Terrible Service Junk Fees (Rail Europe)

Member Name: Boghopper

Product:	Rail Europe
Date:	31/05/09 (80 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Quick

Disadvantages: Surly and Unhelpful Once they have your money

Europe is the best way to travel by rail, www.raileurope.com (Rail Europe) is not the best way get your tickets.. The website is confusing and misleading, they charge absurd fees (like $18 to deliver your tickets to you when you can get e tickets from rail providers in Europe), and customer service is surly and unhelpful. They do not disclose any of the conditions, restrictions, surcharges, and fees when you purchase the ticket (other than the degree to which they are refundable).

There is no way to select seats on their site but they assign you seats when you buy the tickets. If you want to change the seats they can "request" it for a $25 change fee (or whatever fee they make up on the spot). Or they helpfully suggest you can change your seats by upgrading fare class. It's like dealing with a rental car agency, always working the upsell.

I really regret purchasing from this company and will never do so again. If you need rail tickets just buy them from the national rail carriers directly. The internet is your friend, except when it's www.raileurope.com.

If you don't care about junk fees, don't care about seat selection, and don't have any needs or problems after you purchase the tickets, Rail Europe is fine, I guess. But otherwise you're screwed if you use them. Look elsewhere.

Summary: Avoid