BritRail Spirit of Scotland Pass

• Q. What’s the difference between a seat reservation and a train ticket?

  A. A train ticket is a travel document that allows you to board a train for a journey, but does not necessarily guarantee an accommodation (seat/sleeper) assigned to you on board. A reservation guarantees you a specific accommodation on a specific train.

  In many cases, train tickets are issued as combined ticket and reservation: you receive one travel document that indicates the specific train and seat assignment. This is the case for most high speed trains such as Eurostar, Thalys and TGV, as well as for night trains.

  In some other cases, you may receive a train ticket and a separate travel document for your reservation.

  By itself, a reservation can never be used to board a train. It must be used in conjunction with an open train ticket, as we’ve just described, or with a rail pass.

• Q. If there’s been a strike, how do I request reimbursement through the Rail Protection Plan™?

  A. Only some train tickets are eligible for reimbursement due to strikes. Please send your tickets back to our Rail Europe office at the address included in the Rail Protection Plan™ documentation that accompanied your train tickets or rail pass, and include the traveller’s Request Form.

  A European railway official at the station must have stamped the train ticket indicating it was not used due to a rail strike. Requests for refunds of printed e-tickets in relation to a rail strikes must follow the procedure mentioned above. If the e-ticket has not been printed, requests for reimbursement can be e-mailed to customerrelations@raileurope.com, prior to the train departure date.

  Notice of any refund request in relation to a strike must be given within thirty 30 days of your return from Europe. Rail passes are generally not eligible for a refund in cases of a strike under the Rail Protection Plan™.

• Q. What is a Rail Pass?

  A. A rail pass is a travel document that entitles you to travel on European trains in a specific geographic area (country/countries), for a specific number of days.

  Be mindful that having a rail pass doesn’t necessarily mean that you can hop on any train at will, within the geographical area covered by your rail pass. Depending on the country, the type of train and the route, you may need to purchase seat reservations at an additional cost.

  Lastly, rail passes are packed with additional benefits, also known as rail pass bonuses which can range from discounted shopping in retail stores, to preferential rates on other modes of transportation like ferry or bus, to rebates on hotel nights, reduced admission at museums attractions, and more.

• Q. How can I ensure that my traveling party is seated together?

  A. In general, when you request fares and schedules for multiple travellers at once, we’ll always attempt to request that they be seated together. The best way to ensure this is to correctly indicate the number of travellers when you request your fares and schedules for your itinerary.

  Occasionally, it might not be possible to seat everyone together based on availability at the time of booking, in which case the travellers will be seated in the closest available seats.

  If the train you’ll be taking is non-reservable, all you have to do is board the train and sit in any available seat with the rest of your party.

• Q. What types of sleeping compartments or accommodations are available on overnight trains?

  A. There are Second class, First class, and on some overnight trains, Premier class accommodations.

  In Second class, you can relax in a reclining seat, a ‘couchette’ that is a shared compartment with up to 6 beds, or a compartment with 3 to 4 beds.

  In First class, you’ll share a more relaxing locking compartment with one or two beds and a wash basin in the compartment.

  Lastly, on some trains, you can book a Premier class ticket for a great night of sleep with private, lockable accommodations for one or two, a private shower and toilet, and includes breakfast and on some trans, dinner.

  Sleeping accommodations vary by train type and by route. Be sure to read the product details for the overnight train you’re interested in to see what that train offers in each class of service.

• Q. Can a reservation date on an overnight train be changed?

  A. This is possible in some cases, but with the limited availability of overnight trains, please do it as soon as you can and at least 24-hours before the train’s departure. New reservations will be required when you reschedule. Make sure to check the fare rules for the reservation you’ve purchased so you’re aware of the exchange policies. If you’re already traveling in Europe and need to make a change, you may be subject to local service fees and/or upgrade charges.

• Q. Where can I store my luggage on an overnight train?

  A. Luggage can be stored on a small luggage rack and any floor or bed space available. Keep in mind that this space is shared among all travellers occupying the sleeping compartment or couchette.

• Q. What happens if my train crosses an international border during the night?

  A. If you travel in a sleeper compartment, you provide the train attendant with your reservation voucher, rail pass or train ticket, and passport as you board. They can then take care of everything with conductors and customs officials so you can sleep uninterrupted.

  If you travel in a regular train that just happens to cross the border at night, customs and border control officers may come directly to you and ask for your passport.

  Please note that there will be no passport control (day or night) when traveling between countries that signed the Schengen Agreement. Not all countries belonging to the EU are part of the Schengen Agreement (e.g. Britain). On the flip side, some countries that are not part of the EU are part of the Schengen Agreement (e.g. Switzerland).

• Q. Can I ensure that my traveling party will share a compartment on an overnight train?

  A. Our booking system always attempts to book all travellers in the same compartment on overnight trains, as long as you submit your request for your entire traveling party at once.

  Our ability to book all travellers in the same compartment ultimately depends on compartment availabilities on the train you’re booking. The earlier you make your reservations, the better the chance that everyone in your travel party will be in the same compartment.

  If a compartment can’t be fully filled by the traveling party alone, some trains may need to separate you into gender-specific compartments. Therefore, if you are a traveling party of mixed gender – the way to ensure that you will be traveling together is to make sure that you book a compartment that you fill entirely.

• Q. What information do I need to provide when booking a rail pass? Do the names on the rail pass and the passports have to match?

  A. When you book your rail pass, you will need to provide us with your first and last name, exactly as they appear on your passport. The name you enter will appear on your rail pass and will be verified by a railway official when you activate the rail pass. In addition, some rail passes are pre-activated and require you to enter the first date of travel.

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