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How to Travel Europe By Train: The Ultimate Guide (+ Tips!)

Beautiful views, comfortable train cars, the bustle of busy platforms, and the thrill of a new adventure: there are a lot of good reasons to travel Europe by train!

But, for those of us who grew up in a place where traveling by train isn’t common, the prospect of train travel in Europe can be as intimidating as it is exciting.

Thanks to traveling Europe extensively for years (including with our dog!) and spending more than a year living in Portugal, we’ve had a chance to appreciate countless train rides through and across Europe.

From the mind-boggling efficiency of Swiss trains to overnight train rides through Eastern Europe (Sofia to Istanbul was a particularly memorable ride) to simple jaunts across Italy, we’ve experienced just about every form of train travel in Europe.

And along the way, we amassed a huge number of European train travel tips !

This train travel guide is a culmination of everything we wish we would have known before we started traveling Europe by train , plus why we think it’s worth a try.

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Who is This Guide to Train Travel in Europe For?

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If you’re planning an epic, multi-destination trip and are hoping to travel by train through Europe but aren’t already comfortable with train travel on the continent, then this guide to traveling by train across Europe is for you!

We grew up in suburbs in the USA, and until we started traveling internationally in adulthood (4+ years of full-time travel , more than a year living in Lisbon, many trips across Europe, and counting!), we had virtually never taken a train.

W hile that’s certainly not the case for many people around the world, it is for thousands of our readers who grew up in similar environments to us!

If you’re excited to travel Europe by train but are learning the whole process from scratch like we once did, you’re exactly who we wrote this guide for.

While train travel in Europe isn’t exactly the same everywhere–with over 50 countries and therefore over 50 train systems, there are plenty of quirks based on location–this guide to train travel in Europe will give a solid overview that will help you start your travels with confidence.

Planes, trains, buses, rental cars, river cruises–with plenty of transportation options for getting around Europe, how do you know if train travel is for you?

In this section, we’ll break down the pros and cons of traveling Europe by train to help you decide if it’s the right transportation option for you.

Pros of Traveling Europe By Train

Taking a train across europe is a bucket-list-worthy experience..

For most of us who hail from other places, this is the number one reason to book that first train in Europe, right? 

Traveling by train through Europe tops plenty of bucket lists around the world, and for good reason: it’s an incredibly fun way to explore the continent.

On some routes, the train ride is a travel destination in its own right–and even when it’s not, it’s a cultural experience to remember.

… and can allow for spontaneity.

For some routes, especially those with fixed ticket prices (more on that in another section of this Europe train guide), traveling by train allows you to be spontaneous, coming and going from destinations with much less foresight than is required when taking planes.

Depending on where you are, it can be very scenic.

If you have daydreamed about staring out train windows in Europe as you watch mountains, streams, seas, villages, castles, and vineyards go by, let me tell you… that’s pretty much exactly what it’s like a lot of the time!

Obviously not everywhere on the continent is scenic, but if you travel Europe by train, you’re likely to experience some truly incredible views along the way.

Most train stations are in the center of the city.

In our opinion, this is one of the biggest benefits to train travel in Europe!

W hile most airports (especially airports servicing budget flights) are located far outside the city centers, train stations are generally located right in the heart of the action.

Step outside the train station in Cologne, for example, and you’ll be looking at the cathedral.

In Florence , you’ll arrive less than a 10-minute walk from the Duomo . 

In some places, like in Milan, Antwerp, Porto , and Paris’ Gare de Lyon, the opulent central train station is practically a tourist destination in its own right, so you’ll be exploring the minute you arrive, rather than spending hours getting into the city center from the airport.

No luggage limitations!

No one is going to weigh your luggage or make sure it is only a certain size on a train, so you can bring whatever you like (sports equipment and generally pets included).

Train travel in Europe is generally far more comfortable than flying.

At the end of the day, traveling Europe by train is immensely more comfortable than flying.

There’s less hassle, more comfortable seats, more ease of moving around, often better views, and more control over your environment.

