Overview: the Rail Protection Plan
With a Rail Protection Plan, enjoy the flexibility to cancel your train ticket, rail pass, and reservations with no questions asked.
You’ll also be protected in the event of a missed train connection, railroad strike for train tickets, and in the case of loss or theft of paper tickets and rail passes.
How does the Rail Protection Plan protect me?
- Cancel your booking, pass or ticket, no questions asked. Get a refund for your full product amount, great for when you buy a non-refundable fare. Simply cancel no later than 5 business days before the scheduled departure or first date of travel given at the time of booking. NOTE – rail passes that are not pre-validated with a first date of travel, must be received by Rail Europe no later thirty (30) days from the original issuing date that is stamped on the rail pass provided by Rail Europe.
- Reimbursement for missed train connections. Get reimbursed for the value of an interrupted train ticket or rail pass travel day caused by a delay on a connecting flight or train.
- Reimbursement for rail strikes or in the case of loss or theft. Get reimbursed for the value of an unused train ticket, interrupted or stopped due to a rail strike. Receive reimbursement for your train ticket or rail pass if it’s lost or stolen while travelling in Europe.
NOTE - The following terms and conditions are valid from March 7, 2019. This version cancels and replaces previous versions.
Please read the terms and conditions for each benefit tab in their entirety.
To print a full copy of the RPP Terms and Conditions to keep on hand while traveling, please click here.
Exchange
The Rail Protection Plan Exchange benefit is currently not available in this market.
Cancellation
Travellers will be issued a refund to original form of payment at no penalty, equal to the value of the cancelled products containing the Rail Protection Plan, no questions asked.
No explanation is required for cancellation requests on product(s), no questions asked.
Please follow below instructions according to your type of ticket.
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Paper Products
Cancellation request for paper rail passes and paper tickets need to returned and must be received by Rail Europe no later than five (5) business days BEFORE the scheduled departure date or first date of travel given at the time of booking.
NOTE – rail passes that are not pre-validated with a first date of travel, must be received by Rail Europe no later thirty (30) days from the original issuing date that is stamped on the rail pass provided by Rail Europe
Once the cancellation request has been reviewed, travellers will be notified by email where the original paper passes, tickets & reservations need to be sent to complete the Rail Protection Plan refund request.
NOTE – the Rail Protection Plan refund is only released for accepted claims once the paper original documents have been received by Rail Europe.
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Electronic Products: Print at Home, Print at Station or Mobile
Cancellation requests must be received by Rail Europe no later than five (5) business days BEFORE the regularly scheduled train departure date or first date of travel.
Request received less than (5) business days noted above for paper / electronic products will not be eligible for the RPP Cancellation Benefit and will be processed under the normal cancellation penalties listed with the traveller’s tickets / passes / reservations.
Start a request for your RPP Cancellation Credit by filling out the contact us form below.
Contact us
Strike
If while traveling in Europe, your trip is interrupted or stopped due to a rail strike, you will be reimbursed for the value of the unused train ticket, reservation or travel day.
If impacted by a strike during your trip, please follow below instructions according to your type of ticket.
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Paper Products
Train tickets
Train ticket/reservations, not used due to a strike must be stamped at the European train station by a railway official indicating the train ticket/reservation.
Rail Passes
In the case the traveller is holding a rail pass, this provision only applies in the event the entire travel day could not be used due to the strike and the traveller has a corresponding seat reservation stamped unused by a railway official to support that the rail pass travel day could not be used. In the event the rail pass travel day was partially used, no refund is offered on the Rail Pass travel day.
Once the strike request has been reviewed, travellers will be notified by email where the original paper passes, tickets & reservations need to be sent to complete the strike refund request.
NOTE – the refund in the case of strike is only released for accepted claims once the original paper documents have been received by Rail Europe.
Notice: Refund requests due to strikes while traveling in Europe must be received within thirty (30) days of your return from Europe for paper tickets/reservations/rail passes.
Start a Strike request for a refund
Requests for reimbursement due to strikes must begin by filing out the contact us form below.
