Do I need to book a seat on all trains?

There are three categories regarding seat reservations on trains:

Mandatory seat reservation

Some trains, mostly high-speed trains and night trains, require a seat reservation. On these trains, you must show a seat ticket to board.

Optional seat reservation

In most countries, seat reservations are recommended, but on trains with optional seat booking, it is not mandatory. However, if you want to ensure you have a seat, you should purchase a seat ticket.

No seat reservation

On some trains, it is not possible to reserve a seat even if you want to. On these trains, you travel with just your travel ticket (Interrail Pass).

You must always add all the routes you plan to travel to the Rail Planner app, regardless of seat reservation requirements.

When searching on our website or in the app, you can see which departures require a seat reservation.