Confused about purchasing train tickets for Europe
Nov 28, 2013, 1:52 pm
#16
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: On the road in North America....
Programs: UA 1MM, *G, Global Entry
Posts: 579
I don't know about the German or Austrian rail sites, but the Swiss rail site shows "expected load" for each train. Except for the Glacier (non-)Express, where reservations are required, we never booked seats for our trip earlier this year. We just picked trains that were not expected to be crowded, and we never had a problem.
Nov 28, 2013, 2:04 pm
#17
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: The greatest wee nation on earth.
Programs: Iron Maiden FC, GE, Rapidly falling down the Tiers to oblivion.
Posts: 2,604
Go ahead and reserve, peace of mind - especially on intercity fast trains. I do when i travel around europe by train - always first class, advance tickets can be cheap for a much less crowded journey (although many in europe think i am bonkers as 2nd is fine, just typically busier) - just watch commuter times when the train is full and you find someone sitting in your reserved seat. Good look getting them out of there if you can't find the guard/ticket inspector; and life is too short to get into a fight!
Nov 28, 2013, 2:35 pm
#18
Join Date: May 2012
Location: AMS
Programs: BA KL LH Hilton Marriott
Posts: 1,233
Are we right to assume that OP is from the USA? I could not find any location in the profile. If so then the core of the problem is very clear - the US is one large country (with which any US citizen is familiar). Europe is many smaller (unfamiliar) countries.
Travel involves adaptation - it's part of the experience. What is common practice in one country may be different in another. Deal with it, enjoy the diversity.
Travel involves adaptation - it's part of the experience. What is common practice in one country may be different in another. Deal with it, enjoy the diversity.
Nov 28, 2013, 3:41 pm
#19
Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 8,771
I'd suggest having a read of seat61.com which is very informative. [no affiliation]
As an aside, even if I were doing a similar trip by air - i.e. stopping off in each place rather than connecting - I'd probably still buy separate tickets. A 5-leg multi-city would likely cost more anyway, and if you missed a leg you'd lose the rest.
This generally wouldn't happen with a train ticket, but in any case, I don't see any advantage for you in booking all 5 segments together unless it saves you a little in credit card fees perhaps.
As an aside, even if I were doing a similar trip by air - i.e. stopping off in each place rather than connecting - I'd probably still buy separate tickets. A 5-leg multi-city would likely cost more anyway, and if you missed a leg you'd lose the rest.
This generally wouldn't happen with a train ticket, but in any case, I don't see any advantage for you in booking all 5 segments together unless it saves you a little in credit card fees perhaps.
Nov 28, 2013, 4:12 pm
#20
Join Date: Mar 2007
Programs: QFF Gold, Flying Blue, Enrich
Posts: 5,366
Go ahead and reserve, peace of mind - especially on intercity fast trains. I do when i travel around europe by train - always first class, advance tickets can be cheap for a much less crowded journey (although many in europe think i am bonkers as 2nd is fine, just typically busier) - just watch commuter times when the train is full and you find someone sitting in your reserved seat. Good look getting them out of there if you can't find the guard/ticket inspector; and life is too short to get into a fight!
Rail travel in Europe is very simple and an absolute joy, it's my favourite way to travel of any in the world. I hope the OP can get over his anxiety and enjoy the trip.
Nov 28, 2013, 4:54 pm
#21
Join Date: May 2009
Location: EWR
Posts: 884
And actually buying the tickets in Europe isn't too bad because most places have ticket machines which speak English (and probably humans who speak English). You do need a chip and pin card to use them though.
Personally though, I'd just use Deutsche Bahn's website to book as much of it is possible: far cheaper than raileurope, the site's in English and I think they have a UK call center if you get really stuck. Plus you have FT to help you
Personally though, I'd just use Deutsche Bahn's website to book as much of it is possible: far cheaper than raileurope, the site's in English and I think they have a UK call center if you get really stuck. Plus you have FT to help you
Watch out too for people trying to kick you out of your reserved seat. In my younger Eurail travelling days more than once it was deemed that I didn't look to be an appropriate person to be occupying a first-class seat (ie I was under 80 years of age and not travelling free on a retired rail worker's ticket) and was sternly rebuked by nosy fellow passengers.