Contact us
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Electronic Products: Print at Home or Print at Station
E-tickets / E-Passes (Print at the Station)
Tickets / Passes already printed at the station must follow the same procedure as mentioned above for paper products.
If the ticket / pass has not been printed at the station, travellers requesting reimbursement due to strikes must submit their request by filling out this form. BEFORE the train departure date.
E-tickets / E-Passes (Print at Home / Mobile)
Travellers requesting reimbursement due to strikes must submit a request by filling out this form BEFORE the train departure date.
Start a Strike request for a refund
Requests for reimbursement due to strikes must begin by filling out the contact us form below.
Contact us
Sometimes, vacations don’t go according to plan. Get reimbursed the value of the train tickets or rail pass travel days interrupted due to a delay on a connecting flight or train.
If while traveling in Europe, you miss your connecting train trip due to a flight or train delay caused by a mechanical failure or weather, you will be reimbursed the value of the unused connecting train ticket/reservation/travel day.
In the case of a rail pass, this provision only applies in the event the entire travel day could not be used due to the missed connection and does not apply if the missed connection only partially interrupts the use of a travel day.
Missed Connection Caused due to a Flight Delay
- Travellers must provide proof of the delay from the airline documenting the delayed flight or cancellation.
- Train connections departing directly from a train station located at the arrival airport must have a minimum connecting time of 3 hours.
- Trains connections departing from any train station not located at the arrival airport, must have a minimum connecting time of 4 hours.
Missed Connection Caused due to a Train Delay
- Travellers must request a statement from the railway conductor documenting the delayed train or cancellation. Note – in the event the railway conductor is unable to provide a statement of the delay / cancellation, visit the station ticket window where a railway / carrier agent can assist.
- Train connections departing in and out from the same train station must have a minimum connecting time of 20 minutes.
- Trains connections departing in and out from different train stations must have a minimum connecting time of 1 hour.
Travellers without the minimum connecting time noted above for Flight or Train, will not qualify for reimbursement.
Coverage does not apply for missed connections caused due to the traveller arriving late for his or her flight / train or any other reasons other than mechanical / weather delay of the flight / train.
Travellers will either be refunded the value of the unused ticket, travel day, reservation due to the missed connection or the cost of a replacement product(s), whichever is less.
Travellers must purchase a replacement product(s) in order to continue with his/her travel plans.
Request for reimbursement due to missed connection, must be requested within thirty (30) days upon return from Europe. Travellers must submit a statement to RE including the proof from the airline / train conductor of the missed connection, original product(s) purchased, replacement product(s) purchased due to the missed connection, and a brief explanation of the situation.
Paper Products Rail Pass / Train ticket / reservations, not used due to a missed connection must be emailed to Rail Europe including scanned copies of the original ticket, rail pass and or reservation not used, receipt of the replacement product purchased to continue travel, statement from the airline / railroad documenting the weather / mechanical delay. Requests for reimbursement due to a missed connection must be started by filling out this form.
Once the missed connection request has been reviewed, travellers will be notified by email where the original paper passes, tickets, & supporting documents need to be sent to complete the missed connection request. NOTE – the refund in the case of missed connections is only released for accepted claims once the original paper documents have been received by Rail Europe.
E-tickets / E-Passes (Print at Station/Print at Home/Mobile)
To request a refund for an E-ticket / E-Passes due to missed connection, travellers must email the receipt of the replacement product purchased to continue travel, statement from the airline / railroad documenting the weather / mechanical delay.
Start a Missed Connection request for a refund
Requests for reimbursement due a missed connection must begin by filling out the contact us form below.
Contact us
Lost & Stolen
Receive reimbursement for your train ticket or rail pass if it’s lost or stolen while travelling in Europe.
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Paper products
Travellers’ product(s) must have been lost or stolen while traveling in Europe.
Travellers will either be refunded the value of the unused portion of the lost or stolen paper product(s) or the cost of a replacement product(s), whichever is less.
Travellers must file a police report within twenty-four (24) hours of the incident.
Travellers must purchase a replacement product(s) in order to continue with his/her travel plans.
Coverage does not apply for product(s) lost or stolen BEFORE departing to Europe.
