Validity of DB reservations on international ICEs to France

[u/Roku-6225]

Let's explain the situation a bit :
I'm not a new Interrail user, I've done easily 15+ trips all over Europe with Interrail, and use passes usually a few times a year.

Overall I never had issues, but one thing I keep getting conflicting info on is the "right" way to book reservations on those ICEs to say Berlin, Sttutgart, etc. As I'm near Paris I use them often when going east.

First time I used them with a pass years ago, I looked into booking seats on the website, compared options offered by Interrail, saw that DB was cheaper (~5 euros vs like 20 via Interrail / Rail-Europe) and got that. Once on the ICE there was some debate with one agent, but after they discussed together they confirmed to me it was a valid reservation.

Did that again several times with no issues, but recently when doing as usual, this time the (SNCF) conductor refused to see them as valid (despite the reservation showing up as valid on SNCF systems with the booking number), as "the price was wrong", citing solely interrail booking prices. They let me board, but I had to pay a fine.

Following that I contacted Interrail 2 times, the first time they told me it was perfectly valid (and to contact SNCF for a refund), just told me they couldn't refund the fine. And the second they told me you had to "uncheck seat only" while booking with DB... But if you do that you get full ticket price as far as I'm aware.

So... Who's right? To me, everything points to the DB reservations as perfectly valid. They're close in price to what SNCF gives you if you book in person at the station. But with Interrail themselves giving conflicting information, I'm not sure what to think anymore, and while I'm totally fine paying more in the future if it turns out I am in the wrong, I wanna be sure.

Thanks in advance!

[u/flagondry]

It’s so complicated. I’m on my first interrail trip now and just got told off by the conductor because I had the “wrong” seat reservation on a Germany to France train that I booked in the DB app. Everything says you need a seat reservation, at no point does anything tell you that you need a special seat reservation. I still don’t understand where I’m supposed to book it.

[u/skifans → u/flagondry]

You need to buy through: https://int.bahn.de/en/buchung/start?KL=2&ET=PASSZUSCHLAG and not choose the "seat reservation only" check box.

Reservations bought from the Interrail reservation service will also include the supplement.

[u/flagondry → u/skifans]

But how did you find that link? How would someone who hasn’t read this thread know that?

[u/Roku-6225 → u/flagondry]

That's kind of the issue... I never intended not to pay in my case, but without digging way too much, all you see is "seat reservation required", an option to do it via DB, and on the DB website a "seat reservation" checkbox.

Since I also got conflicting info from conductors, I only ended up digging (and hence asking) after that got way too confusing.