Paris Pass

• Q. Where can I see the exchange and refund conditions of my train ticket?

  A. When browsing fares on our website, you can read a brief description of each fare flexibility level, and then see the full exchange and refund conditions for each fare.

  Once you have booked a train ticket with us, its exchange and refund rules will be indicated in your Rail Europe booking confirmation email, as well as printed with your train ticket and/or on the ticket jacket in the case of paper tickets. Please note that train tickets must be received for exchange or refund within the allowed time frame mentioned in the exchange and refund conditions.

• Q. I selected a ticket but when I went to place my booking, the price changed. I went back to search for train tickets and saw the same price listed again in the results. Why did this happen?

  A. For most trains, the price quoted is based on “live” availability, however, for certain trains we cannot check fare availability at the time of quotation due to the technical limitations of the international rail distribution system. Therefore, we use a stored price to build your quote, based on previously confirmed fares for the trip you requested.

  In rare cases, we find out that the fare used for quoting your trip is no longer available upon confirming your reservation. At that time, we receive a new price from the system based on that very moment’s availability.

  Unfortunately, due to these same technical limitations, we are unable to update the stored price for a specific train, even if we find out at the time of confirmation that a fare is no longer available.

  Rest assured that we’re working actively to ensure that all prices quoted to you are based on live availability and limit the usage of stored prices for quotation purposes.

• Q. Are there shower facilities on board?

  A. Onboard shower facilities vary by car equipment, operating carrier, and the class of service you’re booked in. You can view the details when you search for the train you wish to travel on.

  In addition, there may be shower facilities at the rail stations. Typically, you will need to pay a fee to use these showers.

• Q. I understand that some of the train platforms in the Netherlands, Belgium, and Italy now have gates. How do I get to my train?

  A. Many train stations in the Netherlands and the Brussels Airport Station in Belgium now have platforms with entry/exit gates. To enter or exit from the train’s platform, you will need to pass through these gates that are controlled with a bar code reader.

  Most paper tickets and e-tickets and all Eurail Pass covers have a square barcode which can be scanned at the entry/exit point of the platform. Just hold the bar code on your travel document to the scanner on the illuminated area on the gate and pass through the gate.

  Some of the high traffic train stations in Italy, such as Milan Centrale, Roma Termini and Firenze Santa Maria Novella stations now have entry/exit gates. Access through these gates are exclusively reserved for traveller’s holding a ticket. It is suggested that you have your paper or electronic tickets ready to present upon arriving at these security gates.

• Q. If I register on your site, will I start receiving spam?

  A. Rail Europe will never spam you! Upon registering, you will only receive booking and/or account related messages, as well as occasional promotion information email from Rail Europe. If you chose to subscribe to our newsletter, you can expect to receive this publication as well (typically twice a month). Of course, you have the option to unsubscribe to at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link found at the bottom of the newsletter.

• Q. How do I book a train ticket on your site?

  A. We have an easy-to-use booking form right on the homepage of our site. Simply enter your departure and arrival cities, the date you’d like to travel, approximate time of day, and number of passengers. If you have a rail pass, be sure to check the "I have a rail pass" box so that we can search the best fares for your journey.

• Q. How can I track the status of my refund?

  A. To check the status of your refund, you can visit our Contact Us page to send us a message. Please be sure to include your original booking number so that the refund request can be researched.

  Refunds processed online for e-tickets are completed immediately. Emails received for e-ticket refunds will be processed on the next business day.

  Refunds for paper documents cannot be completed entirely online because your original travel documents must be sent back to us. They will be processed within 1-2 business days after the documents are received by Rail Europe. Our Customer Relations team will contact you once your refund is processed.

  Please note that once a refund has been processed, it will take 7-10 business days for it to reflect in your credit card account.

• Q. Can I share my rail pass with others (family, friends, or charity)?

  A. No. Rail passes are strictly personal and non-transferable. A rail pass is valid only upon presentation of a passport. Therefore the name(s) printed on the rail pass must match the traveller’s identification.

• 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. I just landed in Europe. How do I get to the train station from the airport?

  A. Whether you’re going straight to a train or to your hotel, you’ll generally find public transportation options from the airport to the center of town, where most train stations are located. Below is a list of airports that have rail connections (train or local subway/metro) to the main rail station:

  Amsterdam Airport Schiphol
  15 minute train trip to Amsterdam Central Station
  Stockholm Arlanda Airport
  20 minute train trip to Stockholm Central Station
  Barcelona Airport
  30 minute train to Barcelona Sants Station
  Berlin Schoenefeld Airport
  Birmingham International Airport
  12-15 minute train trip to Birmingham New Street Station
  Brussels Airport
  28 minute train trip to Brussels Zuid/Midi Station
  Cologne Airport
  15 minute train trip to Cologne Central Station
  Copenhagen Kastrup Airport
  14 minute train trip from Copenhagen Airport to Copenhagen Central Station
  Geneva Cointrin International Airport
  7 minute train trip to the Geneva City Central Station
  Glasgow Prestwick Airport
  1 mile bus or taxi trip to Paisley Gilmour Station and then a 12-15 minute train trip to Glasgow
  London Gatwick Airport
  30 minute train trip to London Victoria Station
  London Heathrow Airport
  15 - 27 minute train trip to London Paddington Station
  Luton Airport
  45 minute train trip to London St. Pancras Station
  Madrid-Barajas Airport
  12 minute metro trip to Madrid Nuesvos Ministerios Metro Station
  Malaga Airport
  10 minute train trip to Malaga Torremolinos Station
  Munich International Airport
  41 - 46 minute train trip to Munich Main Train Station
  Oslo Gardermoen Airport
  19 - 22 minutes train trip to Oslo S Station
  Paris Orly Airport
  24 minutes train trip to Paris Austerlitz Station
  Paris Roissy Charles de Gaulle Airport
  30 minute train trip to Paris Gare du Nord Station
  Porto – Francisco Sá Carneiro Airport
  7-10 minute metro trip to Porto City Center Station
  Rome Leonardo da Vinci Fiumicino Airport
  30 minute train trip to Rome Termini Station
  Stansted Airport
  47 minute train trip to London Liverpool Station
  Stuttgart Echterdingen Airport
  30 minute train trip to Stuttgart Central
  Zurich Airport
  10 - 14 minute train trip to Zurich Central Station

  Many other European airports have buses to the central or main rail stations. There are typically a minimum of two departures per hour, and travel times can vary from 15 minutes – 55 minutes depending on the city (and of course traffic en-route to the city center).

  You can always check directly with your arrival airport for specific information regarding transfers to the city center. Most airports have websites with information on where to go to find a train or bus connection to the downtown area.

  In addition, we encourage you to visit our Train Station pages to view information about services at the station and what airport links are available, if any, for a particular city.

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