If all else (price, time, etc.) were equal, we’d personally choose to take a train across Europe over a plane any day of the week.

Cons of Traveling by Train Through Europe

It can get pricey..

When you first set out to travel Europe by train, you may assume that it is more affordable than flying–but thanks to a combination of several factors, including incredibly inexpensive budget flight carriers in Europe, that’s actually not the case.

Typically, it’s cheaper to hop on a budget flight between two major European cities than take a train.

The severity of the difference, though, can vary dramatically, and there are lots of tips you can apply to your train travel in Europe to mitigate the cost, which we’ll cover in this blog post.

If you’re traveling long distances, train routes can take a prohibitively long time.

For example, when traveling from Paris to Venice , a route we’ve traveled by train, the train can easily take upwards of 10 hours, while the flight time is under 2 hours.

Now, that doesn’t account for getting to and from the airport, checking luggage, or going through security, all of which increase the amount of time a flight actually takes, but it’s still a large difference.

Train travel in Europe isn’t available everywhere.

As you move further into eastern Europe and the Balkans, train travel becomes much less prevalent (even popular Dubrovnik isn’t connected to the rest of Europe by rail).

A nd, when it does exist, can take longer and be less comfortable than planes or even buses depending on the destination.

Rail strikes can derail plans to travel Europe by train.

Generally, these are planned in advance, so you’ll know what you’re getting into before arriving, but they can be a bit of a hassle.

W e’ve had trips to both Italy and France impacted by rail strikes in the past.

If you have mobility issues, train travel can be difficult.

Lifting and storing luggage, navigating small staircases and bathrooms, and making your way through crowded train stations can be difficult if you struggle with mobility, so keep that in mind when deciding whether to travel Europe by train.

This is especially true with a short connection–we once had to literally sprint through the station to make a connecting train on time in Germany!

Traveling Europe by train can be a bit intimidating.

This isn’t a con, exactly, but there’s no doubt that the confusion surrounding train travel in Europe can prevent new visitors to the continent from trying it out, especially if they’re concerned about language barriers or navigating multiple countries.

If that’s your only hesitation, though, we urge you to set those concerns aside.

T raveling Europe by train is an incredibly rewarding experience, and well worth stepping a bit outside of your comfort zone for !

When discussing train travel in Europe, it’s important to remember that not all trains are created equal, or exist for the same purpose.

Here are a few general train categories to keep in mind as you plan your trip.

Metro/Intra-City Transport

Metros, aka subways (though some do run above ground) are public transportation used by a certain city.

While they are technically trains, metros are their own category entirely and this Europe train guide doesn’t cover them any further.

Commuter Rails/Regional Trains

Commuter rails and regional trains aren’t exactly synonymous, but for the purposes of this guide, they’re similar.

T hese are slower-moving trains used to connect surrounding villages to a major city (for example, Versailles to Paris) or trains that go within a certain country or region (for example, from Siena to Florence in Tuscany).

Most of the tips in this guide to train travel in Europe apply to these trains, but they sometimes have fewer amenities (like snacks/drinks available for purchase, for example) than high-speed or long-distance trains.

High-Speed Trains/Long-Distance Trains

These are trains that cover long distances within a country (for example, from Florence to Venice ) or cross borders (for example, from Paris to Amsterdam).

Since each country runs its own train system (often with a national carrier option and private carrier(s) mixed in), booking a ticket between countries may mean changing train companies at a city near the border.

For example, when we traveled from Paris to Venice by train, we took a French SNCF train from Paris to Turin, Italy, and then boarded an Italian Italo-branded train to travel from Turin to Venice–all booked on the same ticket.

These high-speed and long-distance journeys are the primary focus of this guide on how to travel Europe by train.

Tourist Trains

These are trains that, while technically public transportation, are typically used as tourist attractions for sightseeing purposes, and are priced accordingly.

Examples include the Glacier Express or Schniyge Platte in Switzerland, or the Jacobite Steam Train (aka Harry Potter train) in Scotland.

