Might be useful to share intel on this especially if like me the view from the window us an essential part of the journey. EG I'm just travelling on IC 669 from Milan to La Spezia. Nice loco hauled air con open second class stock, seating in groups of four aligned with windows BUT avoid rows 5 and 10 which are airline type and no windows. I guess they've crammed these extra rows in to increase capacity, but no thanks!
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Seats to avoid when booking compulsory seat reservations
- Thread starter peteb
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I've long thought an 'AeroLopa' style website for trains would be a good idea, but unfortunately a lot of companies don't allow seat selection (and some of them have the nerve to charge for it). Extremely irritating, especially on routes that sell out, meaning you can't move to another seat.
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My solution to this in Morocco was to buy about 10 seats, then get a full refund on the ones I didn't want. Why?
== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: ==
My solution to this in Morocco was to buy about 10 seats, then get a full refund on the ones I didn't want. Why?
I find the Eurostar seating plans at https://eurostar4agents.com/all-about-eurostar/seating-plan-1 show the window positions accurately compared to the seat selector on the website.
I agree with Superalbs that a AeroLopa style resource would be great, particularly since Thalys don’t have a seat selector, as a result I avoid it like the plague or add tickets to the basket until I get the seat I want.
I agree with Superalbs that a AeroLopa style resource would be great, particularly since Thalys don’t have a seat selector, as a result I avoid it like the plague or add tickets to the basket until I get the seat I want.
Bletchleyite
Veteran Member
One of the reasons to charge for selection on compulsory reservation trains (or not offer it at all) is that you can allocate seats more efficiently if people don't select. Thus you want only those people for whom it's important to them to do so.
Let's say you have a railway A-B-C, four seats left and five passengers wanting journeys. The first two go A-B and select seats 1 and 2, the next two go B-C and select seats 3 and 4. Passenger 5 comes along wanting A-C and is turned away.
If by contrast you automatically allocate the A-B and B-C passengers into seats 1 and 2, then you can sell not one, but two more A-C tickets.
You can sort of work around it by issuing counted places and passenger 5 having to play musical chairs, but as most people don't care where they sit (or just care about having a table, not which one) charging a small fee to make only those people who care select makes more sense and avoids passenger 5 having issues.
Let's say you have a railway A-B-C, four seats left and five passengers wanting journeys. The first two go A-B and select seats 1 and 2, the next two go B-C and select seats 3 and 4. Passenger 5 comes along wanting A-C and is turned away.
If by contrast you automatically allocate the A-B and B-C passengers into seats 1 and 2, then you can sell not one, but two more A-C tickets.
You can sort of work around it by issuing counted places and passenger 5 having to play musical chairs, but as most people don't care where they sit (or just care about having a table, not which one) charging a small fee to make only those people who care select makes more sense and avoids passenger 5 having issues.
I couldn't fathom whether the Italian IC train was entirely compulsory reservation or not, as I had to reserve (interrail requirement). I tried to look on Trenitalia app but it showed no seats available. I wonder if they leave a good chunk for turn up and go as the train which on internet appeared to be sold out was in fact about 60% full, with plenty of people hopping on and off between Genova and Levanto.
Trenitalia IC trains are entirely compulsory reservation as far as I know.
dutchflyer
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That is right and normal tickets sold all come with it included. And its just 3€ for those who have to do it additionally.
Even if some railways allow a limited choice, this is often only window/aisle or perhaps open saloon or compartment (If that is still there). And even then you wiil not know till you found your seat if it allows a broad look out via window or rather invites you to also take the headset out to listen as there is nothing to see-out side.
ON the subject of having to do these reservations with a pass: FInland offers the other extreme: you do not need to, but as all normal pax have to (also included) you can be turfed out of your seat at any stop. It seems the only way to secure one is to call their central centre-the very few remaining counters only in large stations also tell you its not possible.
