FAQ

Do you have questions about your booking, train journeys in general or SimpleTrain? Here are our answers to the most frequently asked questions.

Before booking

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I would like to travel abroad by train. How can I start a booking request?

You can enter your starting point and destination as well as other travel requirements directly on our booking platform. The tool will then either display the connections you can book directly, or our booking team will take care of your request personally.

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Which destinations can be booked with SimpleTrain?

With SimpleTrain, you can book a journey to any railway station in Europe.

Certain journeys can be booked fully automatically directly via our booking platform. These include journeys to the following countries:

  • Belgium

  • Denmark

  • Germany

  • France (excluding Corsica)

  • Great Britain (London only)

  • Italy (without Sardinia)

  • Croatia

  • Liechtenstein

  • Luxembourg

  • Monaco

  • Netherlands

  • Switzerland

  • Slovenia

  • Slovakia

  • Czech Republic

  • Poland

Requests for trips to all other destinations are handled personally by our booking team.

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Do I have to register with SimpleTrain to make a booking?

If your journey can be booked fully automatically directly via our booking platform, you can complete the booking as a guest or by logging in. As soon as you receive a personalised offer for your trip from us, you will need to register with SimpleTrain so that we can contact you via the platform if we have any questions.

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Can I add a return journey or additional journeys to a booking?

Yes, you can request a return journey or several journeys at once and pay for all journeys at once at the end.

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I would like a longer transfer time or a different route. How can I adjust the connections shown?

The best way to do this is to split your request. If you would like more transfer time in Milan for your journey from Zurich to Rome, make two requests: one for the Zurich–Milan route and one for the Milan–Rome route.

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Can I specify special travel requirements (bike, pet, car train, etc.) when making a booking?

Sure, you can also request a trip with special travel requirements. Be sure to specify these when making your first request and before booking, as it is sometimes no longer possible to add certain services (e.g. bicycle spaces) after booking.

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Can I also book group trips via SimpleTrain?

Of course, we are happy to book your group trip for groups of six or more. More information about group travel can be found on this page.

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Can SimpleTrain also be used to book journeys for people with limited mobility (e.g. with a wheelchair)?

Yes, wheelchair spaces can also be booked with us. Please make sure you indicate that you require a wheelchair seat before booking; otherwise, you may be allocated a normal seat.

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Can I reserve a seat for my journey?

Where possible and necessary, we will be happy to reserve a seat for you.

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Can I add my discount card (GA travelcard, Half-Fare travelcard, etc.)?

You can add all standard discount cards (GA, Half-Fare travelcard, Junior Travelcard) to your request. We can also take many other and international discount cards or Interrail passes into account.

However, FIP and FVP discounts for railway employees are only available on selected routes (mainly to Germany and Austria).

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How are the displayed connections selected?

You enter your starting point and destination, and we search for the best possible connections for this route. This is either done automatically by our booking platform or, in the case of special travel requests, by our booking team.

If you want to take a different route or make a stopover, simply adjust your request or split it up.

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Why are bookings to certain destinations handled personally?

Over the last few years, we have booked thousands of train journeys across the continent and have acquired a wealth of knowledge about rail travel.

We make some of this knowledge available to you on our fully automated booking platform. However, to ensure that special travel requests can also be taken into account and that you are also in good hands on longer journeys, we will continue to take care of your journey personally for certain requests and send you suitable offers.

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My destination was not found, what can I do?

If your destination is not displayed directly, you can still click on “Search”. The request will then be processed by our booking team so that you can still reach your destination.

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Do I have to pay a deposit before booking?

If your request is processed personally by our booking team, you will be asked to pay a deposit so that we can select the best connections for you and make you an offer. This amount will be deducted from your final invoice at the time of booking.

If your journey can be booked directly via our booking platform, no deposit is required.

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How can I pay for the tickets?

Tickets can be paid for with all major credit cards and TWINT. You can also pay by bank transfer for group trips with six or more people.

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Is there a fee for a booking?

When booking via SimpleTrain, we charge a small processing fee to compensate us for the service.

After booking

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How do I receive my booked tickets?

Normally, tickets are made available on the booking platform after payment (in PDF format), where you can download them at any time.

