Interrail seat reservation fees: the dated table for UK travellers

The short answer

• An Interrail pass doesn’t include seat reservations (Interrail Conditions of Use v19, clause 8.1.2). On Eurostar, Italian Frecce, French TGV and OUIGO, Spanish AVE and every night-train bed, a reservation is compulsory, and you pay for it on top of the pass.
• Eurostar is the big one for UK travellers: €35 (£29.27) each way in Standard from London to Paris, Brussels or Amsterdam.
• Booking through Interrail adds €2 per person per train.
• Germany, Austria and most regional trains don’t need reservations for domestic journeys. Planning around them is the simplest way to cut the cost.
• A typical London-start trip to Italy with 5 reserved trains came to €97 (£81.11) in reservations and fees when we costed it. Our sample totals are below.

Prices in this guide

• Fees are from Interrail’s official international, domestic and night-train reservation fee lists and its Eurostar page, all checked 12 Nov 2026. Interrail says its fees are “indicative only and are subject to change”, and that its source is the carriers’ booking websites.
• Ticket fares for comparison: Trenitalia’s public booking site (lefrecce.it), checked 12 Nov 2026.
• Sterling conversions: EUR 1 = GBP 0.83618 (ECB reference rate, 11 Nov 2026), worked out by us. You may be charged in euros, so your card’s rate applies.
• 2nd class = Standard; 1st class = Plus/Business, unless stated.

Reservation fees for the trains UK travellers use most

Eurostar (compulsory for pass holders)

Route	Standard (2nd-class pass)	Plus (1st-class pass)
London – Paris / Lille / Brussels	€35 (£29.27)	€40 (£33.45)
London – Rotterdam – Amsterdam	€35 (£29.27)	€43 (£35.96)
Paris – Brussels	€27 (£22.58)	€32 (£26.76)
Paris – Rotterdam – Amsterdam	€32 (£26.76)	€37 (£30.94)
Brussels – Rotterdam – Amsterdam	€22 (£18.40)	€27 (£22.58)
Paris/Brussels – Cologne – Dortmund	€32 / €27	€37 / €32

Source: Interrail international fee list and Eurostar page, checked 12 Nov 2026.

Things to know about Eurostar:

• These are special pass-holder fares with limited availability. Interrail recommends booking as early as possible, because pass-holder seats “tend to sell out quickly”. If they’re gone, you need another train or a normal ticket.
• With a 2nd-class pass you can only travel in Standard. With a 1st-class pass you can choose Standard or Plus. Premier isn’t available with any pass.
• Interrail says Eurostar pass reservations are non-exchangeable and non-refundable.
• UK residents: London–continent on Eurostar is normally your pass’s one outbound journey, and the way back your one inbound journey. Each uses a travel day (clause 4.3.2–4.3.3).

Italy

Train	Reservation	2nd class	1st class
Frecciarossa / Frecciargento (domestic)	Compulsory	€13 (£10.87); see the note below on €10	€13 (£10.87)
Frecciabianca	Compulsory	€10 (£8.36)	€10 (£8.36)
Intercity (IC)	Compulsory	€3 (£2.51)	€3 (£2.51)
Regional trains (R, RV, RE)	Not on Interrail’s reservation list	€0	€0
Paris – Turin – Milan Frecciarossa	Compulsory	€13 (£10.87)	€13 (£10.87)
Paris – Turin – Milan TGV	Compulsory	€31 (£25.92)	€45 (£37.63)
Eurocity Italy – Switzerland	Compulsory	€13–17	€13–17
Railjet Brenner: Munich – Verona – Venice/Bologna; Vienna – Udine – Venice	Supplement compulsory to, from or within Italy	€10 or €13 (see the note below)	€15
InterCity Notte (night)	Compulsory	Seat €3; 4-bed couchette €41 (£34.28); 3-bed sleeper €48 (£40.14); double €58 (£48.50); single €122	–

Source: Interrail domestic, international and night-train fee lists, checked 12 Nov 2026.

Two conflicts in Interrail’s own lists:

1. Domestic Frecciarossa in 2nd class: the “most popular” table on the domestic list gives Rome–Florence–Milan as €10 (2nd) / €13 (1st). The Italy section of the same page says €13 in both classes. Until it’s resolved, we budget €13.
2. Railjet Brenner in 2nd class: €13 in the Italy section of the international list, €10 in the Austria and Germany sections. On the Railjet Brenner, the supplement bought on board costs €5 more.

