Hungarian trains

• Q. Where do I find my booking number?

  A. Your unique booking number is located in the confirmation we will email you. If you have created an account, you can also visit your dashboard to see your booking(s).

  Please note: this is NOT the number you will use to retrieve your print at the station tickets locally in Europe; please review your invoice for the applicable e-ticket confirmation codes needed to retrieve your tickets. 

• Q. If my train tickets have been lost or stolen, how do I request reimbursement through the Rail Protection Plan™?

  A. Here’s what you need to do if your train ticket, rail pass, reservation, city pass or tour was lost or stolen and you plan to request receive a reimbursement through the Rail Protection Plan™.

  You must file a police report within 24 hours of the incident.
  You may purchase a replacement rail pass, train ticket, reservation, city pass or tour in order to continue with your travel plans.

  Upon return home, you must submit the traveller request form to Rail Europe within 30 days, along with a copy of the police report, replacement rail pass, train ticket, reservation, city pass, or tour purchased abroad, and your roundtrip airline tickets from home to Europe. A brief explanation of the situation is also necessary to better evaluate the traveller request form.

  If you purchased the Rail Protection Plan™ when you booked your train ticket/rail pass/reservation/city pass/tour, you received full documentation on what to do in the event of loss or theft. Please refer to this information for full details.

• Q. Are the train tickets you send me the actual tickets, or do I need to exchange them at the station?

  A. If you selected the paper delivery option, then yes – the travel documents you receive from us in the mail are your actual train tickets. Do not lose them, because we cannot replace them.

  Only the original paper ticket will be accepted onboard the train. No other document such as a print out of the email invoice can be used in lieu of the original paper train ticket.

• Q. Can I ensure that my traveling party will share a compartment on an overnight train?

  A. Our booking system always attempts to book all travellers in the same compartment on overnight trains, as long as you submit your request for your entire traveling party at once.

  Our ability to book all travellers in the same compartment ultimately depends on compartment availabilities on the train you’re booking. The earlier you make your reservations, the better the chance that everyone in your travel party will be in the same compartment.

  If a compartment can’t be fully filled by the traveling party alone, some trains may need to separate you into gender-specific compartments. Therefore, if you are a traveling party of mixed gender – the way to ensure that you will be traveling together is to make sure that you book a compartment that you fill entirely.

• Q. Can I open the train windows?

  A. If you’re traveling on a slower train you may have the option to open a window, depending on the age and configuration of the car. However, most modern rail cars are air-conditioned and you won’t have the option of opening the windows.

  For safety reasons, high speed trains don’t offer the option of opening windows.

• Q. I want to refund my train ticket. How do I proceed?

  A. If you have a paper ticket that you would like to submit for a refund, please visit our Contact Us page for further information.

  Please note that train tickets must be received at least 2 business days prior to the train departure date.

  It’s strongly suggested that you send these documents by some type of traceable mail for proof of delivery.

  If you have an e-ticket to submit for a refund, this can be initiated on our Cancellation and Refunds page.

• Q. Who is eligible to buy a rail pass?

  A. Rail passes are available to anyone except residents of Europe, the United Kingdom, Morocco, Turkey or any of the countries of the former Soviet Union. If you’re a resident of these countries we can’t sell you our rail passes, but there are other similar options available to you such as the InterRail pass.

• Q. What ways can a train ticket be issued? Paper? e tickets?

  A. There are potentially three ways to receive European train tickets.

  Paper tickets: the rail pass or train ticket is physically printed at the Rail Europe fulfillment center and shipped to you.

  Print at home e-ticket: the train ticket may be issued as a PDF which may either be emailed to you directly, or retrieved via a web link that is communicated to you at the time of purchase, depending on the rail carrier. You must print the PDF from a computer printer on any regular paper prior to boarding the train. Some e-tickets are delivered with a unique e-ticket confirmation code that is printed on your Rail Europe confirmation email. You must provide this e-ticket confirmation code along with your id to the conductor on board the train.

  Print at station e-ticket: you will receive an e-ticket confirmation code (also known as PNR or Passenger Name Record) on your confirmation email, as well as a link to detailed instructions for retrieving your ticket. Use this e-ticket code at a self-service kiosk located at the train station in Europe to print out your actual ticket, prior to boarding the train.

  Print at home e-ticket and print at station e-ticket are “electronic” delivery methods requiring no physical shipment to you. This means we can issue you an e-ticket whether you’re still at home or already in Europe.

  Please note that all three methods are not always offered for a given train ticket. In fact, many tickets only support one of these issuance methods.

• Q. How much luggage can I take on the train?

  A. Technically, you’re not restricted in terms of luggage. However, keep in mind that you’ll need to carry your bags through the train station and onto the train. Once on board you’ll need to find a place to put your bag(s). Small and medium sized bags typically fit on racks located above the seats. Larger suitcases and such can be stored in luggage racks found near the train door entrance.

  Be aware that you are responsible for your luggage. The railways assume no responsibility in case of loss or theft of baggage carried on board.

  When traveling on a Eurostar, Thalys, or TGV train, you are limited to two large items per traveller (one large item per child on Eurostar trains), maximum 85cm (33 inches) in any one dimension, plus one small item of hand luggage.

  Your bag(s) must be properly labeled with your first and last name. In general, it’s a good idea to keep luggage tags on your baggage for easy identification.

• Q. What is the 7:00 pm rule?

  A. Overnight train journeys departing after 7:00pm and arriving after 4:00am without any change of train will count as one travel day. The date of arrival should be recorded on your rail pass.

  Overnight train journeys departing after 7:00pm that arrive or involve a connection between midnight - 4am count as two travel days on your rail pass.

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