Within thirty (30) days upon return from Europe, travellers must email Rail Europe a scanned copy of the police report, replacement product(s) purchased abroad, airline tickets from into Europe and returning and a brief explanation of the situation.
Once the loss or theft request has been reviewed, travellers will be notified by email where the scanned copies of their supporting documents need to be sent to complete the Lost or Theft request.
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Electronic tickets / Electronic Passes (Print at the Station)
Tickets / Passes already printed at the station must follow the same procedure as mentioned above for paper products.
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Electronic tickets / Electronic Passes (Print at Home / Mobile)
Loss or theft coverage does not apply to travellers with Print at Home / Mobile e-tickets / e-passes.
Start a Lost or Stolen request for a refund
Requests for reimbursement due a lost or stolen ticket or pass must begin by filling out the contact us form below.
Contact us
More details for submitting a request:
All original paper tickets, rail passes, reservations and supporting documents and the completed Contact Us request involving request for Cancellations, Strikes or Missed Connections must be sent to the local RE branch or customer service office to complete their credit or reimbursement request once the initial Contact Us request has been submitted and reviewed.
Once the initial email claim has been reviewed and accepted, travellers will receive an email from Rail Europe advising where the address of the local RE branch or customer service office. NOTE – the credit or reimbursement request is only released for accepted claims once the original paper documents have been received by Rail Europe
It is recommended that product(s) being returned for a claim under this program be sent by a traceable mail or post service.
All Rail Protection Plan requests will be processed within 10-14 business days once all the required documentation has been received.
Once the refund is processed by Rail Europe, the timeline to receive the refund back on the original form of payment will vary depending on your country of residence and your bank’s processing times.
Rail Protection Plan refund requests that are approved, will be processed and returned to the original form of payment.
This plan is administered by RE and can be revised or terminated at our sole discretion at anytime with or without notice. In the case that Rail Protection Plan is terminated, only tickets, rail passes, reservations orders issued BEFORE the date of termination will be covered.
Description of Rail Protection Plan:
Rail Protection Plan is non-refundable and non-exchangeable except as noted below.
If travellers can prove, with supporting documentation that they previously purchased an insurance policy covering same benefits as the RPP, travellers are entitled to cancel and receive a full refund on the cost of the RPP purchased with Rail Europe. Written notification along with supporting insurance documentation must be received within 14 days from original purchase date and none of the RPP benefits may have been used to receive an instore credit or refund.
If you make any claim knowing it to be false or fraudulent in any respect, no benefit shall exist for such claim and your benefits may be cancelled. Each claimant agrees that representations regarding claims will be accurate and complete. Any and all relevant provisions shall be void in case of fraud, intentional concealment, or misrepresentation of material fact.
Exclusions: This program does not apply to any loss caused by:
a) Delay or detention or confiscation by Customs Officers or Officials or Police or other Security Officers.
b) Product(s) not in clients’ actual possession at the time of loss.
c) Acts of God, war, invasion, act of foreign enemy, hostilities (whether war be declared or not), terrorist acts, civil war, rebellion, revolution, insurrection, military or usurped power.
d) Any dishonest, fraudulent or criminal act by the paper tickets, rail passes, reservations, city passes or tours holder.
e) Damage due to wear and tear, gradual deterioration, vermin or inherent vice.
f) No change to this program will be valid unless authorized solely by RE.
g) No legal action can be brought against RE to recover until sixty (60) days after we received a completed RPP Request from this form.
h) No legal action against RE may be brought more than five (5) years after the time for submitting the completed RPP Request from the Contact Us Page. Further, no legal action may be brought against RE unless all the terms of the RPP have been complied with fully.
i) Some products may already include some of the benefits under the Rail Protection Plan. Please consult your terms and conditions for selected products BEFORE purchasing the Rail Protection Plan.
More details
Rail Protection Plan Terms and conditions shall be governed by the laws of France. If no amicable settlement is reached, all disputes concerning the RPP will come under the jurisdiction of France.
For additional terms and conditions complete details please visit the Rail Protection Plan terms and conditions available on the Rail Europe website.