I have my train reservations...so now what!?
 

Hi everyone--one last final question (hopefully) before I take off on my trip tonight. I have booked tickets and made train reservations at various spots along my trip. If I already have my reservations do I check in at a seperate ticket counter or am I ok just to get on (have rail pass). ALso, I already have my tickets in my hot little hand to go from London to Dover--again--do I have to check in or can I just show my ticket on the train and I am fine? Thank you so much. All of your help has truly helped me plan my trip.

If you already have the tickets then all you have to do is get on the right train!<BR>

I'm not sure about all European countries, but you should be able to find a table on the train platform which shows the wagons of the train so that you can enter the train in the area where your reserved seat is.

Does one have to validate/stamp the reservation as with a ticket? Have not used a pass myself, so just curious.

I live is GVA Switzerland. If everything<BR>is already paid (supplements for express trains such as French TGV,etc), no need to go to any counter. You can just get on the train. Only when you take French trains, you have to validate<BR>the ticket with one of the punch machines on the platforms. I do it for both the ticket and the reservation ticket. In your case, no need to (or it can not be) punch your pass but the reservation ticket could be done so. This is about French trains and I haven't seen this validation system in other countries I know. <BR><BR>Also this does not happen often but I have seen.1. You have a coach No.X,seat No.Y but when the train enters the station, you can not find either X or Y. This could be either you don't look your reservation correctly or train formation has been changed at last minute(!) &gt; Find a train conductor. <BR><BR>2. You find you seat but there is already somebody in it. You or the other<BR>passenger is wrong about coach/seat number. Check the reseravtion of both.Both could be right. Somehow the seat has been sold doubly. &gt; Find the conductor and ask for a seat. If you are the other passenger who is already<BR>in the seat, check both reservations before giving up the seat to the other<BR>one. You may be right too, in which case you have the priority. Doesn't happen often and I don't mean to scare you but it may be useful to keep this info somewhere in your mind. I love travelling by train in Europe.<BR><BR>Enjoy your trip. <BR>

You may have already left.<BR>I live is GVA Switzerland. If everything<BR>is already paid (supplements for express trains such as French TGV,etc), no need to go to any counter. You can just get on the train. Only when you take French trains, you have to validate<BR>the ticket with one of the punch machines on the platforms. I do it for both the ticket and the reservation ticket. In your case, no need to (or it can not be) punch your pass but the reservation ticket could be done so. This is about French trains and I haven't seen this validation system in other countries I know. <BR><BR>Also this does not happen often but I have seen.1. You have a coach No.X,seat No.Y but when the train enters the station, you can not find either X or Y. This could be either you don't look your reservation correctly or train formation has been changed at last minute(!) &gt; Find a train conductor. <BR><BR>2. You find you seat but there is already somebody in it. You or the other<BR>passenger is wrong about coach/seat number. Check the reseravtion of both.Both could be right. Somehow the seat has been sold doubly. &gt; Find the conductor and ask for a seat. If you are the other passenger who is already<BR>in the seat, check both reservations before giving up the seat to the other<BR>one. You may be right too, in which case you have the priority. Doesn't happen often and I don't mean to scare you but it may be useful to keep this info somewhere in your mind. I love travelling by train in Europe.<BR><BR>Enjoy your trip. <BR>

You may have already left.<BR>I live in GVA Switzerland. If everything<BR>is already paid (supplements for express trains such as French TGV,etc), no need to go to any counter. You can just get on the train. Only when you take French trains, you have to validate<BR>the ticket with one of the punch machines on the platforms. I do it for both the ticket and the reservation ticket. In your case, no need to (or it can not be) punch your pass but the reservation ticket could be done so. This is about French trains and I haven't seen this validation system in other countries I know. <BR><BR>Also this does not happen often but I have seen.1. You have a coach No.X,seat No.Y but when the train enters the station, you can not find either X or Y. This could be either you don't look your reservation correctly or train formation has been changed at last minute(!) &gt; Find a train conductor. <BR><BR>2. You find you seat but there is already somebody in it. You or the other<BR>passenger is wrong about coach/seat number. Check the reseravtion of both.Both could be right. Somehow the seat has been sold doubly. &gt; Find the conductor and ask for a seat. If you are the other passenger who is already<BR>in the seat, check both reservations before giving up the seat to the other<BR>one. You may be right too, in which case you have the priority. Doesn't happen often and I don't mean to scare you but it may be useful to keep this info somewhere in your mind. I love travelling by train in Europe.<BR><BR>Enjoy your trip. <BR>

Hi everyone. I've just scanned this thread quickly, but doesn't Sarah have to stop by a ticket window the first time she uses her pass to have it dated? No? Maybe I'm thinking of another kind, but I had to do that w/my Eurrail many years ago and with my Swiss Pass not so many years ago. If someone already said this, apologies for reading too fast. Have a wonderful trip, Sarah!<BR>J.

thank you so much everyone!

I have used other railpasses (France) and you do indeed have to have it validate it the first time you use it, you can't just get on a train. That starts the clock running, so to speak. If you don't do that you can get fined a lot, it's the same as not validating a ticket. I think because it is not guaranteed someone on the train will punch it, so it's to make sure you don't use a day free (I've been on some small, short trains where no conductor checked tickets). <BR><BR>However, I don't know about what kind of pass Sarah has whether that would be the rule, but the pass itself gives you instructions as to those rules. If it's a Eurailpass it MUST be validated before first use. After that, you have to write the date on it each day when using, and you have to do it at the beginning of trip NOT wait until a conductor checks it, but you can just get on a train after the first day if you have reservations, it's very easy. <BR><BR>To validate the first time, you need to go to a ticket window, though. You cannot validate it yourself the first time.