Train travel is undoubtedly the most romantic way to explore Europe. You can sit back and soak up the continent’s most beautiful sights as they zip past, from the towering snow-cloaked mountains of Germany and the glittering fjords of Norway to the sparkling coasts of Italy and vine-carpeted fields of France. There are few greater feelings than getting from country to country in the knowledge that you are traveling more sustainably. But sadly, the evolution of budget airlines has meant that aviation has become a more affordable (and at times faster) alternative for travelers. Below, we look at the ultimate travel hacks for finding cheap train tickets across Europe this summer. With expert advice from some of the world’s top train travel experts.
Buy European rail passes
Purchasing relevant rail passes for European countries can seriously help cut costs when travelling by train. “Consider buying an Interrail pass (for European residents, interrail.eu) or Eurail pass (for non-residents, eurail.com). These give unlimited travel across most of Europe from as little as €35 per day for adults, €31 for seniors or €26 for young people under the age of 28 – and children under 12 get a free pass when accompanied by an adult pass holder,” says Mark Smith, the man behind European train travel guide website Seat 61. “A pass is much more flexible than a series of cheap no-refund, no-change advance-purchase tickets and much cheaper than a series of expensive fully-flexible tickets. Just be aware that there may be reservation fees to add for some trains, especially in France, Italy and Spain.” Buying an Interrail pass in advance can also help save you time as well as money. So you can spend less time faffing around purchasing tickets and more time enjoying each destination you visit.
Book train tickets in advance
While many of us plan and book flights well before our trip, train travel is often left until last minute. The cheapest fares are first, and the most expensive ones can be purchased up to an hour before the train time. In the UK, train tickets are typically released 12 weeks before departure dates and will be at their cheapest at that time. Some ticket-purchasing apps, like Trainline, have features that allow travelers to set up alerts for specific dates and destinations. So users can book as soon as the tickets have been released.
Remember to validate your train ticket
In many train stations throughout Europe, there aren’t any entry barriers, but passengers are expected to validate their tickets via a machine. It’s an easy step to forget, and the machines are small enough to miss, but ticket inspectors often patrol trains and stations for spot checks and will charge fines to travelers with unstamped tickets. Research each journey or route to learn about the relevant rules and guidelines, so you don’t get caught out.
Use train travel apps
There are lots of train travel apps that are designed to help travelers discover the best routes and cheapest prices. Omio compares prices across many different types of transport in Europe. Trainline is the best one to download when traveling around the UK. “Booking directly with the relevant operator can result in no booking fees and, in many cases. The option to choose your seat from a seat map . (for example, in France use sncf-connect.com, in Italy use trenitalia.com, in Germany use bahn.de/en). However, two third-party retailers can be useful: raileurope.com and thetrainline.com, even though they add a small booking fee,” explains Mark. “They connect to the French, Spanish, Italian, German, Austrian and Benelux systems so you can buy tickets within. Between these countries all in one place; they also allow multi-operator multi-ticket journeys . Such as Nice to Milan to be bought as one seamless transaction.”
