you think when I arrive in Germany, and I have my rail pass in my hand, I can reserve on this "international connection"? Is it even necessary? If i didn't what is the worst case, I stand or would I not be allowed to travel on that train?

Do you get that error message after putting in your card number? I can get all the way up to the page where I have to put in my card number without getting that message, and I'm not going to buy a ticket to find out more. I also put in just Munich to Salzburg (the international leg?) and could still get to the point of having to enter my card number without getting that message, even with RailJet (RJ), which is an Austrian train. In fact, I am rather surprised that a train from Munich to Salzburg would be listed as an international train. Yeah, it does go into Austria, but Salzburg Hbf is considered a "border" station. The German Rail pass is valid to Salzburg Hbf and discount tickets are "Sparpreis" ticket, which are only for anywhere in Germany. They are not Europa-Spezial, which would be to a different country. Are you using this website. Is your final leg "Munich Hbf" to Salzburg Hbf". Anyway, if you already have the ticket and a reservation from Nuernberg to Munich, I guess what is done, is done. Yes, you should be able to buy a reservation for the Munich to Salzburg train either in Munich or in Nuernberg. Maybe if you show him the ticket and say you bought it online, he'll give you the reservation for free, because the online reservation says, "for 2 trains in one direction". If not, the reservation is only €4. I don't think anyone is denied boarding on a reservation optional train because they don't have a reservation. On Dec 26 (a holiday), I rode an ICE from FRA to Karlsruhe. Because of the holiday, it was SRO, but we still got on. The aisles were full of people standing. When we got to Mannheim, a lot of people got up to get off, and we got seats. I rode that train two years later in March, and I was one of only four people in the coach.

Ok - tried with a new browser window but still getting that message. I think I am going to give this up and figure that no matter what I can jump on some train between Munich and Salzburg. The one thing I'd like to clarify is are there trains I can't board with a rail pass and no reservation?

Looking at the Bahn schedule, I don't see any express trains that require a seat reservation. And, some of the trains are RE's, for which reservations are not even available.

Thanks - I am going to stop worrying about it.

got an answer! Dear Ms. Jones, thank you for your e-mail. Unfortunately, the option "Seat reservations only (no ticket)" is not available online for connections starting or ending outside of Germany. Please contact our travel service at +49 1805 996633 (press 9 for English, then 1 for travel service; available 24/7; 0.14 EUR/min from German landlines, for other tariffs please ask your current phone provider). Our friendly staff will gladly assist you. With kind regards Your www.bahn.de service-team

Bronwen, With your Pass you can get on any train from Nürnberg to Salzburg. When you get to Nürnberg, you can go to the ticket counter to buy a reservation for the ICE to München...if you want to, but it's not mandatory. At the same time, ask about the Munich-Salzburg leg. Worse case is that on both legs you'll stand if you just hop on with just your Pass . It is not like in Belgium and France. Unless it's mandatory to reserve in Germany or Austria, (ie.,night on CNL and EN trains), I don't reserve, but I only travel there in the summer. No need to take regional trains with your Pass. I would suggest ICE from Nürnberg-München and take the RJ train München-Salzburg as the quickest way.

Your answer from the Bahn is strange, considering that the website showed me a price and asked for my credit card number without saying what I was trying to do was not possible. Anyway, if you REALLY want a reservation in advance badly enough to pay another €4 for it, book it from Munich to Freilassing. Freilassing is right across the river from Salzburg Hbf. The trip from Freilassing to Salzburg Hbf takes 8 min. I seriously doubt that anyone getting on in Freilassing is going to have a reservation for Salzburg Hbf. Since you'll already be seated, the seat should be yours all the way. The EC stops in Freilassing, the RailJet does not.

a lot of this back and forth is needlessly complicated. 1) You do not need a reservation for any leg of that journey. You can just get on the train. 2) If you want a reservation (for instance, because you want to sit together with a group or something) then you can easily purchase them from any train station in Germany, at a ticket machine or from the ticketing center. The train station in Nuremberg is centrally located, just buy the reservations you want when you arrive. Have fun!