Seat Reservations

It's always good to reserve a seat for your trip to ensure your journey will be comfortable and free of hassle. Just sit back, relax and enjoy the trip.

What is a Seat Reservation?

The Interrail Pass works as a basic train ticket on the train. Sometimes you're required to purchase an additional seat reservation. A Seat Reservation is a complimentary ticket to your Interrail Pass, meaning it's not included with your pass. The Seat Reservation is only valid on a set departure and gives you guaranteed seating on the train.

The seat reservation ticket should be shown along with your Interrail Pass when boarding the train. A seat reservation ticket is not valid without a train ticket, in this case, your Interrail Pass.Some trains have a mandatory seat reservation, others have an optional seat reservation, and a few have no seat reservation at all.

At Trainplanet.com, you can easily see if your journey needs an additional seat reservation, and if it does, you can also book it.

When do I Have to Make a Seat Reservation?

If you're traveling with Interrail, it's good to check in advance if any trains require any seat reservations.

Suppose a train has a mandatory seat reservation. In that case, you need to purchase a seating ticket in advance to even be able to board the train. High-speed trains and overnight trains do, in general, always have mandatory seating. Countries where most trains have mandatory seat reservations are France, Spain, and Italy.

Some trains have an optional seat reservation, which means that you can choose if you want to book a seat or not. We always recommend making a reservation if possible, especially during high season or if you travel in a bigger group. If you don't make a reservation when optional, you will most likely be able to board the train anyway. However, the odds of you having to stand up or sit in the aisle in such cases increase. Further, the conductor has the right to deny travelers boarding the train if it's full.

It happens that the railway companies change from optional seat reservations to mandatory seat reservations on some trains, especially during peak season or if there's a higher demand than usual. So, double-check the trains you plan to travel with a week before to inspect if the rules have changed.

When Can I Make My Reservations?

The day trains can usually be booked three months before departure, and the night trains are generally 6 months in advance. There can be certain cases where the tickets are released earlier and later.

We recommend you purchase your seat reservations as much in advance as possible, especially if you are traveling between April and September when there's peak season.

Where Can I Make My Reservations?

Seat reservations are easily made on our website Trainplanet.com To be able to make a reservation, you will need your Pass Cover number that you will find in your order confirmation. The pass cover number starts with a letter followed by eight digits.

If you want help with booking your tickets, it's also possible to contact our customer support.

How Will I Receive My Booked Seat Reservations?

Most of the foreign tickets need to be sent by registered mail. Swedish, French, and German tickets are, in most cases, possible to receive via email.
Seat reservations are easily made on our website.
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Interrail Pass

The Interrail Pass virtually gives you unlimited travel opportunities within 33 different European countries. This Pass is perfect for you who want to travel to several countries; it can be a carefully planned or spontaneous journey. The choice is yours.

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Questions & Answers

Do you have any questions? We have gathered some of our most frequently asked questions concerning traveling with Interrail. Do you need additional information? Contact our customer service, and we will be happy to help you.

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