Also note: Interrail’s “Le Frecce” page says the pass is “only valid on domestic Le Frecce trains. International routes are not included”. Yet the fee list includes the Paris–Milan Frecciarossa. Check that train in the Rail Planner app before you rely on your pass for it. Le Frecce reservations open up to 3 months ahead (Interrail Le Frecce page).

France

Train	Reservation	2nd class	1st class
TGV INOUI (domestic)	Compulsory	€10–20	€10–20
OUIGO high speed (domestic, one class)	Compulsory	€10–20	–
OUIGO Train Classique (domestic)	Compulsory	€5–10	–
Intercités, routes with compulsory reservation	Compulsory	€10–20	€10–20
Intercités, other routes	Recommended	€1.60	€1.60
Frecciarossa Paris – Lyon – Marseille/Modane (domestic)	Compulsory	€10	€10
TGV Paris – Barcelona	Compulsory	€35 (£29.27)	€35
TGV/ICE Paris – Germany	Compulsory, pass-holder fare	€19 (£15.89)	€19
TGV Lyria France – Switzerland	Compulsory	€25 (£20.90)	€35 (£29.27)
Intercités de Nuit (night)	Compulsory	Seat €10; couchette €19–25	–

Source: Interrail fee lists, checked 12 Nov 2026. For TGV Lyria, the “most popular” table on the international list shows Paris–Basel/Geneva/Zurich at €29 / €39, while the France and Switzerland sections show €25 / €35. Budget the higher figure. OUIGO reservations are emailed 4 days before departure, Interrail says. A DB reservation (€5.50/€6.90) is not valid on Paris–Germany TGV/ICE trains, which need the €19 pass-holder fare.

Spain

Train	Reservation	2nd class	1st class
AVE (domestic)	Compulsory	€10 (£8.36)	€13 (£10.87); Premium €23.50 (£19.65) with meal
iryo	Compulsory	€10	€13
Alvia / Intercity / Euromed	Compulsory	€6.50	€10
Avant / Media Distancia	Compulsory	€4	–
AVE France – Spain (Lyon/Marseille – Barcelona/Madrid)	Compulsory	€25	€28

Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Benelux and the UK

Train	Reservation	2nd class	1st class
Germany: domestic ICE / IC / EC	Optional	€5.50 (£4.60)	€6.90 (£5.77)
Germany/Netherlands: ICE Amsterdam – Frankfurt / Berlin	Optional; compulsory 26 Jun – 31 Aug	€5.50	€6.90
Austria: domestic Railjet / IC	Optional	€3	€3
Switzerland: domestic IC	Optional	€4.40	€4.40
Switzerland: Glacier Express (panoramic)	Compulsory	€37 (short) / €53 (long)	–
Switzerland: Bernina Express	Compulsory	€30–39	–
Netherlands: Intercity Direct, Schiphol – Rotterdam only	Supplement	€3	€3
Belgium: trains to Brussels Airport	“Diabolo” supplement	€6.40	€6.40
UK: LNER, Avanti and other long-distance	Free (recommended; mandatory on some services)	€0	€0
UK: Caledonian Sleeper	Compulsory for rooms	Classic Room solo £155	Club Room en-suite solo £205 (1st-class passes only)

Source: Interrail fee lists, checked 12 Nov 2026. UK residents can’t use a Global Pass in the UK except for their one outbound and one inbound journey (clause 4.3.2), so UK domestic reservations mainly matter to visitors.

Night trains: ÖBB Nightjet and European Sleeper

Nightjet pass-holder reservations are dynamically priced. These are the minimum and maximum per person “as per June 2026”, as Interrail lists them:

Nightjet accommodation	Minimum	Maximum
Seat	€4.90 (£4.10)	€24.90 (£20.82)
6-bed couchette	€19.90 (£16.64)	€64.90 (£54.27)
4-bed couchette	€29.90 (£25.00)	€94.90 (£79.35)
Mini Cabin	€29.90	€94.90
3-bed sleeper	€59.90	€184.90
Double sleeper	€69.90 (£58.45)	€224.90 (£188.06)
Single sleeper (per cabin)	€114.90	€479.90

• Nightjet says the reservation includes breakfast in couchettes and sleepers. You can book it online using the “Interrail/Eurail – Globalpass” option, at ÖBB counters or by phone on +43 5 1717. Buying on board costs extra.
• Nightjet’s cancellation terms for pass reservations: free up to 15 days before; from then until 1 day before, a fee of 50% (minimum €15 per person).

European Sleeper (Interrail list): seat €11–21, 5-berth Classic €64–74, Comfort Standard €79–169 and Comfort Plus €89–179, depending on cabin size and route.