Sleeper Trains

Technically, sleeper trains aren’t their own category–they’re just long-distance trains with sleeper carriages in them–but they’re worth calling out separately in this guide to train travel in Europe because they’re particularly interesting for travelers.

Not only are sleeper trains a great way to save on hotel costs for a night of your trip, but they can also be quite the travel adventure in their own right!

Before you start looking into buying train tickets, there are a couple of terms to be familiar with:

First vs. Second Class Tickets

When traveling via train in Europe, you’ll generally have a choice between first and second-class tickets.

Buying a first-class ticket generally comes with slightly larger seats, sometimes the ability to reserve your exact seats when you can’t in second class (both of those facts vary based on the company you travel with), and possibly a small snack like a water bottle and a pack of cookies.

In our earlier travel years, we never used to consider these perks worth the money–but I’ll admit, as we started traveling with more luggage and most importantly, our dog Ranger, we started splurging on first-class more frequently.

The extra space can definitely come in handy if you have more than a suitcase with you!

Variable vs. Fixed Price Tickets

Variable-price tickets, as the name implies, tend to increase in price the closer your date of travel gets.

T hese tickets are generally used for high-speed trains and long-distance journeys and will be the most common form of ticket you see when traveling between countries by train in Europe.

Fixed-price tickets are more typical for regional (aka “slow”) trains and can be booked at any time–so you can just show up at the station and buy them from a kiosk without issue.

For example: if you travel from Florence to Bologna on a high-speed train, it will take around 30 minutes and that ticket has a variable price.

If you travel on the regional train that takes around an hour, the price is fixed and you can book it at any time.

When you travel Europe by train, one of the first things you’ll need to get the hang of is exactly how and where to buy European train tickets–and you have plenty of options!

Here are different ways to obtain train tickets in Europe.

Online (Via a Third-Party Site)

Third-party booking sites are incredibly useful when preparing to travel Europe by train, especially when you’re planning to travel between countries.

We use and recommend Omio , which will allow you to easily compare prices between different routes, show you the most efficient path, and allow you to book trains across Europe with no concerns about language barriers, iffy online translations of national websites, or issues with payment (some company websites struggle to process foreign credit cards).

Omio is a ticket aggregate, and searches multiple companies and routes at once, which makes it very handy for checking train timetables and possible routes as well as for booking tickets!

Search  train routes and tickets prices in Europe today!

Online (Via the Company Directly)

Alternatively, if you’re looking for the best possible deal, you can book tickets online through direct websites for most countries in Europe.

For example, here are the national train company websites for Italy , France , and Germany .

We tend to book directly whenever we’re traveling domestically in a place we’re very familiar with, like Italy.

At the Train Station

If you’re traveling a short distance on a regional or commuter rail (like to take a day trip, for example), you can also buy tickets directly at the train station.

If you’re buying train tickets in person, we recommend using the kiosks available whenever possible.

Not only do they tend to have language options that make things much easier, but they also tend to take a fraction of the time of waiting in line to be helped by a person directly.

With a Train Pass

The final option for booking tickets to travel Europe by train is to do it in one fell swoop with a Eurail pass (for non-European residents) or Interrail pass (essentially the same thing, but for European residents).

Essentially, a Eurail pass will allow you to buy a certain number of train rides (or an unlimited number) in advance, allowing you to be more spontaneous in your travels.

However, there are limitations–for example, some routes still require advance reservations and charge additional fees.

G enerally speaking, the average user will end up spending more on train travel in Europe with a pass than without one.

There are cases where a train pass makes sense, though, so if you’re planning lots of European train travel, especially in Western and parts of Central Europe , be sure to run the numbers to see if a European train pass is right for you!

Once you buy your tickets, the next step is to actually receive them!

Here are the three main options.

Most European train tickets these days can be received online and downloaded to your phone. 

When available, this is by far the easiest and quickest way to receive your tickets.

