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• Q. What is a Diabolo fee?

  A. The Diabolo fee is a supplement for utilizing the trains in and out of the Brussels Airport Station in Belgium. This nominal fee can be paid at the station or on board the train.

• Q. Once on the train platform, how can I find my car? Is there a difference between where first and second class carriages are located or how they look on the outside?

  A. Typically you will see a (1) or a (2) or the words “First” or “Second” or a combination of both on the outside of the train car indicating First or Second class. Once you board the train, you’ll notice that some trains have inside indicators for first or second class. Some high speed trains have headrest covers that state the class of service.

  For certain high speed trains such as the Thalys, TGV, or Eurostar you’ll also find displays right on the platform indicating where each car of the train will be located for boarding. You can use this chart to find the mark on the platform corresponding to the car you would like to board. It is a good rule of thumb to arrive at the station early so that you can find the train and the right car matching the class of service on your pass or ticket.

  And of course, you can always ask a railway official or conductor for assistance.

• Q. What credit cards does Rail Europe accept online?

  A. You can use an American Express, Diner’s Club, Discover, MasterCard, or Visa card on our website.

• Q. Can I purchase seat reservations from Rail Europe once I’m already traveling in Europe?

  A. Yes, but only when an e-ticket is offered for the train you want to take. If only a paper train ticket is offered, you’ll need (and want) to purchase your reservation(s) locally at the train station to avoid international shipping fees and delivery times.

• Q. Can I bring my pet on board?

  A. Generally, cats and dogs are allowed on trains, though they may need to be contained in a pet carrier or wear a muzzle or leash. Pets are not allowed on some trains in Great Britain, Spain, Ireland, Norway, and Finland. Currently the only animals that are permitted to travel on Eurostar are guide dogs for the visually impaired.

  Some trains require advance reservations for pets. Unfortunately, Rail Europe cannot make reservations for your pet. This will need to be done locally. In general, dogs normally travel at half the fare of a second class ticket, payable directly to the conductor.

• Q. I selected a train ticket, but when I placed my booking the price changed. Why? Can the previously quoted price be honored?

  A. For most trains, the price quoted is based on live availability from current seat inventories. However, for some trains, we cannot check fare availability at the time of quote due to technical limitations of the international rail distribution system. Therefore, we use a cached price to build your quote, based on generally available fares for the trip you requested.

  While rare, sometimes, we find out that the fare used for quoting your trip is no longer available as we’re trying to confirm your reservation. This is when the system gives us the new price based on that very moment’s availability. This explains why you may receive a message advising you that the price has changed from the original quote.

  Unfortunately, we are unable to honor the original fare that was displayed online. As mentioned in our terms of use, schedules listed in our booking tool are subject to change depending on availability, and final fares will be confirmed upon purchase.

• Q. Can my family sit together if I have a First class rail pass and my child has a Second class youth pass?

  A. Yes, of course! However, everyone will need to sit in Second class. The rule is with a First class pass you can sit in either First or Second class, with a Second class pass you can only sit in Second class. If you wish to travel in First class and the rail pass you are interested in does not offer a First class youth option, you will need to purchase an adult pass for your youth traveller.

  Be mindful if you intend to book seat reservations that you book in the class of service you intend to sit in. Once a reservation has been issued, you must sit in the seat that has been assigned to you.

• Q. Will the train cars be air conditioned/heated?

  A. All European trains are fully heated and many are air-conditioned, as well.

  Some regional trains servicing local villages for short distances may not have air-conditioning. In these situations, travellers are permitted to open the train windows.

• Q. Do restaurant cars cater to specific dietary needs like vegetarian, diabetic or kosher?

  A. Some European trains do offer special menu items. You can check the menu card found on board the train when you get on. Please keep in mind that you are also permitted to bring food on to the train, so if you have a specific dietary condition that requires special food, you can purchase before getting on the train and avoid any disappointment if the train you are on does not cater to your specific needs.

  On Eurostar a wide variety of meals can be arranged prior to your departure to Europe. They include vegetarian, kosher, halal, vegan, diabetic, low fat, low salt and gluten-free meals. For vegetarian meals, we require 24-hours notice in advance of travel. For all other meals we require 48-hours advance notice. If you need to arrange a special meal for your Eurostar journey, please contact us via our Contact Us page.

• Q. What ways can a train ticket be issued? Paper? e tickets?

  A. There are potentially three ways to receive European train tickets.

  Paper tickets: the rail pass or train ticket is physically printed at the Rail Europe fulfillment center and shipped to you.

  Print at home e-ticket: the train ticket may be issued as a PDF which may either be emailed to you directly, or retrieved via a web link that is communicated to you at the time of purchase, depending on the rail carrier. You must print the PDF from a computer printer on any regular paper prior to boarding the train. Some e-tickets are delivered with a unique e-ticket confirmation code that is printed on your Rail Europe confirmation email. You must provide this e-ticket confirmation code along with your id to the conductor on board the train.

  Print at station e-ticket: you will receive an e-ticket confirmation code (also known as PNR or Passenger Name Record) on your confirmation email, as well as a link to detailed instructions for retrieving your ticket. Use this e-ticket code at a self-service kiosk located at the train station in Europe to print out your actual ticket, prior to boarding the train.

  Print at home e-ticket and print at station e-ticket are “electronic” delivery methods requiring no physical shipment to you. This means we can issue you an e-ticket whether you’re still at home or already in Europe.

  Please note that all three methods are not always offered for a given train ticket. In fact, many tickets only support one of these issuance methods.

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