Rail travel in Europe is very simple and an absolute joy, it's my favourite way to travel of any in the world. I hope the OP can get over his anxiety and enjoy the trip.
Rail travel in Europe is very simple and an absolute joy, it's my favourite way to travel of any in the world. I hope the OP can get over his anxiety and enjoy the trip.
Last edited by Bigzamboni; Nov 28, 2013 at 5:10 pm
Nov 28, 2013, 5:23 pm
#22
Join Date: Mar 2007
Programs: QFF Gold, Flying Blue, Enrich
Posts: 5,366
Nov 28, 2013, 9:44 pm
#23
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Sacramento, CA, US
Posts: 2,229
Let us know how you do.
Nov 28, 2013, 11:28 pm
#24
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: FRA
Posts: 1,398
Whenever I wanted to save the 4 euros and didn't reserve seats, I regretted it. It's no fun to walk up and down the entire train trying to find an empty seat and waiting for half an hour for a seat to open up is no fun eiter.
Nov 29, 2013, 2:52 am
#25
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: UK
Posts: 7,560
You're right there... never really thought about it!
Reserving seats is a lot more common now than it used to be... I never (or hardly ever) used to reserve seats in my younger days, and very few other people did. I think it's online booking that has changed people's travel behaviour in this regard... in the old days people would just go to the station on the day of travel, buy a ticket and hop on the train. Seat reservations had to be made 24 hours beforehand, so would have required an extra trip to the station or to a travel agent.
In the past I used to reserve seats only for very long journeys, and sometimes not even then. These days I do it a lot more because it just requires a couple of clicks.
Reserving seats is a lot more common now than it used to be... I never (or hardly ever) used to reserve seats in my younger days, and very few other people did. I think it's online booking that has changed people's travel behaviour in this regard... in the old days people would just go to the station on the day of travel, buy a ticket and hop on the train. Seat reservations had to be made 24 hours beforehand, so would have required an extra trip to the station or to a travel agent.
In the past I used to reserve seats only for very long journeys, and sometimes not even then. These days I do it a lot more because it just requires a couple of clicks.
Nov 29, 2013, 3:49 am
#26
Moderator: UK and Ireland & Europe
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Biggleswade
Programs: SK*G, Lots of Blue Elsewhere
Posts: 13,611
It depends on the country, really. In the Netherlands or Switzerland, I'd never really think of pre-booking a train or getting a reservation. But for inter-city journeys in the UK, France or Germany, I absolutely would, not least as that's how you get the reasonably-priced tickets.
Nov 29, 2013, 4:58 am
#27
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: UK
Posts: 7,560
It depends on the country, really. In the Netherlands or Switzerland, I'd never really think of pre-booking a train or getting a reservation. But for inter-city journeys in the UK, France or Germany, I absolutely would, not least as that's how you get the reasonably-priced tickets.
Nov 29, 2013, 1:18 pm
#28
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2011
Posts: 1,225
Are we right to assume that OP is from the USA? I could not find any location in the profile. If so then the core of the problem is very clear - the US is one large country (with which any US citizen is familiar). Europe is many smaller (unfamiliar) countries.
Travel involves adaptation - it's part of the experience. What is common practice in one country may be different in another. Deal with it, enjoy the diversity.
Travel involves adaptation - it's part of the experience. What is common practice in one country may be different in another. Deal with it, enjoy the diversity.
It would be nice to have unlimited time. In that case, I would totally agree with you. But unfortunately I have to plan very carefully because of time constraints. There is no room for uncertainty. This approach has worked for me well in the past, so I'm sticking to it.
Last edited by joer1212; Nov 29, 2013 at 1:24 pm
Nov 29, 2013, 1:19 pm
#29
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2011
Posts: 1,225
Are we right to assume that OP is from the USA? I could not find any location in the profile. If so then the core of the problem is very clear - the US is one large country (with which any US citizen is familiar). Europe is many smaller (unfamiliar) countries.
Travel involves adaptation - it's part of the experience. What is common practice in one country may be different in another. Deal with it, enjoy the diversity.
Travel involves adaptation - it's part of the experience. What is common practice in one country may be different in another. Deal with it, enjoy the diversity.
Nov 29, 2013, 1:22 pm
#30
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2011
Posts: 1,225
330 days? I'll be traveling this upcoming March.