At the Station

You can also choose to receive your (paper) tickets at the station you’re departing from, either by purchasing them there as mentioned above, or by picking up tickets you bought online.

In most cases, there’s no real reason to pick up paper tickets you bought online as opposed to simply downloading them, but most countries do still have the option.

If you book tickets to travel Europe by train well in advance of your trip, many countries do also have a home delivery option where they can be mailed to you before you travel.

We took advantage of this for our very first multi-country trip to Europe and had our train tickets for our overnight route from Krakow to Budapest mailed to our then-home in San Antonio.

Honestly, it was complete overkill, even as the novice travelers we were then, and we don’t necessarily recommend doing this–but some places do have the option available.

If you’re confused, concerned, or just slightly intimidated by train travel in Europe but are ready to book your first journey, this section is for you!

Follow these instructions step-by-step, and you’ll travel Europe by train with ease.

Book your ticket.

Generally, for long or inter-country journeys, booking online is the easiest option as we outlined above.

We use and recommend Omio for booking train tickets in Europe.

Shop train tickets across Europe today!

Make sure your ticket is in hand.

This can mean downloaded onto your phone or printed onto a piece of paper in your hand.

E ither option works in most places, but whichever you choose, make sure you have your ticket handy when you board.

Head to the (correct) train station.

Most major European cities are home to more than one train station, so be sure to double and triple-check that you’re going to the right one before you set off.

Find your platform.

Much like in an airport, your first step to finding your train platform will be to check the (often large, sometimes confusing) boards bearing destinations and times.

It’s best to search for your train based on a combination of the train number, company, and departing time– not the destination. 

If your train is continuing past your stop, for example, searching by destination can get very confusing, very quickly.

European trains (and Europe in general) also use the 24-hour clock (so 3:00 PM will be displayed as 15:00, etc), so keep that in mind when looking for your train on the departures board.

Validate your ticket.

If you have a paper ticket, you’ll need to validate it before you board.

T he kiosks to validate your ticket are generally placed just before you reach the platform, but can sometimes be easy to miss if you’re not looking for them.

(As far as we’re concerned, this hassle is another point in favor of online/downloaded tickets.)

If applicable, find your train car and seat number.

If your train has reserved seats, you’ll need to find the exact train car number and seat number to sit in.

T his is most common on long-distance, high-speed trains.

… Or just look for the appropriate class.

If your train has open seating, the only seating concerns will be whether you sit in the 1st or 2nd class.

The “1” or “2” denoting whether it’s a first or second-class train car is generally marked obviously on the side of the train, near or on the door itself, so it’s fairly easy to make sure you’re in the correct place.

Stow your luggage.

In some trains, this will mean storing your luggage in the racks provided at the ends of each train car, in others, it will mean in the racks above the seats, and in still others, there are even places to store bags between the seats.

Keep an eye on what others are doing, but keep in mind that as long as your luggage isn’t in anyone else’s way, there’s generally some flexibility to the process.

Settle in and enjoy the views.

Once you’ve found your seat and stored your luggage, it’s finally time for the best part of train travel in Europe: kicking back and enjoying watching the world go by.

No matter how many times we ride trains through Europe, we never stop getting a little thrill during this part of the process!

Keep your ticket handy for when the conductor comes by.

At some point, as you travel Europe by train–and it could be 5 minutes into your ride, 5 hours into your ride, or both–a conductor will come by to check your ticket.

Be sure to have your ticket in a convenient place so that you’re ready when this happens!

Listen carefully as you get close to your destination.

As you begin to get close to your destination, it’s time to pay very close attention to the announcements.

Many European cities have train stations that sound very similar to each other, especially to those not familiar with them (for example Roma Tiburtina and Roma Termini), and you’ll want to be certain to exit the train at the correct stop.

O therwise, you might accidentally find yourself deep in the suburbs instead of in the center of the city!

In many places, especially along routes popular with tourists, arrival announcements for each station will be repeated in English, but that’s not a guarantee.

