rita

Is it recommended to make train reservations (travel within Germany and Germany to Vienna) from home or can they be done after arriving in Germany, say l to 2 days before wanting to make the journey? Do they ever fill up so you cannot get the route you request? Thanks.

Al Godon

I am sure someone will respond to this soon. I have not ridden on a train in Germany is a little while, so I don't want to say for sure. In France and Switzerland, I have not made a reservation except on the TGV, where reservations are required. <BR>When I rode trains in Germany, sometimes they did get full, but I always found a seat. Of course if you are taking the train on a major holiday, you might have a problem. If you have any doubts, reserve a seat. I think it is a little extra, but it is insurance. <BR>But, I am hoping someone else will respond to this question of yours. <BR> <BR>

Tony

Rita.. <BR> <BR>I guess it depends on two things; are you travelling 1st.class or 2nd.class, and when are you travelling. I have never travelled in the two peak months of July and August. Outside of those 2 months, and using a 1st.class Eurail pass, I have never made a reservation in either Gernmany or Austria, and I have never had anything but a wide choice of empty seats to choose from. In both countries the mainline trains are very frequent, usually at least every hour, so that they are virtually geared up for passengers who just turn up and go. By not reserving, of course, you have maximum flexibility to change travel plans, both times and destinations - you can even get off half way for an hour or two and catch the next train. <BR>In July and August I just don't know, but would be surprised if could'nt reserve quite easily on the day before travel.

Paige

If you go when everyone else goes, it pays to have a reservation. Sunday afternoons and around holidays tend to be busy. If you're traveling alone, I'm sure you could find one seat even at those times. If there are several of you traveling, I would make reservations for all trains just so you don't have to scramble to find seats together. If you're not a smoker, getting stuck in a smoking car is horrible. People smoke like crazy here! You can't make reservations on regional trains (SE, RB, RE).

harzer

Hi Rita! <BR> <BR>I just got back from Germany a few weeks ago. I travelled by train quite a bit, always second class and taking advantage of the 'Guten Abend' budget fares where possible. <BR> <BR>I don't think seat reservations are a must unless you plan to travel on a holiday or a weekend, or during the summer. The main benefit of a reservation is that you can avoid smoking carriages, and can get a seat facing the way you prefer. A seat reservation costs an extra DM5 over the ticket price. <BR>It is important to buy your ticket a day ahead of your train trip, and to note the platform number, and the platform section (A, B, C, D) and the order of carriages ('Wagenstand') if you don't want to risk an unnecessary long walk when the train arrives. <BR>You must expect there to be delays in the rail system at present, as there have been problems introducing their new high speed trains. So allow plenty of time for connections, as it is quite possible for your train to be as much as 20 minutes late, so that you miss your ongoing connection. Anything on the main routes Berlin-Frankfurt or Hamburg-Munich is very likely to be affected, together with lines feeding into or from these routes. <BR>Harzer