Some tickets (e.g. certain bike tickets or group tickets) and Interrail passes will be sent to you by post. Therefore, make sure that the billing address is correct so that the ticket arrives at the correct address.

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I haven’t received all my tickets, what can I do?

If you cannot find all the tickets you have purchased, please contact us via the booking platform or via support@simpletrain.ch. We will take care of it and send you the missing tickets.

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My tickets contain incorrect information, what can I do?

If your tickets contain incorrect information, please contact us via the booking platform or via support@simpletrain.ch. We will take care of your request within one working day.

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Can I still adjust purchased tickets?

Whether you can still make adjustments after booking depends on the fare you have booked. If your tickets can still be adjusted, you can make your change request in the travel overview.

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Can I cancel or rebook my trip?

Whether you can cancel or rebook your trip after booking depends on the fare you have booked. If your tickets can still be adjusted, you can submit a refund request in the travel overview.

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Do I have to print out the tickets?

Most tickets can be shown to the train crew directly on your mobile phone or printed out. However, night train tickets must be printed out.

If you have received your tickets from us by post, please keep them in a safe place – we cannot print these documents out a second time.

Before the journey

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Where can I find my timetable?

The connection you have booked is listed both on your tickets and in the booking overview. Please note that timetables may change after you have made your booking. It is therefore essential that you check the current timetables on the website of the respective railway company shortly before departure. Unfortunately, it is not possible for us to inform you of any timetable changes.

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What happens if the timetable changes before my journey?

In this case, use the connection with your original train number as a guide. Your tickets are still valid on the trains you have booked. When travelling to Germany and Austria, you can also take other trains if your connection has changed. If you are still unsure, you can contact us at support@simpletrain.ch or via the booking platform.

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My trip cannot take place due to strikes, train cancellations, etc. What can I do?

Normally, tickets can be rebooked or cancelled in such cases.

If your connection is affected by strikes, train cancellations, etc., please contact us via support@simpletrain.ch or directly via the booking platform.

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What else should I bear in mind when travelling by train?

Travelling by train is one of the best ways to discover Europe. In order for you to be well prepared for your upcoming journey and be able to soon call yourself a professional Trainsetter, you will find travel information in the booking overview to help you find your way around.

During the journey

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I have missed my connection. What can I do?

If you miss your connecting train and have already booked a ticket for it, in most cases you will not need a new ticket. Thanks to the AJC agreement, your onward journey is also possible on trains operated by other companies at no extra cost. In this case, you do not need to book additional tickets, but you may need a new reservation, which you can make free of charge at the ticket counter. If you don’t have enough time to go to the ticket counter, you can also contact the train crew directly or simply board the train.

Certain tickets, such as Interrail Passes, are valid all day on all trains.

Please note that the AJC is only valid for connections between trains. If you are transferring between two different modes of transport (e.g. from a train to a plane or a ferry), the normal rebooking conditions of your tickets apply.

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I have missed the last connection home/to my destination. What can I do?

In this case, contact the train crew or go to the ticket counter at the station. In the event of missed connections due to delayed trains, the respective railway company is responsible for organising the onward journey (e.g. by taxi) or an overnight stay in a hotel and covering the costs.

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My booked seat/bed space is not available. What can I do?

In this case, please contact the train crew or go to the ticket counter at the station. If the tickets were booked via ÖBB, you can also contact them directly on +43 5 1717.

They will be able to tell you whether an alternative can be provided on the train or whether you can cancel or rebook your journey.

After the journey

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My train was delayed, can I get a refund?

You can find detailed information about refunds on this page.

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I have lost something important while travelling. Is there a lost property office?

f you want to submit a lost property report, you can find the form from SBB and its partner railway companies here. Contact us via the booking platform or via support@simpletrain.ch if you were unable to find a lost property office for your railway company.

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I have feedback on my booking. Where can I submit it?

We would be delighted to receive your feedback – it helps us to improve our service. Please contact us directly via the booking platform or via info@simpletrain.ch.

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Can I share my travel experiences with the SimpleTrain community?

With pleasure! You can tag us in photos on Instagram and Facebook and of course tell your friends about your trip. We also offer the opportunity to publish a guest post about your trip on our blog. We are looking forward to your story!