Train reservations

Hello. I have two separate queries.

1. We intend to travel from Berlin to Vienna on 1/1/07. We have Eurail First Class passes and want to make seat reservations only on the train. I have looked at the Die Bahn website but appear unable to make just seat reservations. We have considered waiting until we arrive in Berlin (28/12) and making the reservations that day for the 1st, but are concerned about it being too close to the time.

Can anyone explain the easiest way to do this?

2. We know we can buy food on the train and wondered how good this is? Has anyone experienced train food?

Many thanks

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%26gt;We have considered waiting until we arrive in Berlin (28/12) and making the reservations that day for the 1st, but are concerned about it being too close to the time.

In 1st class? Too close to the time? These two sentences don%26#39;t get together. Usually most people travel without reserving seats, so even if you reserve them 15 min before departure you can be sure to get your seats. But actually in 1st class you don%26#39;t need to bother.

In any case, you can only get seat reservations online on bahn.de for inland trips - by going through the process as if you buy tickets, and then check %26quot;No tickets, reservations only%26quot;. It is possible to buy international tickets to selected destinations online, but in most cases you would need to go to a counter or call them.

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%26gt;2. We know we can buy food on the train and wondered how good this is? Has anyone experienced train food?

I guess someone has experienced it, otherwise it wouldn%26#39;t be sold :-)

It is nothing special, more expensive than the same food in a stationary restaurant, and often is prepackaged and then microwave-heated on your order. If you consider yourself a gourmet, don%26#39;t bother. If you simply want something warm and reasonabe tasting, it is useful.

If you prefer to save some money, take some food (sandwiches etc.) with you.

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1. Online seat reservations only are only possible for %26quot;domestic%26quot; trips.

You can reserve Berlin to Salzburg online through the DB timetable and hope that nobody else will reserve Salzburg to Vienna. As seat reservations inside Austria are not that common this is unlikely.

2.

bahn.de/p/…monatsaktion.shtml

See %26quot;Speisekarte Bordrestaurant%26quot; and %26quot;Spezialitäten des Monats%26quot; (specialities of the month). Both are in German, English, French and Italian.

There is however no %26quot;chef%26quot; onboard. The food is more or less ready prepared before it comes onboard.

Better/fresher than what you will get on most flights, but no match for a good normal restaurant.

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wow, just checked out that website link re on-board catering and that looks seriously impressive compared to trains in the UK!

Is that a first-class only thing or for all classes on the longer distance trains?

I have been checking this post with interest as I will be making my first train booking within Germany next year.

I will be travelling from Berlin to Leipzig (and return journey), I understand that the 50% saver tickets are available from approx 3 months before date of travel? Does that allocate a seat automatically or do I need to make seat reservations too - is this all straight forward enough to do via online booking? As we are travelling around Pfingsten (Whitsun) holiday weekend, I am guessing that a seat reservation would be recommended.

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%26gt;is that a first-class only thing or for all classes on the longer distance trains?

No. The restaurant car is between 1st and 2nd class parts of the train.

In 1st class you can however order snacks and beverages from the restaurant or bistro to your place.

%26gt; Does that allocate a seat automatically or do I need to make seat reservations too - is this all straight forward enough to do via online booking?

No. Seat reservation is extra. EUR 1,50 per leg if you book it together with your ticket online.

Booking online is no problem. I use nearly always this method.

But if you%26#39;re from the UK you can also contact the DB UK booking centre.

http://www.bahn.co.uk

Seat reservation will be however more expensive. Ticket prices are the same online or at the counter.

%26gt; As we are travelling around Pfingsten (Whitsun) holiday weekend, I am guessing that a seat reservation would be recommended.

Indeed.

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do the experts think I need a reservation for 2 on a morning train from Berlin to Dresden on 28 December?

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At the new Berlin Hauptbahnhof is a decent sized grocery with a

good selection of food items. Instead of using the restaurant car

I like to buy bread, cheese, meat, fruit, beverages and a dessert item at a grocery and dine in style.

Travelling 1st class, you shouldn%26#39;t need a reservation. But they are

cheap for the peace of mind they give, and you can book one on the

28th for the 1st. The office where they sell tickets and give out information is the best place for the tourist to buy a reservation. Someone there will speak English, if you don%26#39;t speak German.

There are different windows, so look for one that has %26quot;Reservierung%26quot;

on the list of services.

I use train passes, so at the top of the paper I hand the clerk, I write

%26quot;Reservierung nur, bitte%26quot; which is %26quot;Reservation only, please %26quot;.

I write down the date I wish to travel using the European system of Day, Month then Year. I also mark down the time the train departs and the train ID number. I like window seats, so %26quot;fenster platz%26quot; is usually included on my request.

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Thanks for the good advice. We are lucky to be travelling 1st class but will definitely reserve seats anyway as a precaution. My daughter speaks German and is looking forward to the trip.

I have discovered an excellent link through the Eurail site go to the timetables/ Western European drop down for people looking for timetable information and connections.

I will follow up and let you all know how the journey went!

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