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Save/ShareIn Western Europe, trains are a cheaper and more convenient way to get around than many of the other options. City center to city center, with no check-ins, no baggage fees, and no extra costs to reach out-of-town airports. Here are tips on how to book your trip.
If you only remember one website, remember www.bahn.de. Its online timetable will give you train times for almost any train journey anywhere in Europe.
For Germany: Alas, the website www.bahn.de only sells tickets for journeys within Germany and many international trips to, or from, Germany. But it does these tasks well.
For France: The French Railways website will sell tickets for any journey within France, and for the direct international trains from Paris to Spain, Italy, Switzerland, and Germany. They don’t make it easy for overseas travelers to book, so there’s advice on how to use it at www.seat61.com/France.htm.
For Italy: The Italian Railways website will sell tickets for any journey within Italy, and for direct international journeys from Italy to France, Spain, Switzerland, and Germany.
For Spain: The Spanish Railways website will sell tickets for any journey in Spain, you may have to use it in Spanish, but there are some special web fares that save 60 percent over what you will pay at the ticket office on the day of travel or if you buy from an agency.
For Britain: See my previous post.
Don’t assume you need an expensive railpass, even though they are heavily advertised. If you go direct to the European train company websites rather than booking through U.S. agencies, and book in advance on a no-refunds, no-changes basis, you can find some bargains out there. For example Paris-Geneva from €35, Paris-Amsterdam €70 return, Paris to Milan from €35.
—Mark Smith, writing from England, for our Affordable Europe series.
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We are traveling at Christmas time in Spain, and would like to book rail tickets soon, afraid AVE will be sold out on Dec. 24, from Madrid to Cordoba. Any suggestions? From Madrid airport to Cordoba around 12 noon. Thanks, Judith Warner
Posted By Judith Warner on May 10, 2008, 8:32 AM
i am trying to find out the regulations for an amici fare on the italian rail system
most discounts are only for native italians but i will be spending another 3 months in italy and would like to find any discounts
Posted By lee laurino on June 5, 2008, 4:39 PM
I'll be traveling from Paris to Nice via train, RailEurope is one site I've found...any other recommendations?
Posted By sheri on August 31, 2008, 11:08 AM
Be aware that Europe uses a different date notation than we are used to in the U.S. For example: 10/3/09 is October 3, 2009 in the U.S. but it is March 10, 2009 in Europe.
Posted By Ann on October 20, 2008, 12:42 PM
if you are handicapped make sure you take your card to display on cars and also obtain about 50% off travel and admissions in a great deal of places bus and trains etc-
Posted By dave thomas on October 20, 2008, 3:40 PM
I traveled by train round NW Europe last summer. Many booking engines didn't work, or work properly, from the US; and tickets on Eurostar and connections got caught in the Independence Day holiday and arrived after I'd left. (I eventually got them refunded or reissued).
Most trains were all right but try to get by with one small-ish pack or maybe a wheelie bag. My oversize overheavy pack (with a day pack inside for hikes) was a pain. Luggage storage was often limited or the racks at the end of the car were full before I got there. Hoisting the thing to the top berth or an overhead luggage rack (usually too small) was a real effort though I lift weights.
And I had to go through an airport-style checkin for Eurostar (but not for most other trains). I took the coach from Scotland to Wales because I couldn't get an advance-purchase fare on the train--it wouldn't come up--and bus was 1/3 as expensive. Otherwise trains mostly worked well enough. Overnight sleepers Köln-København and Kiruna-Stockholm were cramped and not v. comfortable.
Posted By Roger Williams on November 24, 2008, 1:02 PM