Frequently Asked Questions
A. A travel day lasts 24 hours, in which you can take as many trains as you wish.
A. 1st Class seats often recline, there are fewer seats per car, and there is more space for luggage. On some high-speed trains, the price of a 1st Class ticket includes a meal. 1st class is generally quieter with more business and adult passengers.
2nd Class accommodations are less expensive, but not as spacious, as there are more seats per car.
For trips over 2 hours we recommend that you book 1st class.
A.Refund policies for tickets will vary depending on the type of train and fare that are booked. Please check the "details" tab of each fare to obtain specific refund information for the fare you are purchasing.If you have already purchased your tickets, please review the terms and conditions that came with your documents.
Except for PayPal, for which the amount can be reimbursed automatically on the PayPal account. For all the other payment services, a BIC (Bank Identifier Code) must be sent to receive the reimbursement of your purchase.
A. Yes, you may travel as many times as you like before Midnight on a travel day.
A. In Comfort1 (First class), drinks and meal are included in the price of your Thalys ticket and served at your seat. Meal includes a choice of drinks, cold starter and main course, but also bread and dessert. In Thalys Comfort 2 (second class), you will get access to a bar-buffet car which offers a variety of food and refreshments.
A. No. You need to buy your Eurail Italy pass before travelling to Europe. Just remember that Eurail passes, including Eurail Italy pass, can be bought up to six months in advance of your travel date.
A. First class on the Thalys offers large comfortable reclining seats and drinks and a light snack served at your seat.
Second class on the Thalys offers generous legroom and a selection of drinks and snacks at your seat that are available for purchase.
A. TGV trains offer a buffet car where you can find a vast choice of hot and cold meals. Drinks and snacks are also available at vending machines on all TGV trains. You are also allowed to bring your own food and drink onto the train.
A. Any bonus that is free will use a travel day on your railpass. Discounted bonuses will not require the use of a travel day, but do require that the railpass is valid.
A. High speed AVE trains connect Madrid to cities including Barcelona and Seville, Malaga and Valencia. Travel time between Madrid and Barcelona is 2 hours and 30 minutes. You can also go to Seville from Madrid in 2 hours and 20 minutes. For longer journeys, Barcelona is 5 hours and 45 minutes from Malaga and 5 hours and 37 minutes from Seville.
A. With a Eurail Italy pass, you can travel on all trains from Trenitalia, the Italian railway company. Just bear in mind that reservation is compulsory on-board Frecciarossa, Frecciabianca, Frecciargento, and Eurostar trains. Overnight trains also require reservation of the sleeping compartments.
A. Frecciarossa trains offer two classes of travel: first class and second class. First Class ticket holders will receive a welcome drink, a snack and a daily Italian newspaper. Either travel class you may choose, you will be able to surf the Net on Frecciarossa trains using a USB key or any other portable device equipped with a Wi-Fi antenna.
A. We are not able to sell rail passes or tickets to residents of Europe, the UK, Morocco, Turkey or any of the countries of the former Soviet Union. If you are a resident of these countries, we will not be able to sell you one of our passes.
If you are a citizen of any of these countries, but are a resident of another country, we are able to sell the rail pass or tickets to you. Passes are based on residency not citizenship, and the country of your residence will be printed on the rail pass.
A. On all domestic routes in France and all international routes that depart from France. When traveling round trip on an international route you will need to print both tickets before you depart.
For more detailed information on how to use a French self service kiosk review: How do I retrieve my e-tickets at French train stations?
A. Train stations in Europe are very traveler friendly. Once arriving to the station there are large Departure and Arrival Boards located in the center of the most stations. Match the train number and departure time on your reservation / ticket to the train number listed on the departure board. Once you have found your train on the Departure Board, you will find a platform number where your train will be departing from.
Upon arriving to your your platform and you will notice that each car (also known as a coach) number on the train is clearly indicated on the side of each coach. Check your reservation / ticket for your car/coach number. You notice the class of service will also be listed in addition to the car/coach number on the side of the train.
Once onboard the train, you will find that similar to an airplane each seat is clearly labeled with a number. Match the seat number on your reservation / ticket number to seat number in the train car / coach.
Train stations in Europe have international pictograms that are easy to understand and are used in international airports. These pictograms will assist you once you arrive to the station.
