I'd like to buy a full fare ticket, which I am assuming is the most flexible (in case I miss the train, the ticket can be used on the next one). I've gone over and over the website, but I cannot find where they explain this.

Can anyone answer my question or point me where it says this on the website?

Is there a particular reason you need to buy ticket before you get to Germany? If you are buying a full fare ticket just pick one up at the station when you get there and hop on the next train going your way.

How far have you got with the website? Did you click on "buy ticket" and get different options?

I hope someone will correct me if I'm wrong, but at least on Swiss trains, a "ticket" is good for any train on a given route. You pay extra for a reservation, which reserves a seat on a particular train. If you miss that train, your ticket is still good; you just don't have a reserved seat.

enzian - yes, that is what I meant. If a train is missed, you can just take the next. I am just assuming that the discount fares have limitations.

Also - if she misses her train does she have to pay again for the reservation? I'm thinking yes, but I don't recall.

J62 - Our niece is going to Maastricht, NL - she feels comfortable with having ticket and reservation in hand. She'll be coming off a flight from LAX and landing in Frankfurt.

As far as I know, an unrestricted ticket is just that: Use it any day after you buy it, although I am sure there is an ultimate expiration date it is certainly not near term.

I remember buying a ticket from Zürich to Vienna. We stopped over in Salzburg and then continued 3 days later.

I think people who have not ridden trains in Europe and seen how frequent they are get conditioned by the US airlines that overbook.

In England, I would recommend seat reservations because some of the trains get very crowded. I remember coming back late in the afternoon/early evening to Euston Station from the Lake Country. The train had standing room only.

Except possibly with some of the TGV or Thalys trains, I would agree that you can go to the station and buy your ticket and take the next train.

The trains that require a seat reservation tend to be a different matter, however.

I am not sure if people are allowed to ride standing up on the TGVs. Anybody know for sure?

I have seen people doing it, but they had a seat. They, for some reason, were standing between the cars, probably to sneak a smoke.

thanks for the clarification, bob.

A reservation is exactly that, so if you miss it, you don't have a reservation and have to buy a new one. It is specific to a train and seat.

<<<I am not sure if people are allowed to ride standing up on the TGVs. Anybody know for sure? <<<
You are nott allowed to board any super fast train (TGV, THALYS, EUROSTAR, ICE, ...) without an assigned seat (ie reservation are mandatory).

I might add that most seat reservations, when optional, are cheap relatively speaking. I think I paid €1.50 for one last year from Munich to Basel.

Just for the record, the Cisalpino trains always require a seat resrvation as far as I know.

The times I have used them, I had to reserve.

On the vast majority of trains, you simply buy a ticket and get on - whether there are empty seats or not. In most European countries, standard train tickets are valid one or two months, though there are many exceptions so you need to check carefully if you bother to buy a ticket in advance.
TGVs have compulsory reservations but a small number of tickets are sold when all seats are booked: these tickets allow you to board the train and sit in any free seat (if, perhaps, somebody has booked but missed the train) or in the folding seats by the train doors or on the stools in the bar. I've done this myself and wouldn't recommend it. If you board a TGV without any reservation at all, the ticket inspector will still charge you for a reservation, and there may be a penalty fare as well (though i have no experience of this).
On trains where reservations are optional, reserved seats are marked with labels and these normally need to be placed before the train starts its journey, so reservations generally close a couple of hours before the train starts its journey (which may not be at the station where you're joining the train). If reservations are compulsory, reserved seats do not need to be labelled, so reservations from a station are possible until a few minutes before the train departs from that station.

The Bahn website requires choosing a particular train connection even when booking a full fare ticket. Nevertheless this ticket will be valid on other trains of the same or a lower category, too. If you choose an ICE train, you may use any other ICE, IC, IRE, RE or RB train on the same route during the period your ticket is valid for. Tickets for IC or local trains (IRE/RE/RB), which are cheaper, can't be used on ICE trains without paying a supplement.

Here is the link with the info about validity: http://www.bahn.de/p/view/internatio...neticket.shtml

To make that clear: Reservations are compulsory on a very few ICE trains named "ICE Sprinter" only, the bahn website marks these with a red "R". On all other ICE trains you can travel without reservation, and travellers are allowed to be standing.

>standard train tickets are valid one or two months
You can use a standard retun ticket (distances over 100km) only on the day printed on the ticket and the following day for the outgoing journey. You'd have to return one month after that 2nd day or earlier.

>You can use a standard retun ticket (distances over 100km) only on the day printed on the ticket and the following day for the outgoing journey. You'd have to return one month after that 2nd day or earlier.

Yes, but only for trips entirely within Germany.
If you buy a ticket for an international trip it is valid for full two months.

>You are nott allowed to board any super fast train (TGV, THALYS, EUROSTAR, ICE, ...) without an assigned seat (ie reservation are mandatory).

Norween, not for ICE. ICE trains (except the two or three daily "sprinters&quot don't require reservation. If the train is full you stand.