Swiss Travel Pass

• Q. I have my train ticket. Do I also need to buy a reservation?

  A. Rail Europe train tickets usually include a reservation whenever possible. In other words, if you’re taking a train that requires a reservation, one will already be included with your train ticket from us. If you’re boarding a train that offers reservations but doesn’t require them, tickets sold on our website will include one, if available, at the time of booking.

  For certain trains that offer reservations but don’t require them, it is possible that we do not include a seat reservation with your train ticket. This may happen when we don’t have access to those reservations, which can only be purchased locally. Rest assured that even if this is the case, your Rail Europe train ticket will still allow you to board and sit at any unoccupied seat.

• Q. How do I travel with a print at the station e-ticket?

  A. All you need to do is print your actual train ticket at the station using a self-service kiosk prior to boarding the train. You can do this on the day of your travel, or anytime prior – but you can only do this at a train station.

  The actual steps to print your e-ticket vary slightly from one country to another, but the general approach is the same: proceed to the self-service kiosk, enter your e-ticket confirmation code (also known as PNR) which is a letter code (or in the UK, 8 character alphanumeric code) that is unique to your trip, and follow the simple on-screen instructions.

• Q. Where can I see the exchange and refund conditions of my train ticket?

  A. When browsing fares on our website, you can read a brief description of each fare flexibility level, and then see the full exchange and refund conditions for each fare.

  Once you have booked a train ticket with us, its exchange and refund rules will be indicated in your Rail Europe booking confirmation email, as well as printed with your train ticket and/or on the ticket jacket in the case of paper tickets. Please note that train tickets must be received for exchange or refund within the allowed time frame mentioned in the exchange and refund conditions.

• Q. Can I choose a specific seat when booking a train ticket?

  A. At this time, we are unable to offer this service. Unlike airlines, most rail carriers do not offer the possibility to select your specific seat.

• Q. How do I create a Rail Europe account?

  A. You can simply click the ’Login’ button found on the top right-hand side of our homepage and select ’create an account’ to register on our site. If you are booking with us, you will also be presented with the option to register during checkout.

• Q. Can I exchange or refund my rail pass while in Europe?

  A. Unused and unvalidated rail passes can be exchanged for an alternate rail pass of equal or greater value. A 7% administration fee, any price difference, and additional shipping fees would apply. Some promotional rail passes are non-exchangeable; please read the terms and conditions for these passes for more details. Exchanges and refunds for rail passes cannot be performed locally at the train station.

  Please send us a message through the Contact Us page to begin the exchange process. To exchange a rail pass, we must receive your original unused and unvalidated rail pass no later than 3 days prior to your departure to Europe, issue a new rail pass, and ship it to you.

  If you bought the Rail Protection Plan™ when you placed your rail pass order, you are eligible to receive the full value of your original pass as a credit and use it towards any future Rail Europe purchase within 2 years, with no fee or penalty incurred.

• Q. Are the fares offered on your website based on live availability?

  A. Yes, in most cases. The fares displayed on our website are based on current seat availability at the time you requested the fares and schedules for your journey. our booking engine has a direct link to the inventory of many European rail carriers including SNCF, Eurostar, Thalys, DB, Trenitalia, RENFE, the UK’s Association Of Train Operating Companies, and more.

  There are some routes which we can only display a cached price at the time of quotation, based on generally available fares for those trains. Actual confirmation of space and fare occurs upon completion of your order. If there are any issues, you’ll be contacted.

• Q. Are there discounts on train tickets?

  A. Yes. Discounts are available for select train tickets. some rail carriers offer advance purchase discounts for those who like to book early. In addition, youth, child, and/or senior discounts are offered by some European rail carriers. When you begin your ticket search, be sure to enter in any applicable passenger data so that we can provide you with the best fares for your journey.

• Q. If I register on your site, will I start receiving spam?

  A. Rail Europe will never spam you! Upon registering, you will only receive booking and/or account related messages, as well as occasional promotion information email from Rail Europe. If you chose to subscribe to our newsletter, you can expect to receive this publication as well (typically twice a month). Of course, you have the option to unsubscribe to at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link found at the bottom of the newsletter.

• Q. How are sleeping compartments kept secure?

  A. Overnight trains have conductors on duty throughout the duration of the train ride. In addition, sleeping compartments have locks on the doors that you control.

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