If you still have difficulty in finding your train, the stations staff can always help point you in the right direction.
A. Train stations in Europe are very accessible and easy to find. Although the physical train station addresses are generally not listed, the stations are centrally located within the city and accessible with the cities public transportation system or taxi.
Check with hotel concierge to give you the best directions from your hotel. Taxi drivers know how to get your to your station fast and worry free.
A. Yes. If there is no match between your passport and the information written on your pass the pass can be taken and kept by the train manager.
A. Yes all high-speed trains require reservations. Some 1st class trains include meal service in the price of your ticket.
A. First class on the Italian day train offers large, comfortable reclining seats, and bar-buffet car offering a complete selection of food and beverages for purchase. (on major routes)
Second class on the Italian day train offers generous legroom and bar-buffet car offering a complete selection of food and beverages for purchase. (on major routes)
A. Frecciarossa trains run on the high-speed line connecting Turin to Salerno, Northern to Southern Italy and more particularly Milan, Bologna, Florence, Rome, and Naples. These trains connect Bologna to Florence in just 37 minutes and Rome to Milan in less than 3 hours. Travel time between Milan and Florence is just 1 hour and 45 minutes.
A. Gatwick Express arrives in London’s Victoria Station.
A. The BritRail Family Pass allows one child between the ages of 5 and 15 to travel free with an adult or senior BritRail Pass holder.
A. Depending on where you are traveling, there are two different rules regarding overnight travel. Some trains allow travelers departing after 7 PM to mark only the following day on the pass, meaning that only one travel day will be used. However, other trains will require that this travel use 2 days on your pass. It is recommended that you check the rules included in the ticket jacket included with your pass for more specific information.
A. On-board Frecciarossa trains, the official luggage allowance is two large bags or suitcases and one piece of hand luggage. It’s enough to enjoy a very long trip and explore the richness of Italy.
A. Austria, Benelux (includes Belgium, Luxembourg, Holland), Bulgaria/Serbia/Montenegro, Czech Republic, Croatia/Slovenia, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Norway, Portugal, Republic of Ireland, Romania, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.
A. Yes, you may travel as many times are you like between countries that are on your pass.
A. A Swiss pass enables you to travel free of charge in the Swiss public transport services whereas a "point to point" ticket is a rail ticket valid on a specific route, between two city stations.
A. There are no check-in or customs procedures before boarding ICE trains. Just be aware that for international destinations, ticket control and passport checks will occur on boarding the train. And if you are a pass holder, just remember that you have to validate your pass prior to boarding the ICE trains.
A. You can use your Swiss pass in the whole Swiss Travel System: in all trains, Postbuses, ships, buses and even trams.
A. Maps are provided with many multiple country passes and some single country passes. We have online maps for planning on our site.
A. Some passes may be purchased in Europe at a higher cost. It is best to place your order before you departure to ensure that you have your paper documents in hand.
A. In order to accommodate a group of 5 travelers, you will need to do 2 separate requests.
You have the following options:
* 2 passengers in a double, and the other 3 in a T3 compartment (if offered).
* 4 passengers in a T4 (if offered) and 1 passenger in a single.
* 4 passengers split into 2 double compartments, and 1 passenger in a single.
* Reserve all 5 in a T6 compartment.
Options a, b, and c will need to be requested separately as it has been broken down. Option d can be requested all at once.
A. A travel day lasts 24 hours, in which you can take as many trains or public transport services as you wish.
A. Eurostar offers 3 classes of service: 2 for 1st class and 1 for 2nd class.
Business Premier which offers priority express check-in at the terminals, a dedicated ticket desk for check in, access to the Eurostar Executive lounges, spacious reclining seats with generous legroom, wifi access at the terminals, a dedicated coach for business travelers, complimentary newspapers, 3-course meal with refreshments at your seat.
Leisure Select offers spacious reclining seats with generous legroom, complimentary newspapers, and 3-course meal with refreshments at your seat.
Standard class (2nd class) offers generous legroom and access to a bar-buffet car where a selection of food and beverages are available for purchase.
A. Rail passes for children are generally half the adult fare. Some passes do not offer a child pass. Child tickets are offered on most trains and vary by train type. They are generally about half of an adult ticket.
