Oebb Reservation Query with Interrail

[Tourveg]

I am going to Austria on Thursday and venturing outside of Vienna (city ticket) / border areas for first time with a view to picking up some loco haulage around Wels / Linz etc.

Can anyone please advise which trains need COMPULSORY reservations, or can i just board any IC / Railjet or / EC and take my chances with seats?

I nearly got fined 60 euros in Germany the other week boarding an IC (not ICE) with a zone rover and wish to avoid a similar error with my Interrail.

Thanks for any help.

 

[railfan99]

For domestic Austrian trains, seat reservations are optional on Railjets, Intercity and EuroCity trains.

 

[rvdborgt]

Also Westbahn trains can be used without reservations.

 

[Tourveg]

Looks pretty easy stuff then on the "big" Austrian railway, thanks for the help.

 

[nwales58]

I nearly got fined 60 euros in Germany the other week boarding an IC (not ICE) with a zone rover and wish to avoid a similar error with my Interrail.

That was not a lack of *reservation*. It was the wrong *ticket* for those trains.

DB has train type/price levels 1/2/3 (can't remember the term for it just now) and fares at regional prices are not valid at all on IC nor ICE. The other way is fine, an ICE-priced ticket is valid on IC and an ICE or IC ticket is valud on Nahverkehr.

Where you see a RE number as well as an IC or ICE on the same train, local tickets are valid.

In Austria no such distinctions other than CAT. For Interrail RegioJet want you to book a reservation on long distance services including Prag-Vienna-Budapest but that only costs 1-2 Euro.

 

[Tourveg]

I realise my boarding of an IC from Bad Nauheim to Frankfurt with a 101 up front was a mistake with hindsight, the fact the zone rover wasnt valid on IC/EC was hidden in the small print, my mistake.

Yes i've boarded an IC in Berlin on a local ticket (ABC) as it had an RE number, say from Spandau - Cottbus. I've always been unsure about using the Berlin ABC on the PKP Eurocities from HBF to Ostbahnhof, or the dutch vectron services to Amsterdam, presume the ABC isnt valid cross city in Berlin

 

[Watershed]

It's long been the case that most 'local transport' type tickets in Germany aren't valid on long distance services (EC, IC, ICE etc.). There are a few exceptions but that is the general rule, so reading the small print is important.

 

[SeanG]

In Austria no such distinctions other than CAT. For Interrail RegioJet want you to book a reservation on long distance services including Prag-Vienna-Budapest but that only costs 1-2 Euro.

I wouldn't let the not being able to use CAT bother you as there are frequent local trains and Railjets to the airport.

For RegioJet, if you are on the last minute and haven't booked a reservation online, I've found that if you approach the guard on the platform they are usually happy to sell you one.