Traveling w/ a Rail Pass - When to 'Buy' tickets?

I am excited for you JB. I remember when I was planning our 8 week trip to Europe for the 1st time in 2005. Without the Graffiti Wall and The Thorn Tree I would have been lost.

On your arrival in a city make your "Seat Reservation" if needed or required for your departure.

On your fist day of using the Rail Pass have it Validated at a window. Later when you yourself enters the date be sure to use for example: 03/08/08.

Be sure to arrive at the station in plenty of time. Sometimes you have a ways to walk to the platform...other times it will be a short walk.

This is what we did with our Rail Pass.

We had an 11 day pass as they were offering an extra day as a bonus back then. I divided the Rail Pass cost by 11 and it equaled $50.18 per Rail Pass day. Considering the conversion rate to Euro...if the point-to-point was cheaper than a Rail Pass day we bought point-to-point.

We kept our Rail Passes with our passports as they usually want to see both.

Enjoy. Can't wait to hear about your trip when you return.

One more thing. Trains leave exactly on time in Europe. Always be at the platform several minutes ahead of time.

Remember you are using a Rail Pass which is 1st Class.

Sometimes there is a board on the platform that will tell you exactly where the 1st class car will be stopping. Be ready.

Thanks JB for you assistance.

I forgot to mention that we have a 2nd class youth pass, so we are not 1st class passengers.

We are flying into Paris from Detroit. I was thinking that the day we take the train to Versailles to book our seat if needed for our trip to Reims, which is when we want to validate the pass, August 16th will be the first day to use our EurRail pass. We are going to do the 21EURO package for Versailles, we don't want to use EuRail because it will start 2 days early, and then we'll be stranded when it comes time to take the train to Florence.

Thanks for all of your help!! I'm getting really nervous. It'll be the first time i've vacationed for 4.5 months!!

The day you validate your pass I suggest giving yourself a little extra time. We almost missed our train because the line was a lot longer than we expected. Then we had a difficult time with the "composter" machine (the little yellow box)--it wouldn't stamp our reservations which is required in France.

One thing you can expect with RR travel in Europe is the unexpected. Always allow more time than you think you will require.

Always ask questions starting with the right platform for your train. Listen carefully to the PA announcements; they can be hard to understand.

Sometimes your train may arrive on a different track than originally announced. There can be last-minute changes.

Then ask about the car you get on to be sure it goes where you want to go.

I would go the the station the first chance you have when you arrive in town and talk with a clerk about your trip. He can advise you on all your questions.

As mentioned earlier, you will need to arrive fairly early to validate your pass without running the risk of missing your desired train. Here is what you should do:


1. Look up trains from Paris to Reims on Die Bahn. Write down your desired train departure times. You may give this slip of paper to the clerk at the rail station later. Avoid connections. TGV = high speed rail.

2. Notice the little red Rs in the Product column? That means a reservation is required. According to my memory and this RS chart (PDF), reservations cost 3E each for domestic trips. There's no need to purchase anything on Die Bahn's site. Your rail pass takes care of that.

3. If you have extra time, when you arrive in Paris, visit Gare de l'Est. It is a large train station connected to the metro system. I like to acquaint myself with an unfamiliar train station the day before departure. You can even purchase your reservations for Reims at the "guichet" (French: ticket counter).

4. The day of the trip: Arrive at Gare de l'Est AT LEAST 45 minutes before your desired train leaves the station. Lines at the guichet are long, winding, and unpredictably slow.

5. Ask the clerk to validate your pass.

6. "Composter votre billet" - Validate your reservation ticket by sliding it into one of the yellow towers. They're usually near the tracks.


I would also advise you to read Rick's European Train Tips. Those should calm your fears a bit :)