The Ins and Outs of Train Travel in Europe

The train travel system in Europe is AMAZING, but definitely takes some getting used to. This guide will help you figure out how to book, what is the best transportation option for you, and other tips and tricks you should know about train travel in Europe.

Train Travel in Europe

Trains make traveling Europe an absolute breeze! The trains are well connected, usually really cheap, and fairly fast! If you’re not used to taking public transportation though, the systems can be a bit confusing! Read on to discover how easy train travel in Europe can be!

Trains vs. Flights

Which should you pick?

Flights can be extremely cheap in Europe. It’s amazing and I love flying around Europe. There are some disadvantages to taking flights though:

• The check-in/security/airport process is lengthy
• You have to pay for bags
• The airports can be very far outside of the city

Sometimes, after taking into account the distance to the airport and the overall security process, a 6 hour train ride might be much more convenient than a 2 hour flight.

Best booking sites for train travel in Europe

My go-to site for booking trains is Trainline.com. There are a lot of options, and it includes all countries, as well as bus lines! I absolutely love Trainline.

Otherwise, the best place to book is normally directly on the train website. Check Trainline to see what companies you can use, and then double check the specific website for a cheaper price.

Eurail pass: Is it worth it?

Lots of people rave and rave about the Eurail pass. If you don’t know what it is, basically it’s a pass where you choose a region/country/whatever, number of trips and amount of time you want to travel, and with this pass you can travel for free on any train in your given region.

I’m going to be honest here: I took a Eurail pass during my study abroad semester in 2017. In my opinion, it wasn’t worth it. Sure you get trains for free, but that doesn’t count the seats. Most trains I would still have to pay at least 20 euros for a seat reservation. The seat reservations weren’t normally online either, so I would need to go really early to the station in order to talk to someone and buy just the seat. Just really too much of a hassle in my opinion, especially if you’re already paying hundreds of dollars for the pass in general.

However, do your research and decide for yourself if it’s worth it!

Regional Discount Cards

Now, there ARE some discount cards that you can purchase that are country specific. It isn’t worth it if you’re visiting multiple countries or you’re only traveling for 2 weeks, but if you’re staying longer I’d say to go for it! Just be aware that you’ll get the cheapest price by going to the website that issued your card. For example, I have the French Carte Avantage Jeune, and I need to go to the SNCF website every time in order to book. Although there are country specific, they do also included international travel. So, if you have a German travel card, you can still get a discount when you go to the Netherlands provided you are departing from Germany.

Here are some discount cards:

France

Carte Avantage Jeune (SNCF) – For travelers aged 12 to 27

Carte Avantage Week-end (SNCF) – Discounts for travel on the weekends

Spain

+Renfe Joven – For travelers aged 14 – 25

Renfe Spain Pass – All-inclusive pass for Spain

Italy

Trenitalia Green Card – Travelers aged 12 – 25

Germany

BahnCard – Travelers aged 26 and under

UK

Railcard – Variety of different discount cards based on ages and situations!

Eurostar

You’ve probably heard of the totally amazing that train that connects the UK with mainland Europe by running underneath the English channel. Sounds cool right? Sure, it’s still cool, but it’s not like you can see anything. If you still want to do it though, or maybe a train just makes more sense, you can take it from Amsterdam, Paris, or Brussels to London St. Pancras. Prices can be fairly high, so be sure and book well in advance on the website for a better price. Since it’s going outside the EU, you will also need to arrive early to the train station to do customs and security. Don’t make the mistake of thinking you can just hop on like any other train.

What about buses?

Buses can be great! Normally they’re cheaper than trains and they can take you all over the continent. The main bus companies are FlixBus and Euroline and it’s very very common for people to take them (unlike Greyhound in the US). Something to note about buses though: Many times the bus station is really random and can be very far. For example, in Milan, you can take a train right to the heart of the city. The bus station, on the other hand, is located way outside and is a bit difficult to get to. The bus may be way cheaper or more convenient, but ALWAYS ALWAYS check where the bus picks up and drops off in order to see if it’s feasible or not.

Sometimes FlixBus and Omio aren’t listed on Trainline or other booking engines so be sure to go directly to their websites!

What tips and tricks do you have for train travel in Europe?