Sub navigation: Planning

How to make seat reservations

At the train station
At larger train stations in Europe, like the ones that have a Eurail Aid Office, you can make multiple reservations at a ticket window. Just show your Eurail Pass and tell the official which train(s) you want to reserve.

Making train reservations at a ticket window

Some travel agents can also reserve a selection of popular trains for you. However, it can be favorable to make your reservations at a train station:

  • reservation fees are much lower in Europe and more trains can be reserved;
  • most reservations are non-refundable and non-changeable;
  • making many reservations in advance limits your flexibility.

Online reservations

There isn't a comprehensive website where you can make online reservations for all European trains. The online reservation possibilities are increasing though. Below you can find instructions for some countries:

Reservations by phone / email

Some call centres of railway companies can also help you with reservations. The Austrian railway company ÖBB has for instance a large CallCentre.

Tip: the Deutsche Bahn UK Booking Centre has an English speaking staff. They can book seat, sleeper or couchette reservations throughout Europe. The shipping of reservations costs about £8.00 to to non-European countries, within Europe it's about £7.00. Reservations can also be collected from a ticket machine or counter in Germany. Please note that the Booking Centre charges a credit card fee of 2% of the total price.

You can contact the Booking Centre:
- by mail: sales@bahn.co.uk
- by phone: (+44) 08718 80 80 66 (Monday to Friday 9am to 8pm, Saturday and Sunday 9am to 1pm CET).

Don't forget to mention that you travel with a Eurail Pass and that you only need a reservation. Try to be specific about the train(s) you want to reserve by using a timetable.

Eurail video: Making a Reservation