Booking fees on top

Where you book	Extra cost listed
Interrail reservation service	€2 per person per train; plus €9 per order for paper tickets
NS International (Dutch railways) by phone	€7.50 booking fee, maximum €22.50 per order, 2 reservations per call
Italian stations (Le Frecce, locally)	Interrail mentions a €2 booking fee
On board (Railjet Brenner supplement)	€5 more than buying beforehand

Source: Interrail Eurostar page and fee lists, checked 12 Nov 2026. Other channels Interrail lists include SNCB (b-europe) for Eurostar and ÖBB for Nightjet. We haven’t compared their fees.

What reservations add to real trips

These are the reservation costs for the five sample trips priced in our Is an Interrail pass worth it? guide. Each assumes booking through Interrail (+€2 per train) and the higher figure where Interrail’s lists conflict. RailThrift calculation.

Trip	Reserved trains	Reservations	Booking fees	Total
London → Paris → Milan → Venice → Florence → Rome	Eurostar €35, Paris–Milan FR €13, 3 × Frecce €13	€87	€10	€97 (£81.11)
London → Italy → London (8 trains)	2 × Eurostar €35, 2 × Paris–Milan FR €13, 4 × Frecce €13	€148	€16	€164 (£137.13)
London → Paris → Milan → Venice → Vienna	Eurostar €35, Paris–Milan FR €13, Frecce €13, Railjet €13	€74	€8	€82 (£68.57)
Milan → Venice → Florence → Rome → Naples (Frecce)	4 × Frecce €13	€52	€8	€60 (£50.17)
Milan → Verona → Venice → Bologna → Florence → Pisa → La Spezia (regional)	none	€0	€0	€0

Is the reservation ever close to the ticket price?

On the Italian Frecce we checked, the cheapest advance tickets were only a few euros above the pass-holder reservation:

Leg	Pass reservation + Interrail fee	Cheapest ticket found (12 Nov 2026 check)
Rome – Naples (FR 9501)	€15	€18.90 (2 Dec 2026 and 13 Jan 2027, FrecciaDAYS)
Florence – Rome (FR 9591)	€15	€19.90 (30 Nov 2026 and 11 Jan 2027, FrecciaDAYS)
Milan – Venice (FR 9705/9710)	€15	€19.90 (7 and 9 Jan 2027, FrecciaDAYS)

This matters because the reservation isn’t your only cost: each journey also uses a pass travel day. Add your pass’s cost per travel day (for example £54 on the 5-day Global Pass, see our pass guide), and an advance ticket on these legs was cheaper. The trade-off: those cheap FrecciaDAYS fares can’t be changed or refunded (Trenitalia fare conditions, checked 12 Nov 2026). Check the change rules on any reservation before you pay, too.

How to keep reservation costs down

1. Use trains that don’t need reservations. Regional trains in Italy, domestic long-distance trains in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, and most UK trains need none. Interrail’s timetable has a “no reservation needed” filter.
2. Avoid the €2 fee where it adds up. On an 8-train trip it’s €16. Booking directly with the operator, where they sell pass-holder reservations, avoids Interrail’s fee, though other channels may charge their own.
3. Book compulsory reservations early. Pass-holder quotas on Eurostar and some high-speed trains are limited. Le Frecce opens up to 3 months ahead.
4. On night trains, book early and check the cancellation terms. Nightjet prices are dynamic, and the range runs from €19.90 to €64.90 for a 6-bed couchette.
5. If a reservation plus a pass day costs more than a cheap ticket, buy the ticket. Compare on the operator’s site or with Omio / Trainline (check their booking fees).

What we could not check

• Which Frecciarossa 2nd-class figure (€10 or €13) and which Railjet Brenner figure (€10 or €13) applies today. Interrail’s own pages conflict, so we budgeted the higher one. The Rail Planner app or the Interrail reservation service shows the live price for a specific train.
• Whether the Paris–Milan Frecciarossa is covered by the pass: Interrail’s pages conflict (see the Italy section).
• Live Eurostar pass-holder availability. We didn’t test whether pass-holder seats were left on specific trains.
• Child reservation fees. Children travelling on a free Child Pass still need reservations where they’re compulsory, but the fee lists don’t show child prices. We didn’t verify them.
• Fees in other booking channels (SNCB, ÖBB, Rail Europe and others), which Interrail lists but we didn’t price.
• Countries not shown here. Interrail’s lists cover all 33 pass countries. We picked the ones UK travellers use most. The full lists are linked below.

Related guides

• Is an Interrail pass worth it in 2027? Pass vs tickets on 5 real routes