Italian trains: Intercity

• Q. What if my shipment gets lost?

  A. If you believe that your shipment is lost, please contact us as soon as possible using our Contact Us page.

  If you’re departing soon and your booking is lost, we will work with you for the best possible solution to deliver your travel documents before you leave.

• Q. Can I open the train windows?

  A. If you’re traveling on a slower train you may have the option to open a window, depending on the age and configuration of the car. However, most modern rail cars are air-conditioned and you won’t have the option of opening the windows.

  For safety reasons, high speed trains don’t offer the option of opening windows.

• 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. Where do I find my booking number?

  A. Your unique booking number is located in the confirmation we will email you. If you have created an account, you can also visit your dashboard to see your booking(s).

  Please note: this is NOT the number you will use to retrieve your print at the station tickets locally in Europe; please review your invoice for the applicable e-ticket confirmation codes needed to retrieve your tickets. 

• Q. Can I still buy train tickets from you once I’m in Europe?

  A. Yes, but only for trains that offer print at home or print at the station e-tickets. In general, we don’t ship paper tickets to Europe unless you will be at the same location (and able to receive tickets) for 3-5 business days. If the train you want only offers a paper ticket option, and you won’t be able to receive those tickets in the main, you will need to buy it locally at the station.

• Q. I made a mistake when I ordered my rail pass. How can I correct it?

  A. Once your rail pass has been printed, it is not possible to modify it. If you absolutely need to do it, you can pay a 15% penalty and a 7% processing fee to exchange it. If you catch the mistake and call us right away - prior to your rail pass being printed, we may be able to modify it for you. If you bought the Rail Protection Plan™ when you ordered your rail pass, you can exchange your original pass at full value and use it towards the new one, with no fee or penalty incurred. Read more about the Rail Protection Plan™ coverage and how to file a claim.

• Q. Are there ATMs on board?

  A. While there are ATMs located in most major European train stations, there are none on the trains themselves.

• Q. How do I use the bonuses that come with rail passes?

  A. Rail Pass travel bonuses must be redeemed locally.

  There are two types of bonuses. Free bonuses (such as a free airport transfer) require the use of a travel day on your pass. If all travel days have been used on your rail pass you will not be able to take advantage of any more free bonuses. Discount bonuses do not require you to use a travel day, but do require that your pass still be within its validity period. In other words, even if you’ve used up all your days on a pass, you can still claim discounted bonuses as long as the pass validity period has not expired.

  The exception to this rule is the Swiss Travel Pass. Although a discounted bonus doesn’t require you to use a travel day on your Swiss Travel Pass, the pass must still be valid and you must not have used up all your travel days.

• Q. Are the fares offered on your website based on live availability?

  A. Yes, in most cases. The fares displayed on our website are based on current seat availability at the time you requested the fares and schedules for your journey. our booking engine has a direct link to the inventory of many European rail carriers including SNCF, Eurostar, Thalys, DB, Trenitalia, RENFE, the UK’s Association Of Train Operating Companies, and more.

  There are some routes which we can only display a cached price at the time of quotation, based on generally available fares for those trains. Actual confirmation of space and fare occurs upon completion of your order. If there are any issues, you’ll be contacted.

• 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.

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