The Swiss Pass allows children under 16 to travel free when they are traveling with a parent who is holding a Swiss Pass. On BritRail passes, children 5 through 15 are free with each paying adult.
A. Your Eurail Italy pass must be validated at a ticket window at a larger train station in Italy only. A railway official will fill in the first and last day of validity and your passport number, and will stamp your Eurail Italy pass, so that it is valid for travel.
A. TGV Lyria offers direct, high speed services between Paris-Gare de Lyon, Dijon and cities such as Geneva, Lausanne, Basel, Neuchatel, Bern and Zurich. During winter, TGV Lyria snow train connects you directly from Paris to the charming resorts of the canton of Vaud (including Château-d’Oex, Leysin, Les Diablerets and Villars) and Valais (Verbier, CransMontana, Leukerbad, Saas-Fee and Zermatt, among others).
A. Validation of your pass is having a Rail Official at the train station stamp your pass as valid.
A. Train stations in Europe are very traveler friendly. Once arriving to the station there are large Departure and Arrival Boards located in the center of the most stations. Match the train number and departure time on your reservation / ticket to the train number listed on the departure board. Once you have found your train on the Departure Board, you will find a platform number where your train will be departing from.
Upon arriving to your platform you will notice that each car (also known as a coach) number on the train is clearly indicated on the side of each coach. Check your reservation / ticket for your car/coach number. You notice the class of service will also be listed in addition to the car/coach number on the side of the train.
Once onboard the train, you will find that similar to an airplane each seat is clearly labeled with a number. Match the seat number on your reservation / ticket number to seat number in the train car / coach.
Train stations in Europe have international pictograms that are easy to understand and are used in international airports. These pictograms will assist you once you arrive to the station.
If you still have difficulty in finding your train, the stations staff can always help point you in the right direction.
A. You can request 2 passengers in a double compartment. If there are no Double compartments available, you can then book a shared T3 but keep in mind, the third bed will be occupied by another passenger.
A."Yes! Thanks to new means of payment on our websites, it is now possible to book your train ticket or pass and pay through payment services like PayPal, Western Union, Boleto Bancario, Moneybookers.com, eNets or BPay. The availability of those payment services depends on the customer’s country of residence."
A. Also known as the red train, Thalys trains link Paris to the gems of Northern Europe: Brussels in 1 hour and 22 minutes, Amsterdam in 3 hours and 18 minutes, and Cologne in 3 hours and 14 minutes. On a seasonal basis (from the end of December till mid - April), Thalys Snow travels from Brussels Midi to the ski resorts in Chambéry, Albertville, Moutiers, Aime-la-Plagne, Landry and Bourg-St-Maurice, every Saturday without any stops.
A. A range of discounts and special offers are available in the European countries in which your Eurail Select Pass is valid. One of the most popular benefits is the discounted and free travel on various European ferry crossings. Other benefits include discounts on hotels, museums and additional transport.
A. Gatwick and Heathrow Express trains run every 15 minutes.
A. You can print your TGV ticket directly from your printer at home or retrieve it from the self-service machines available at the train stations before boarding your TGV train.
A. Thalys trains offer two classes of travel: 1st class with Comfort 1 and 2nd class with Comfort 2. In Comfort 1, reclining seats will offer you a high level of comfort. Sockets for laptop or mobile phone are also available on some carriages as well as free newspapers on major routes. Wi-Fi is free in Thalys Comfort 1 and in 2nd class with flexible tickets. In 2nd class (Comfort 2), you will get access to a bar-buffet car offering food and refreshments for purchase. Wi-Fi is available at an additional cost in second class for more restrictive tickets.
A. Frecciarossa trains offer a full sit-down restaurant service, with a regularly changing menu of traditional Italian dishes. The restaurant is very modern and elegant. Alternatively, Frecciarossa trains also feature a coffee bar service offering fresh sandwiches, snacks, desserts and hot and cold beverages.
A. Paper tickets will be sent to you by postal mail prior to departure.
A. A saver pass is a discount rate for a group of 2-5 passengers traveling together at all times. All names will be printed on a single pass, therefore passengers will not be able to travel independently.
A. Yes, depending on the country you are traveling in. Generally there are local trains that travel the same route as high-speed trains, however they generally take much longer to travel the same route. You will need to weigh the cost of a reservation compared with the time it will take to travel the same route.
