tony8028

Today I picked up my Eurial passes from my travel agent and they mention that I would need to make reservations for any train travel that I intended to make.

I already knew this to some extent, but they told me that the booking might might be up to $150 (Australian) EACH !! That can't be right can it ? That seems like more than a straight fare would cost!

So given that all my travel is during the day and it's the middle of the worst Winter Europe have had in years, will I still need to reserve a seat?

Will they refuse me entry to a half empty train because I don't have a reservation even though I have Eurail tickets?

Would be interested in other's experiences.

Tony

sueken

Hi Tony, My husband and I were in Germany over Christmas and
New Years, we had a rail pass and made several trips within
Germany, we didn't need reservations. Had no problem what
so ever getting good seats. Using the trains in Europe is so
easy and lots of fun. Hope you enjoy self!!

Sueken

tony8028

sueken that is a big relief to hear ! Thanks for that feedback !

Did you find the pass good value for money, out of curiosity ?

We bought the 3 countries / 5 days travel pass and it was around $480 each.

Surfergirl

In general, no, you won't need to make a reservation. But for some of the trains (TGV in France, Eurostar trains (Italy), Signatur trains (Norway), there's a supplemental fare you must pay that reserves a seat. Sometimes the supplemental fare also includes a meal, snack, or drink, kind of like air travel.

So long as your travel is over many miles, or you plan to get on and off during a 24 hour period, the Eurail pass can be very good value. I like using it when I'm going long distances, covering a lot of territory, sometimes overnight and avoid the cost of a hotel.

greg

Quite a travel agent.

The one that you HAVE to make reservations are the trains that say "compulsory reservation." It has nothing to do with how full the train is. Most long distance high-speed trains are in this class. Here is the quick list:

http://www.ricksteves.com/rail/pdfs/reservations.pdf

tony8028

yes, I got the distinct impression that the travel agent was taking a wild guess, but it was unnerving all the same !

The passes themselves have this sticker on them: " High Speed/Premier and Sleeper Trains require compulasary seat/sleeper reservations. Passes DO NOT include seat or sleeper reservations."

Can I ask, if these passes don't get you a seat, then what's the point of having them !

My trips will be in the morning and around 4-5 hours at the most. They Included Stuttgart to Paris, Paris to Brugge, Brugge to Amsterdam.

I might take a day trip or 2 to use the additional days I have on my pass, but they'd be shorter journeys.

Thanks for your help guys...this is very helpful.

Cheers Tony

Surfergirl

Sounds to me like you'll be wanting to take a Thalys train at least once, so yeah, you'll probably be stuck with a supplemental fare. The passes DO get you a seat, but only on the non-high speed premier trains. Don't sweat it. Just get on the train! Greg gave you a great link, by the way.

tony8028

Yeah I see from Greg's link that the supplementary fares can be quite high....I think I saw as high as $80USD.

Makes me wonder whether I should get a refund on my pass while it's still unused....

I am still a bit miffed as to what these passes actually get you when you can still get hit with additional fees...

Is there a website that where I can see exactly what these fees will be for the journeys I am going to make?
Looking at bahn.de it doesnt give me an option to book with a pass.

many thanks!

Surfergirl

The link below will give you some help:

http://reiseauskunft.bahn.de/bin/query.exe/en

So will this:

http://www.thalys.com/

But a search on these boards will find a way to check point to point tickets vs. passes. If Ira wakes up on the board, he'll find you the link.

One thing you should do is check with each of these links (or other train websites) if there are any discounts (they are found on the country's train website and can be steep discounts!). For example, I got a bunch of super cheap tickets last September on the French train sncf website! You just have to do your homework.

tony8028

I have emailed my travel agent asking for a refund on my passes....i just can't see how they can be good value....of course i should have done more research before buying them....but it's the train travel part of planning this trip that's been by far the hardest..it's an absolute minefield.

hetismij

Tony if you don't manage a refund then you can still use the passes at least on part of the trip by using IC trains from Belgium to the Netherlands instead of Thalys trains. They are a bit slower but don't need booking or any supplemental fees.
I hope though you can get your money back.
If you do then book the tickets you need for Thalys asap to get the cheapest deals.

adrienne

Here's the URL for the comparison site that Surfergirl recommends.

http://railsaver.com/railsaver.asp

Train passes used to be a good value but they no longer seem to be unless you're taking quite long train trips.

