Is it necessary to reserve seats in european trains?

Question

Is it necessary to reserve seats in european trains?

Answer 1

I have one experience of riding the train in Europe - from Koln, Germany to Frutigen, Switzerland.  When I bought my ticket online, I was assigned a seat.

Some routes are more heavily travelled than others, so it would be well to buy a ticket in advance.

Answer 2

Depending on where you are going. For example, i took a train from munich germany to hamburg in germany. We had reserved our seats which cost like 30 dollars more, but when we got there, we were the only ones there...so we moved around....so it really wasn't necessary...but it is up to you if you wanna be safe or just expect the unexpected :D

Answer 3

It  depends on where you going and how fast you want to get there. Where is your starting point and where do you plan to go?

Answer 4

Hi Maria,

   Are you referring to reserving seats before you leave for Europe or once you're there?   If its the first case I would say no.  I've never booked my train tickets from home in advance.  You tend to pay more and its really not necessary.  That being said, once you are already in Europe, there will be some trains that you need to have reservations for, with or without a rail pass.  Florence to Venice for example.   Purchasing these tickets a couple days in advance has always been enough time for me.  My suggestion is to just buy your ticket out of a city when you arrive.

Answer 5

Sometimes.  Premier trains such as the TGV, Eurostar, or Thalys trains usually require a seat reservation.  Seating in first class compartments can be reserved on most trains and couchettes almost always require reservations.  If you have a Eurailpass (or similar) you usually have to reserve on the premier trains (for first class) for an extra fee.  Second class seating does not usually require reservation.