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Passes: Reservations with passes
To view the answers to the questions found below, please click on each question link, the answer will be revealed below the question.
Q. When I select the box that says I have a pass I am not receiving any schedules, but when I do not select the box that says I have a pass I receive schedules. Why can't I book a reservation with a Pass?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.
Q. What is a passholder?A. A pass holder is a reduced fare that can be purchased in place of a ticket. It requires the use of 1 day on a rail pass and is generally required for high-speed trains.
Q. Do I need to make reservations if I have a Pass?A. Yes, you may need to make a reservation. All trains that travel internationally will require reservations. All night trains and high-speed trains will require reservations.
Most trains in these countries will require reservations: France, Spain, and Italy.
Q. How do I make a reservation with a pass?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.
Q. How can I check whether I need reservations?A. The following trains require reservations: Eurostar, Thalys, Lyria, all TGV's, AVE, Artesia trains (France-Italy), Renfe, Trenitalia, Riveria, Swedish trains, City Night Line, DB (German) night trains, Elipsos, and the Paris-Germany night train.
To check if the train you are looking at is on of these trains you just need to look at the details on the fare results to see the type of train in the title.
The Swiss Scenic trains and some of the German ICE trains will also need reservations. These are route and time specific.
Q. Is it possible to avoid reservations or extra charges?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 TGV reservation is about $11 USD per person.
