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How to book seats

Good to know

Finding seats

If you don't have a Pass, check if there are seats left directly with the railway carrier. Sold out? Try routes without reservations!

View carrier information

Refunding reservations

Most reservations cannot be refunded – the terms differ by railway carrier. But if your train gets cancelled, contact us for help.

View refund conditions

More about reservations

You can book seats for most trains in Europe using the timetable above in 4 simple steps:

  1. Log in
  2. Create a Trip and add your travellers
  3. Find train journeys that suit your plans
  4. Add the seats to your cart and book

Remember, you do not need to activate your Pass in order to book your seats.
 

  • Reservation e-tickets can be booked up to 3 hours before the train’s departure.
  • Paper tickets need to be booked at least 2–4 weeks in advance to account for the shipping time.


Head over to our guide How do I book seats for details on alternative ways to book your seats.

If you booked your seat reservations through our website, your order details will show up under the Reservations overview in your Interrail account.

 

  • Reservation e-tickets will be emailed to you and will also show up in your Interrail account under the Reservations Overview within 30 minutes of the order confirmation.
  • Paper tickets take up to 5 days to be processed and will be delivered to your shipping address within 2–4 weeks of the order confirmation. 

There can be many reasons why you’re unable to book seat reservations through our tool:

 

  • Connectivity issues: If you’re facing internet issues, we recommend checking again after some time.
  • No seats left for Pass holders: Your preferred train is fully booked and there are no more seats left for Interrail Pass holders. But don’t sweat! We promise you can still reach your destination using reservation-free regional trains.
  • Can’t be booked via Interrail: Seat reservations for trains in some countries cannot be booked on our website. You can find out other ways to book your seats for these trains in our booking tool or the How do I book seats guide. You could also directly contact the railway company for assistance.

 

Check out our Reservations FAQ if you’re running into any other problems while booking your seats.

It is generally possible to cancel your reservation prior to the train’s scheduled departure but the total amount refunded differs. Each railway carrier has their own conditions that determine if the reservation is refundable and the refund cancellation charges.

 

Please note that if you booked your seats via our tool, a booking fee of €2 per passenger per train is generally not refunded.

 

  • Reservation e-tickets: The refund is automatically processed once the cancellation is confirmed. The refund amount will be transferred via your original payment method.
  • Paper tickets: Once your cancellation is confirmed, you must return your tickets to our office using a courier service for us to process your refund.

 

Read our exchange and refund conditions for seat reservations page for more details.

If you faced a train delay or cancellation, we recommend getting in touch with the railway carrier for support. If they are unable to help you reach your destination via a different route, you could request compensation from the carrier.

 

If a train delay was longer than 60 minutes, you could also reach out to our customer support for compensation. Please make sure to write down all relevant information (such as train number and date) for us to be able to help you request a refund. Learn more on our delay compensation page.