Mount Pilatus

• Q. What food and drink options are on board?

  A. If the train you’re traveling on offers a bar-buffet car, you’re free to walk in, sit down and eat. Or as soon as the restaurant car opens, make a reservation for any time of day.
  On many long distance trains there may be an attendant with a snack cart who travels from car to car.

  Bar-buffet cars are a unique part of the train experience, where the quality of the food and wine can rival that of a gourmet restaurant. With the exception of Eurostar, special meal requests are not available. But typically, regular menu options are plentiful and usually cater to most taste buds or dietary restrictions.

  If you travel with a Premier Class ticket, food and drinks are included and served at your seat or in the bar-buffet car.

  On local trains there’s usually no catering. However, you are welcome to bring your own food and drinks on board. Please make sure to follow the local law when considering taking alcoholic drinks on board any train.

• Q. Do I need to do anything with my rail pass before boarding the train?

  A. Yes. You will need to visit the ticket window at the train station before boarding your first train to activate your rail pass. A railroad official will enter the first and last day of validity on your rail pass and stamp your rail pass. You will have to show your passport, and the name on your rail pass will need to match it. Then, in case of a flexi-pass, for each day you use your rail pass you will need to enter the date in the designated travel calendar box on your rail pass. If you board a train and have not entered the date, when the conductor comes around to check your travel documents you may be subject to a fine and the payment of full fare ticket that will need to be paid in local currency directly to the conductor. Be sure to read all documentation that accompanies your rail pass prior to departure. The more you know about your rail pass, the more likely you are to avoid issues onboard the train.

• Q. Do I need to make a reservation if I’m traveling with a rail pass on an overnight train?

  A. Yes. Even with your rail pass, you will need to make a reservation on any overnight train. Reservations are required for sleeping compartments, couchettes, and seats. Depending on where you’re traveling, the guidelines of the specific train and/or the type of rail pass you have, you may be entitled to purchase a reservation in place of a full price ticket.
  You can search for overnight reservations directly on our website - just be sure to select the "I have a rail pass" option.

• Q. Can I bring my bike on board?

  A. In general, bicycles can be taken with you as carry-on luggage, free of charge on just about any national or international train- if you put it in a bike bag. In the bike bag, the wheels, pedals and handlebars must be removed.

  In addition, many European trains allow bikes in a special bike compartment for free or a small fee. If there is a fee, it’s typically about 5-15 Euros per journey. Bikes are typically permitted on local & regional trains in most countries, at least outside peak travel hours.

  Many inter-city trains also allow bikes, however not in Spain. And in France only a few French TGVs allow bikes that aren’t in a bike bag. Some TGV-Lyria trains between Paris & Switzerland also allow bikes. Paris-Madrid & Paris-Barcelona night trains only allow bikes if they’re in a bike bag and if you & your fellow travellers occupy the entire sleeper compartment. Overnight Thello sleeper trains & daytime TGV trains between Paris & Italy only allow bikes in a bike bag. Thalys trains between Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam & Cologne only allow bikes in bike bags. Long-distance trains into Eastern Europe such as Cologne-Moscow, Bucharest-Istanbul or Budapest-Sofia only allow bikes in bike bags, primarily because these trains don’t have luggage compartments.

  Lastly, some trains, primarily in the UK, will require advance reservations for bicycles. These reservations will need to be made locally at the station.

• Q. What is the difference between a flexi pass and a consecutive/continuous pass?

  A. A flexi pass is valid for a specific number of travel days to be used within the overall validity period of that rail pass. For example, 15 days of unlimited train travel to be used within a 2-month period. With this kind of rail pass, you can pick and choose any days (they don’t have to be consecutive) to travel within the rail pass’ validity period.

  Continuous (or consecutive) rail passes such as the Eurail Global Pass, are valid for unlimited train travel during the whole duration of the pass’ validity period. In other words, with a 15-day Eurail Global Pass, you can travel for 15 consecutive days by train. Even if you don’t take the train each and every day, those days will be considered used

• Q. My promo code is not working. What should I do?

  A. If for any reason you experience an issue with your promo code, please verify that all criteria are met for the code to be valid (dates, booking minimum, products, etc.). If all of this seems correct, make sure you’re using the correct code. If you received your code in an email, sometimes it’s best to copy and paste the code to avoid typographical errors.

  If you continue to have trouble, get in touch with us using our Contact Us page.

• Q. I have a train ticket for a train that didn’t run or was delayed due to a strike. What now?

  A. If your train doesn’t travel due to a delay or strike, please have your train ticket stamped “Not Used due to Strike” by a railway official at the origin station and return it to our Customer Relations department within 30-days from the train departure date.

  For immediate help, a railway official should be able to provide you with details on alternate accommodations. Simply visit the ticket window.

  Important: If a train is canceled by the railroads due to a strike, and alternate transportation has not been offered or if you decline the alternate transportation, then a railway official at the origin station must cancel your seat and they must stamp the back of your ticket/reservation “Not Used Due to strike” before the original train departure time.

  Our partners at the European Railroads will not allow us to process a refund unless this step has been taken.

• 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. If I arrive at the station early, will I be able to board my train?

  A. You may be able to board the train early, but it depends on a few things…

  First, early boarding may possible if you are boarding the train in the city from which it originates. If you are boarding a train on one of the stops along its routes, then the train won’t be in the station until a few minutes before the time indicated on your ticket.

  Even if you are boarding in the very first city from which your train departs, the platform may only be indicated 15 minutes or so before departure. Though early, you may find yourself in the train station with no information as to which platform the train is located.

  In any event, we typically advise you get to the station at least 30 minutes prior to departure. This way when your train is ready to board, you can hop on and take your seat without having to rush through the station.

• Q. What information does Rail Europe retain from my Facebook account?

  A. When you authorize Rail Europe to access your Facebook account, we only store the email address that you have specified as your Facebook login, as well as your full name. Nothing else. This information is, of course, subject to our privacy policy.

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