Traveling with a rail pass? Crossing differet countries? Then budget enough time for seat reservations.
- First, research if you are required to have seat reservations.
- If you will need seat reservations, test if the machine for the rail service of your next trip sells them. If the only option on the screen involves buying a new ticket, that means you will need to buy the seat reservation in person. Even if the machine has a seat reservation purchase option, be prepared that you may be required to use a debit card with a pin. Machines may not take credit cards even if you have a pin set up.
- Another option if you have internet abroad is to buy your seat reservation online via the rail pass purveyor, if that is available.
- If you plan ahead and are committed to your schedule, you can buy your seat reservation at home before embarking on your trip.
If you will be making an in-person visit to the rail office to buy a seat reservation, then you could try to combine it with other errands such as when you get your rail pass validated for the first time. This won't work if you validate the pass in one country and cross others before needing a seat reservation. Overall, be prepared for a wait. Besides the early morning, I have experienced a wait of 30-40 minutes in the rail office in the afternoon.
If you are buying your reservation on the day of the trip, budget time for and be prepared for a long trek to the correct platform. I have had a 15-20 minute trek (approximated per signs on the ground; I was running and exceeded those estimates). The trek may involve waiting for escalators, dragging luggage up or down stairs, etc.
If you are traveling within the same rail network, then seat reservations are a cinch since the machines usually sell them for domestic travel.
If seat reservations are not required and you do not care where you sit, one caveat of buying them is that you often cannot choose your seat. You could be seated near a person battling a cold, a noisy baby, etc. Why spend money for this undesirable seat?