Even if some railways allow a limited choice, this is often only window/aisle or perhaps open saloon or compartment (If that is still there). And even then you wiil not know till you found your seat if it allows a broad look out via window or rather invites you to also take the headset out to listen as there is nothing to see-out side.
ON the subject of having to do these reservations with a pass: FInland offers the other extreme: you do not need to, but as all normal pax have to (also included) you can be turfed out of your seat at any stop. It seems the only way to secure one is to call their central centre-the very few remaining counters only in large stations also tell you its not possible.
For compartments they usually number the compo first eg 8 is compo 8, then seats 1 and 4 are corridor, 2 and 5 are middle (yuk) and 3 and 6 are window so eg seat 83 is compo 8 seat 3 by window. But of course open plan saloon can have many variations. Any seat 1 is likely to have a window but then it's pot luck.
Bletchleyite
Veteran Member
Some open coach numbering is quite odd, they number two airline rows as if they were compartments, which means say 61 and 68 are next to each other. The reason for this is that 4 seat compartments have 7 and 8 as middles, so if you swap a 6 seat compartment vehicle for an 8 seat one the numbers still represent the same positions.
see @rvdborgt's post below.
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Classic seat numbering:
x5 and x6 are always window seats.
x1 and x2 are corridor seats in a compartment coach, window seats in an open plan saloon.
x3 and x4 are middle seats in a 6-p compartment coach, corridor seats in an open plan saloon.
x7 and x8 are extra middle seats in an 8-p compartment coach, extra corridor seats in an open plan saloon with 4 seats across.
See e.g. the layout of DB's intercity coaches:
Bletchleyite
Veteran Member
The effect of this is that consecutive numbers are opposite each other, except the middles in an 8 seat, which makes a bit of sense, because if you swap a 6 for an 8 the middle passengers get an empty seat opposite. It's the norm with these to book two people travelling together opposite rather than alongside each other so this makes sense!
What is odd is applying this numbering scheme to a 2+2 airline seated coach, which gives you two rows of airline seats numbered thus.
5 7 - 3 1
6 4 - 8 2
This doesn't even make sense for if you substituted an airline seated 2+2 coach for a compartment coach, as you want consecutive numbers then so people who would be sitting opposite sit next to each other.
What is odd is applying this numbering scheme to a 2+2 airline seated coach, which gives you two rows of airline seats numbered thus.
5 7 - 3 1
6 4 - 8 2
This doesn't even make sense for if you substituted an airline seated 2+2 coach for a compartment coach, as you want consecutive numbers then so people who would be sitting opposite sit next to each other.
Mainline421
Member
My understanding is they're not compulsory as such, but for most journeys you can't buy a ticket without a reservation. The official statement from Interrail is "Required during busy periods: InterCity trains (during May-September and on public holidays)." But my Interrail was accepted without seeing the reservations in June last year.
That text is outdated, IIRC it dates from pre-COVID times.
Last year, somebody dug into Trenitalia's terms & conditions and it states clearly there that everybody needs a reservation.
The fact that your Interrail was accepted without seeing the reservation doesn't mean the reservation was optional. I've noticed that in quiet ICs the staff doesn't always ask for the reservation.
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D6130
Established Member
By coincidence, my wife and I were traveling on EC 510 (ex-Salerno) from Pisa C to Torino PN on Sunday. I believe that our two trains were standing simultaneously on opposite sides of the same platform at Genova PP. Had I seen - or recognised - you through the window, it would have made a good entry in the 'Seeing other forum members unexpectedly' forum! (Sorry, rather OT, I fear!)
My experience the other day was reservation required first, checked with some sort of iPad the gripper was using, then asked for a ticket to go with reservation. Yet people with "tickets" didn't seem to be asked for reservations although they may have bought a combined ticket/reservation even to travel one stop as many did.
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Yes it would! I often wonder if other forum members are out and about, particularly on very popular lines such as the Duoro or Swiss networks!
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