Example: Lyon to Marseille is generally about 1 hour 45 minutes on the TGV. A local train for this same route would be about 3 and half hours.
A. In some cases. Normally, your bicycle must be boxed and placed in a separate car, or it might have to be transported on a separate train. Extra charges may apply, and you must arrange bike transport locally.
Bikes are allowed as checked luggage on the EC, IC, ICE, and TGV trains. The bike must be wrapped, with the wheels and pedals detached, and the handlebars parallel to the frame.
A. Special amenities for disabled travelers are offered on trains and at many train stations, and are clearly indicated with pictograms (for telephones, toilets, elevators, etc.).
Special equipment is also available for use by handicapped passengers. This equipment must be reserved locally in advance. Be sure to specify if you need personal assistance (whether with a wheelchair, boarding, etc.).
A. No, travel on Eurostar requires a separate ticket. However, many rail passes include discounted rates for the Eurostar called a Passholder fare. To see a list of passes that allow these fares select "details" when viewing fares with a pass.
A. Eurail Select Pass is only available in 1st Class for adults and children. Eurail Select Youth Pass is offered in 2nd class to travelers under age 26.
A. A Swiss Pass enables you to travel free of charge in the Swiss public transport services for periods ranging from four days to one month in 41 cities.
A. Due to the limited availability on overnight trains, if you must change your sleeper reservation, try to do so immediately. You can visit the local station at least 24 hours prior to the train’s departure and see what is available. Be aware that your reservation change may be subject to local service fees and/or upgrade charges.
Reservations are required for sleepers and couchettes on all overnight trains and can be made up to 60 days in advance.
A. We are unable to ship tickets purchased on Raileurope outside of your country of residence. We recommend that you have all travel documents in hand before departing from your country of residence.
A. You can book your ICE train up to 3 months in advance.
A. No, but we do offer discounted rate for many of our tickets and passes for Youth passengers. To qualify for a Youth Pass, you must be under age 26 on the first day of travel.
A. TGV Lyria is a high speed train and requires a compulsory reservation. Special pass holder fares are available if you carry a Eurail Pass covering France or Switzerland, Swiss Pass or France Rail Pass but subject to limited availability.
A. Eurostar journeys can be booked up to 6 months in advance of the return date of travel. Eurostar Direct services to Disneyland Resort Paris have a longer booking period and are made available further in advance. And Eurostar Direct seasonal services to the French Alps and Avignon are opened for sale for the entire season.
A. Yes, we recomand that you would purchase tickets and make your seat reservations prior to your departure so you can avoid fully booked trains and disrupting your travel plans.
A. There are two options:
Option 1
You can select a Single compartment for 1 of the passengers and select a Double compartment for the 2 remaining passengers.
Option 2
You can select 3 Single compartments, each will need to be requested on the website separately having 1 passenger on each reservation.
A. You can print your tickets from the convenience of your home or you can retrieve them from self-service machines in London St Pancras, Brussels Midi or Paris Nord station before boarding your Eurostar train.
A. The Swiss Family Card is a terrific value that allows children under 16 years of age to travel free when accompanied by a parent or legal guardian. The card is free, simply request one at the time you purchase your Swiss Pass. If you forget to mention it, then present your Swiss pass before boarding the train at any Swiss train station ticket window, at the time of validation and advise them that you need a Family Card. They will be able to provide you one.
A. The minimum check-in time for passengers with Business First tickets is 20 minutes. For passengers boarding ski trains, and passengers holding regular tickets, check-in time is 30 minutes.
A. 1st Class seats often recline, there are fewer seats per car, and there is more space for luggage. On some high-speed trains, the price of a 1st Class ticket includes a meal. 1st class is generally quieter with more business and adult passengers.
2nd Class accommodations are less expensive, but not as spacious, as there are more seats per car.
For trips over 2 hours we recommend that you book 1st class.
A. There are no check-in or customs procedures before boarding TGV trains. However, you must be onboard at the latest 2 minutes prior to the departure time, beyond which access to the train cannot be guaranteed. Ticket control and passport checks will occur on board the train.
A. Dining cars are available on most long distance trains. Normally, you can just walk into most dining cars, sit down, and eat without a reservation, but you are welcome to make a reservation for a meal when mealtime is busy, or when the train attendant announces the opening of the dining car. If your train does not have a dining car, it is likely to offer passengers a buffet bar car. On local trains, there may be an attendant with a snack cart who travels from car to car, selling snacks and beverages.
