We know plans can change and errors can happen. This section will give you an overview of important considerations regarding exchanges and refunds when booking your train ticket or rail pass.

Here's what you need to know. There are two main factors that influence exchanges and refunds: the exchange and refund rule of the product, and the process associated with implementing that exchange or refund (which varies whether your product was issued electronically or not).

First, let's go over the exchange and refund rule of the product. Each individual rail pass or train ticket has its own exchange and refund rule, which is defined by the train operator(s) governing the rail pass you purchased (and not under our control). Once a product has been booked, the exchange and refund rules that apply are entirely pre-determined by the conditions attached to that product. We are unable to bypass the carrier exchange or refund rules.

It's hard to generalize the policies because each fare has its own exchange and refund rule, but for your convenience we've grouped them in three categories.

Non-Flexible fares: These are fares that are typically non-exchangeable and non-refundable, and usually the most affordable option.

Semi-Flexible fares: These fares can be exchanged and refunded under certain conditions (for instance, up to a certain number of days prior to departure, or with a certain percentage of penalty or for an additional fee).

Fully-Flexible fares: These fares can be exchanged and refunded with no penalty and sometimes even after the train has departed. They are also the most expensive fares within a given service category.

Now that we've explained how each product exchange and refund rule influences your ability to change travel plans, let's see how an exchange or refund is performed. One of the most important factors impacting the exchange and refund process is whether the product you want to exchange was issued as a paper document or e-ticket.

In most cases, a product bought and issued as an e-ticket through our website is eligible for exchange or refund (unless specifically noted as non-refundable).

If your product was issued as a paper document, we need to have the actual train ticket or rail pass in hand to initiate the refund process. Please keep in mind that tickets must be cancelled prior to the train departure date for any possible refund. If you are already overseas, the ticket must be cancelled and stamped 'not used' at the departure station. To complete the refund and receive the money back (minus applicable fees and penalties), you'll have to send the actual travel document(s) to our customer relations department for processing. For other cases (exchanging a paper ticket or refunding a rail pass), the refund process must be completed by one of our rail consultants in our contact center. If you're already in Europe and need to exchange a paper train ticket, a railroad agent at the train station can assist you provided that your train ticket is exchangeable. If flexibility of travel plans is important to you, consider booking semi-flexible or fully flexible fares when possible.

In general, rail passes have a more consistent exchange and refund rule. Most rail passes are refundable only if they haven't been used at all or activated, and a 15% penalty applies (which means you will be refunded 85% of the value of the original rail pass). Rail passes cannot be refunded while in Europe. Please see our dedicated section on Rail Passes for more information.