Europe Train Travel Tips – How I See the Continent by Rail

Use these Europe train travel tips on how to find and buy cheap train tickets and the best resources to plan your Euro rail trip.

Travelling in Europe by train can be as memorable a part of your experience as sightseeing. It’s a way to see a country or region’s outer edges and absorb it all at a slower pace, and it’s a means to travel cheaply across the continent. 

I always encourage travellers to utilise the extensive train network across Europe. More than 30 countries are connected by rail, stretching from Ireland to Istanbul. From each country’s regional networks to the well-established Eurostar to multi-month Interrail passes, city-hopping on the less-travelled railroad can be more cost-effective and culturally insightful than taking the quick, easy option of a flight.

I’ve grown to love train travel and see its benefits, including the scenery, the ability to reach places airports can’t, and the opportunity to travel locally. And while planning, booking and executing a rail adventure may seem daunting, it’s actually a lot easier than you think.

Planning Your Euro Train Trip

People automatically overestimate the hours it takes to get from A to B in Europe.

• It takes 2 hours and 15 minutes to travel from London to Paris on the Eurostar. Other destinations, such as Lille and Brussels, are just half an hour longer.
• In Germany, one of the longest rail routes between Leipzig and Dresden takes less than two hours on Deutsche Bahn.
• With some 2,000 stations and 2,270 kilometres of railway, train travel in Spain, with its Renfe network and AVE high-speed services, gets you to all corners of the country in as little as one or two hours, even if you are only planning train trips from Madrid. 

Europe may not have the Shinkansen bullet trains of Japan Rail, but the major connecting routes are not as tiresome as you think.

• Breaking up a journey with various stops, as I did when travelling from Venice down to Rome using Italy’s Trenitalia network, results in more city breaks, and more adventures.
• Don’t assume that you will always need to block out an entire day for train travel when, in reality, you can take a morning train and reach a destination in time to have the whole day to explore.

Overnight trains in Lieu of accommodation

• A factor in your overall travel budget is the cost of an overnight sleeper train. Is it more cost-effective to travel through the night than spend on a hotel and lose on-the-ground hours during the day to rail?
• Austria’s ÖBB Nightjet service connects Brussels, Amsterdam, Hamburg, Zurich, Berlin, Prague, Munich, Vienna, Venice, and Rome, with numerous stops in between. 

Plan beyond the train journey time.

• Another thing to remember is that if time is limited, check the weather forecast for the week ahead to avoid cancellations and delays. That really is a pain in the arse and counts towards the non-fun side of train travel.

When To Travel in Europe by Train 

Plan by Country/Region

The best time to get across the channel by train depends very much on your interests, and, of course, the weather. England is unpredictable in both weather and punctuality, but journeys from London to the Peak District and the Lake District are unmissable. A city like Paris is so beautiful that it is perfect to visit year-round (I’ve been in August and December). Other cities, such as Lille and Brussels, are more beautiful in spring or summer, when the atmosphere is more vibrant.

Be Flexible

The key is to be flexible. Even during peak seasons, Eurostar runs promotions, including £69 return tickets to all three of its destinations. The difference between this deal and paying the full price can come down to something as simple as being able to travel the day before or after the one you had originally planned.

Buying Cheap Train Tickets Online

Every major train company in Europe has a website where you can easily find prices, timetables and cheap deals. Check their homepages regularly or subscribe to train company newsletters to find the best deals.

• Booking as far in advance as SIX months before travel can land you some of the best early-bird deals.
• Being willing to travel during the week and outside working hours is not only more cost-effective but often results in a more relaxed environment.
• Booking at least two or three days prior to travel will ensure you have a guaranteed seat at a reasonable price. I left booking a train ticket in Germany until the morning of travel and paid nearly a third more than the price I was quoted online just a few days before. Major fail.
• A favourite resource of mine is Seat61, a bible of useful train travel information.

Researching multiple routes and cross-country journeys? Search routes, compare prices and secure train tickets on the Omio booking platform. 

More Than Just a Train Ride

Many train companies offer a 2-for-1 discount on Museums and other activities, which is a bonus. And if you are travelling solo and feel brave enough to strike up a conversation with a fellow traveller, it’s a great way to explore the city you’re planning to visit.

Trains Beyond Western Europe

Since the first stop for most travellers to the UK is London, and beyond that, France or Belgium, I used cities such as Paris, Lille, and Brussels as examples of easy, cost-effective train journeys, alongside Germany and Italy, which are popular travel destinations.

However, from these key destinations, you can easily explore the rest of Europe, including Romania, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Bulgaria, and Greece. An easy way to do so is by using InterRail Global Passes.

Europe is both accessible and, if planned accordingly, affordable, but the best bonus of all? Looking out of the train window. You’ll see more of Europe travelling by train than you thought possible.