Train Dining cars are part of the train experience and is unrivaled by any other means of transportation. In some trains the quality of the food and the wine is up to the standard of a gourmet restaurant.
A. The best option for 3 passengers is a T3 if it is available. T3 compartments are not offered on all trains. If a T3 is not available then passengers will be advised to divide their party. You can also book a T4 or T6 based on availability and restrictions.
A. The train you are requesting does not offer reservations. Please note the train time for your travel information. To board this train you will need your pass and can take any available seat.
A. Your railpass covers you to the border city of the country you are traveling in. You will need to purchase additional tickets to travel in any country not covered on your pass.
If you are planning to travel to more than one city, you may want to consider upgrading your pass to cover an additional country.
A. Yes.
A.
Business Premier class is dedicated to serving the business traveler with its superior service. Business travelers can expect a nonsmoking car, fast lane check-in, use of the Executive Lounges, breakfast or a 3-course lunch or dinner with choice of entrée and wine, complimentary drink, newspapers, Wifi access in the terminal and lap top sockets on board the train.
Leisure Select tickets provide complimentary food (including a 3-course dinner), beverages, and newspapers while you relax in your reclining seat.
Full Fare tickets gives you access to the Eurostar Lounge.
Standard Class offers comfort, convenience, and value. Enjoy the bar car, or purchase snacks and refreshments from the trolley cart when it comes to your seat.
A. Your payment details will be encoded and sent using a secure connection. You can check the security details by clicking with your right mouse button on the payment page and then selecting ‘Properties’.
A window will pop up containing all connection data. The ‘Connection’ field shows that an SSL connection is used. Your credit card information, including the number and expiration date, will not be stored.
A. On-board Eurostar, you are allowed two medium-sized cases (85cm at their longest length), and one piece of hand luggage per passenger. Any luggage over the allowance will be counted as excess luggage and will incur a fee. This will be arranged at the Eurostar terminal on your arrival.
A. Located in the middle of the train (carriage 4 or 14), TGV Lyria bar provides a service for tasty snacks and meals: sandwiches, hot/cold local dishes, salads, children’s menu, hot and cold drinks, treats are available to eat at the bar or take away. In First class, you can also enjoy the convenience of Lyriapremière service at seat.
A. Eurostar services offer three classes of service: 2 for first class (Business Premier and Standard Premier) and one for second class (Standard). Among the facilities offered for Eurostar Business Premier passengers, you’ll find priority express check-in in 10 minutes at the terminals, a dedicated ticket desk for check-in, access to the Eurostar Executive lounges, spacious reclining seats with generous legroom, Wi-Fi access at the terminals, a dedicated coach for business travellers, complimentary newspapers, and also a 3 course meal served at seat. Eurostar Standard Premier passengers, whose check-in is 30 minutes before departure, will be offered spacious reclining seats with generous legroom, complimentary newspapers and a cold meal served at seat. In the convenience of a comfortable carriage, Standard passengers will also be enjoying themselves with a vast variety of dishes they will find at a bar buffet car.
A. First class on the TGV Medoffers large comfortable reclining seats and a bar-buffet car offering a selection of food and beverages for purchase.
Second class on the TGV Med offers generous legroom and a bar-buffet car offering a selection of food and beverages for purchase.
A. Most major train stations have lockers or luggage storage available at an additional cost. Make sure you have some change available if you are planning to use a locker.
A.
Pass/ticket holders must file a police report within twenty-four (24) hours of the incident.
Pass/ticket holders may purchase a replacement rail pass or rail tickets in order to continue with his/her travel plans.
Upon return to your country, pass/tickets holder must submit a request to Rail Europe within thirty (30) days including a police report, replacement passes or tickets purchased abroad, airline tickets to/from Europe. A brief explanation of the situation is also necessary to better evaluate the traveler request form.
A. It’s easy ! Use the self service kiosks at the rail station to retrieve your tickets in a few easy steps.
A. The prices of accommodations on an overnight train are dependent on a few factors:
1. The expense of the ticket
2. The type of train you will be traveling on
3. The type of compartment you wish to sleep in
Similar to Day trains there are different levels of overnight trains. Typically, during the day, high-speed premier trains are more expensive then local services that travel at a slower speed, and offer fewer services on-board. For night trains longer International journeys are more expensive as they tend to be nicer trains, offering the traveler more services.