Many travel agents don't have the independent travel knowledge that you find on this forum so can't advise properly. Also, they will not get a commission if you book train tickets yourself so of course they want to suggest a train pass to the unknowing.

tony8028

I am pretty sure i will be able to get a refund....

I am just an idiot for not researching it properly....

thanks for the tips above, will check out that rail saver page now.

tony8028

Looking at their web site, they might be only obliged to give me 75% of my fare back....I still think I will be ahead ! I am such an idiot.

kybourbon

>>>Can I ask, if these passes don't get you a seat, then what's the point of having them !<<<
Sometimes there isn't a point of having them, but for long journeys they can sometimes save money. Many times the budget airlines are better deals or ticket deals offered directly from each countries train companies.

Re: using railsaver. Where it says "Always railpasses" change it to "if less expensive". Then after you enter all your cities, it will tell you whether a pass is better or point-to-point tickets and which pass you should get. Keep in mind that railsaver doesn't take into account some of the discount or advance purchase tickets you might be able to buy online.

The Rick Steves link above for pass fees is not up to date so don't count on those prices being accurate.

tony8028

I actually gave up on that railsaver site as i found it totally confusing..."Where and when you arrive in Europe and how long you will stay in that city?"

kybourbon

It's actually easy to use. I entered your info starting with Stuttgart and made up a date (and made up an name) and just entered a random 3 days stay for each city. The answer came up point-to-point tickets at a price of $198 (price might vary by dates so you should put your real dates). When it tells you what you should buy there is a link for detail and it gives you the actual trains and ticket info. It took less than a minute to put the info on railsaver so I'm not sure why are confused. Here are the results for my random dates.

From To Segments

Stuttgart, Germany Paris, France: use the 2nd Class Adult City-to-City Ticket to cover the segment from Stuttgart, Germany to Strasbourg, France, then use the 2nd Class Adult City-to-City Ticket to cover the segment from Strasbourg, France to Paris, France

Paris, France Bruges, Belgium: use the 2nd Class Adult City-to-City Ticket to cover the segment from Paris, France to Lille, France, then use the 2nd Class Adult City-to-City Ticket to cover the segment from Lille, France to Bruges, Belgium

Bruges, Belgium Amsterdam, Netherlands: use the 2nd Class Adult City-to-City Ticket to cover the segment from Bruges, Belgium to Roosendaal, Netherlands, then use the 2nd Class Adult City-to-City Ticket to cover the segment from Roosendaal, Netherlands to Amsterdam, Netherlands

tony8028

Thanks - I appreciate you doing that....it only highlights just how overpriced the Eurail passes are.I have spent around $1000 on 2 passes when (if your calculations are right) it should cost around $400 for my trip.

As I said, I was confused by the questioning of that web site...why is it asking where and when will i arrive in Europe? I might be in Europe a month before I decide to board a train ! Plus, it seemed to be set up for purchasing passes, not point to point travel.

Travel is supposed to be fun isnt it? Well this trip is becoming a total pain in the arse!

I have started looking at flights, just so I can avoid this whole train mess, but they also seem to have their quirks...

The buses are certainly an option although they take a bit longer...

Mimar

Trains in Europe are great. Spacious, comfortable seats, large windows with scenery flowing by, toilets at the end of the car. And convenient city center arrivals. Buses are nice too but not quite so comfortable. Planes require you to get yourself to some distant airport well ahead of your flight. Sit in cramped seats. You may or may not be able to see much. And then, when you arrive, you must find your way into the city.

Stick to trains. It's part of the experience.

And maybe, instead of relying on that travel agent, get some guidebooks that provide practical information.

spaarne

tony8028,

Your travel agent needs to go back to school or to confession.

To get up the learning curve on using the trains in Europe go to http://tinyurl.com/eym5b.

There are very few trains in Europe which require a reservation. Seat reservations cost &euro;3.00. Thalys is higher. Bunk reservations on overnight trains cost &euro;20 to &euro;50. Supplements on premium trains are covered by Eurail Pass so you don't pay them. Stand until the next stop and grab a seat before the boarding folks get on.

Your pass entitles you to passage, but not a seat. On trains which do not require a reservation, the vast majority of them, just get on board and find a seat. It is rare to find no seats available. Your pass puts you in first class (unless it is a youth pass) and seats are more available there. Rush hour commuter trains might be a problem now and then.