Italian trains: Frecciargento

• Q. If my travel party won’t fill the entire compartment, can we buy it out to travel by ourselves?

  A. We’re only able to sell train tickets/reservations for beds that will be filled by travellers. If you purchase “extra” beds in a compartment to occupy the space, the conductor can fill empty beds if space is needed, even if the whole compartment has been purchased. No refund is given if a conductor fills an “extra” bed.

• Q. Do I need to tip the train staff?

  A. Tipping the train staff (other than bar-buffet car waiters) is neither necessary nor customary.

• Q. Will the train cars be air conditioned/heated?

  A. All European trains are fully heated and many are air-conditioned, as well.

  Some regional trains servicing local villages for short distances may not have air-conditioning. In these situations, travellers are permitted to open the train windows.

• Q. Are there discounts on train tickets?

  A. Yes. Discounts are available for select train tickets. some rail carriers offer advance purchase discounts for those who like to book early. In addition, youth, child, and/or senior discounts are offered by some European rail carriers. When you begin your ticket search, be sure to enter in any applicable passenger data so that we can provide you with the best fares for your journey.

• Q. Can I bring my bike on board?

  A. In general, bicycles can be taken with you as carry-on luggage, free of charge on just about any national or international train- if you put it in a bike bag. In the bike bag, the wheels, pedals and handlebars must be removed.

  In addition, many European trains allow bikes in a special bike compartment for free or a small fee. If there is a fee, it’s typically about 5-15 Euros per journey. Bikes are typically permitted on local & regional trains in most countries, at least outside peak travel hours.

  Many inter-city trains also allow bikes, however not in Spain. And in France only a few French TGVs allow bikes that aren’t in a bike bag. Some TGV-Lyria trains between Paris & Switzerland also allow bikes. Paris-Madrid & Paris-Barcelona night trains only allow bikes if they’re in a bike bag and if you & your fellow travellers occupy the entire sleeper compartment. Overnight Thello sleeper trains & daytime TGV trains between Paris & Italy only allow bikes in a bike bag. Thalys trains between Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam & Cologne only allow bikes in bike bags. Long-distance trains into Eastern Europe such as Cologne-Moscow, Bucharest-Istanbul or Budapest-Sofia only allow bikes in bike bags, primarily because these trains don’t have luggage compartments.

  Lastly, some trains, primarily in the UK, will require advance reservations for bicycles. These reservations will need to be made locally at the station.

• Q. Are train tickets exchangeable and refundable?

  A. It depends. Exchange and refund rules are governed by the kind of fare you booked.

  When browsing fares on our website, you can read a brief description of each fare flexibility level, and then see the full exchange and refund conditions for each fare.

  Once you have booked a train ticket with us, its exchange and refund rules will be indicated in your Rail Europe booking confirmation email, as well as printed with your train ticket and/or on the ticket jacket in the case of paper tickets. Please note that train tickets must be received for exchange or refund within the allowed time frame mentioned in the exchange and refund conditions.

  Refunds, when applicable, can only be applied to unused and unvalidated train tickets.

  Be sure to view the complete refund and exchange rules for the product you are booking to see any applicable penalty and administrative fees.

  If you’ve purchased the Rail Protection Plan to cover your train ticket, you can exchange it for either the same thing or a new product. To start an exchange under the Rail Protection Plan, please contact us via our Contact Us page.

• Q. How can I subscribe to or unsubscribe from your e newsletter?

  A. You can subscribe or unsubscribe from our e-newsletter at any time from your Rail Europe online account page. You will also find newsletter signup forms throughout our site, just enter your email address to begin receiving tips, deals, and offers in your inbox!

  To unsubscribe, you can simply click the unsubscribe link found at the footer of our e-newsletter. This will unsubscribe you immediately.

• Q. Can I exchange my train ticket after its date of departure?

  A. Unfortunately, this is not possible. If a train ticket can be exchanged, it normally must be done prior to the first date of validity on the ticket or the train’s departure date. However, please consult the “after sales conditions” found on your confirmation email for exact exchange rules pertaining to the train ticket you booked.

• Q. Can I exchange or refund my rail pass while in Europe?

  A. Unused and unvalidated rail passes can be exchanged for an alternate rail pass of equal or greater value. A 7% administration fee, any price difference, and additional shipping fees would apply. Some promotional rail passes are non-exchangeable; please read the terms and conditions for these passes for more details. Exchanges and refunds for rail passes cannot be performed locally at the train station.

  Please send us a message through the Contact Us page to begin the exchange process. To exchange a rail pass, we must receive your original unused and unvalidated rail pass no later than 3 days prior to your departure to Europe, issue a new rail pass, and ship it to you.

  If you bought the Rail Protection Plan™ when you placed your rail pass order, you are eligible to receive the full value of your original pass as a credit and use it towards any future Rail Europe purchase within 2 years, with no fee or penalty incurred.

• Q. How can I tell whether or not I have a reserved seat on board?

  A. To tell if you have a reservation, first see if you received one or two travel documents for your trip. If you received two travel documents, you probably received an open train ticket and a reservation. The reservation portion will show a train number, car number and seat number assigned to you personally.

  If you received only one document, see if it also indicates a seat number and car number. If so, your train ticket includes a reservation.

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