A. If you board a direct overnight train that departs after 7:00pm, then you use only 1 day on your pass. However, when marking the day of use for that train, be sure to mark the next day’s date.
If your overnight train requires a train change before midnight, then you will use 2 travel days.
A. Most cites with airports are easily accessible by public transportation (Train, Bus, Subway or Taxi). The following airports listed have access to the downtown train stations: Amsterdam Schiphol, Athens, Barcelona, Berlin Schoenefeld, Birmingham, Brussels National, Cologne, Copenhagen, Dresden, Duesseldorf, Frankfurt, Geneva-Cointrin, Glasgow, Graz, Hannover, Krakow, Leipzig, London Gatwick, London Heathrow, London Stanstead, Madrid, Malaga, Manchester, Munich, Milan Malpensa, Newcastle, Nice, Nuremberg, Oslo, Palermo, Paris Charles de Gaulle, Pisa, Porto, Rome Fiumicino, Southampton, Stockholm, Stuttgart , Torino, Tronheim, Valencia, Vienna , and Zurich.
A. A rail day lasts from midnight to midnight. You can take as many trains as you wish during this time.
A. There are no check-in before boarding a Thalys train and ticket control and passport checks will occur onboard the train. Also worth remembering that children less than 12 years old travelling alone are not accepted on board Thalys trains.
A. A youth pass is valid for any traveler who is 25 years of age and younger.
A. All you’ll need is your e-ticket # (found on your confirmation email).
Please note: there may be multiple e-ticket # for your itinerary.
A. There are a few passes that offer a discount for families.
The Swiss passes offer the Swiss family card. This card provides free travel for children 6 to15 when traveling with a parent or guardian.
The BritRail family pass offers a free child from 5 to 15 with each full fare adult or senior pass.
The Great British Heritage family pass is available for 2 adults and up to 3 children.
Many passes offer saver options which can be used for families. Children ages 4-11 will be half of the adult fare on the saver pass.
A. Many trains such as the Eurostar offer discounted tickets for advance purchase. These fares have limited availability and sell out quickly. To receive the best price on the train you want to travel on you should purchase your tickets prior to your departure so you can avoid fully booked trains.
A. Our popular Swiss Card provides 1 roundtrip by rail from any Swiss airport or border to 1 single destination. It also includes a 50% discount on all Swiss railways, lake steamers, postal buses, and excursions to mountaintops.
A. When travelling with Thalys, you can carry a maximum of two suitcases per paying passenger (the largest side must be equal to 85 centimetres) and one item of hand luggage.
A. Go to our train times on our Train Tickets and Schedules select the number of passengers then click the box next to "Click this box if you have a Rail Pass". All results that are displayed will show you fares that are valid for passes. To insure you select the correct fare for your pass view the details. All passes that are valid with each fare are listed in the details.
A. Showers facilities are generally not offered on trains in Europe. However, private showers can sometimes be found with premier overnight trains such as the Elipsos between France and Spain when the Premier fares are booked.
A. Our "Train Tickets and Schedules" section calculates the total cost of your outbound journey first, and it includes the cost for the number of people that you specify. Once you choose an outbound journey, the costs of the return journey appear.
A.Yes! It is now possible to pay your train tickets or pass with several credit or debit cards. The number of cards, which can be used for a transaction, is limited to three. The credit or debit cards which are accepted by Rail Europe websites are Visa, Visa Electron, Master Card, Maestro, Amex et JCB. Please note the availability of those payment services depends on the customer’s country of residence.
A. With most passes the pass will start the when you get your pass validated by a rail official.
A.We use the online services of the worldwide Global Collect network to ensure that your payment takes place as efficiently and safely as possible
A. Reservation is compulsory on TGV and if you are a pass holder, you still need to buy a TGV ticket. Among the passes available on TGV, you’ll be able to choose between Eurail Global, Eurail Select Pass or Eurail two country pass including France. France Rail Pass and France Rail Pass Premium are also among the possible options and offer last minute "Easy Access" reservations.
By checking this box, I certify that all selected parties will be travelling together.
