We understand that booking reservations can be tricky sometimes, and we want to ensure your experience is as smooth as possible. If you're having trouble purchasing a reservation for your preferred date and time, don't worry – we're here to help!
If you come across the message "One of the legs of your journey could not be booked", preventing you from proceeding to payment, we recommend checking out this article.
However, if you don't even see the option to purchase a reservation, it could be due to a few common issues we've identified. Let's explore them together to get you on your way to securing your reservation without any hassle:
- Reservations are no longer available on our website.
- You are trying to book too early.
- Reservations cannot be booked on our website or online.
- We are waiting for the updates from the carrier.
Below, we will explore each scenario to help you better understand what steps to take.
1. Reservations are no longer available on our website
Depending on which train you wish to take and when you make your reservation, it might be that seat reservations are already sold out on our self-service, or just may not be available through us. Popular services such as Eurostar, certain TGVs, and ÖBB Nightjets have limited availability for pass holders and can be sold out several weeks in advance during peak travel periods. If it seems like the train you wish to take is already fully booked, you can try one of the following options:
- Check alternative travel dates.
- Explore other train routes to reach your destination.
- Use the “No reservations needed” filter when you search for train routes.
- Check alternative booking websites*
*On this page of our website, you can find more information on all these options. Go to ''How to book reservations per country'', click on your departure or arrival country, and find alternative ways to book reservations. On the same page, you can find booking instructions for each alternative booking site. Please do note that Interrail BV cannot provide after-sales support for seat reservations purchased from any of the suggested alternative methods. However, we remain at your disposal to guide you in the best way should an issue occur.
2. You are trying to book too early
Sometimes, ticket sales for certain trains or routes may not open until a specific date. Seat reservations on most train services become bookable 60-90 days prior to your planned date of departure. The notable exception here is Eurostar where reservations on our self-service are possible up to 6 months in advance. Please note that if you try to book a train earlier than 90 days in advance, it might be possible that no price or journey details will be available yet.
How to check when reservations will become available?
- Go to the Self-Service booking tool on our website and look for the desired train
- Click on “More information”. This option is located on the right side next to the prices. Most of the time this information is also listed instead of price details.
- You should have the information there on top!
Alternatively, you can check the relevant carrier's website.
3. Reservations cannot be booked on our website or online
Not all railway companies share their timetable data with us, so unfortunately results for the countries below might be missing or incomplete. Therefore, you must book the reservation via carrier or at the station. In order to see available booking methods for every country please have a look at our website.
Countries not yet integrated in our Self-Service booking system:
Spain (some)
4. We are still waiting for updates from the carrier
All European railway carriers update their timetable twice per year: on 10 June and 10 December. If you try to book a reservation 2-3 months before one of the dates, reservations may not yet be available and will only be available to purchase after the new schedules have been confirmed and the carrier has shared this information with us. As the schedule is updated on 10 June and 10 December, reservations for those and later dates will only be released 1-2 months in advance. In rare cases, some reservations only become available a few weeks in advance.
These timetable changes are happening because trains are susceptible to changes in their schedule due to disruptions and rail track maintenance.
If the carrier has already released tickets for the updated schedule, but reservations are still unavailable on our website, please wait a few days or try alternative booking methods.
We truly hope that by being aware of these factors and exploring alternative options, you can enhance your chances of successfully booking reservations for your desired journey. In case you experience any issues that you wish to discuss, feel free to reach us via our customer support.