Originally Posted by
onuhistorian0116
Can I rely on booking train tickets a few days in advance or should I try and have a more cement plan in advance?
Most European trains are "turn up and go". They would be useless if you could not get tickets at the last moment. In Germany you will always be able to get a ticket from anywhere to anywhere, even just seconds before departure. The same applies to about every other country, except maybe Spain and Portugal.
(In Switzerland where I live I usually buy my ticket a few minutes before travel on my smartphone)
Even where it says that "reservation is compulsory" that does not mean you cannot get tickets at the last moment. in France they will even sell you a ticket for a TGV without an assigned seat if all seats are booked. It's up to you to hunt for a no-show, or if all else fails, you can sit in the bar, or on one of the fold up seats in the vestibules.
No,you do not need to set your plans in stone. Train travel is remarkably flexible. The only reason to really book in advance (if you can) is to save money.