Exit the train quickly and smoothly.

When you reach your stop, be ready to exit immediately–that means luggage in hand and waiting at the end of the train car to exit.

You’ll generally see people start to queue up a few minutes before arrival.

The train stops long enough for everyone to exit comfortably, so you don’t need to push past other people or even hurry if you’re prepared.

However, if you wait until the train stops before even getting your luggage together, well–if your station isn’t the final stop, you might find the train moves on before you have time to get off.

If you have your heart set on traveling Europe by train, plan ahead.

As you plan your Europe itinerary , you’ll likely find that some destinations are better suited for traveling Europe by train than others, and it definitely pays to know which destinations require a train, plane, or bus before arriving in Europe.

Train travel in Europe is generally best suited for certain Western and Central European countries–the further you move into the Balkans and Eastern Europe, the more limited (and, shall we say, adventurous) it becomes.

And, despite being situated essentially as far to the west of Europe as you can get, Spain and Portugal are surprisingly isolated from the perspective of train travel (this is due to having a different size of railroad gauge than other countries in Western Europe).

Distance also plays a key role.

Traveling from Paris to Venice by train is a long but completely doable day, but Paris to Zagreb , not so much–that route is better suited to a plane.

Add in the fact that you’ll want to book your variable-price tickets in advance, and the bottom line is that you should definitely bank on planning at least the most important routes in advance.

Definitely book complex routes for train travel in Europe in advance.

If you’re traveling from Rome to Florence or Madrid to Barcelona, especially if you don’t mind taking a regional/slow train, you can book your train tickets once you already arrive in Europe.

For more complex or longer routes, though, you’ll make things much easier on yourself if you book before you start your trip abroad.

Bring snacks and drinks along for the ride.

While most long-distance routes will sell simple food on board like sandwiches, drinks, and pre-packaged snacks, the selection is generally about on par with airplane food, in other words, expensive and unexceptional.

Commuter and regional trains are much less likely to sell food on board.

On long-distance trains, there’s typically a dining car you can visit to make purchases, and on some routes (especially in first class), a restaurant cart will come around offering a few items, similar to a flight attendant.

Better not to worry about it, though: we recommend packing plenty of snacks (or even a full meal) and drinks to bring along, which is completely typical on trains in most places in Europe.

If you have a long train ride ahead, consider packing cards or a game.

Not only will this help entertain you throughout the journey, but it’s also a great way to meet other travelers!

Don’t count on having internet access onboard.

Even if you have a European SIM card and are traveling within the Schengen Zone (where SIM cards are supposed to work across borders), maintaining an internet connection on a European train ride is iffy.

B etween tunnels, remote countryside, border crossings, etc., it’s best not to count on having access.

If the train advertises wifi, don’t count on that either–some of them require a local tax ID number or phone number to access.

We’ve found that our best bet for internet access during train travel in Europe is whenever the train briefly stops at a station.

If you have a SIM card that works for that destination, you can usually expect at least a few minutes of connectivity there.

Make sure you go to the correct train station.

We mentioned this above, but it bears repeating: be very certain that you go to the correct train station when traveling by train through Europe… and that goes for when you get on and when you get off! 

… And show up early.

Some train stations in major cities are enormous, and can almost resemble airports, with 30+ platforms, various levels, and in some cases a mall inside them (like Roma Termini, for example).

If you’re not familiar with the station in question, be sure to leave yourself plenty of time to find your way to the correct platform once you arrive!

If you have an opportunity to take an overnight train, do!

Not only is it a great way to save on the cost of a hotel for the night , but spending the night in a sleeper car can be quite a travel adventure!

(Though in the interest of full disclosure, I have never once gotten what I would call a good night’s sleep on a train. No regrets, though, and we’ll do it again!).

Toilets are plentiful, but their quality is questionable.

In other words, bring some toilet paper (I usually keep a small packet of tissues handy for that purpose) and hand sanitizer. 

Also, wet floors aren’t exactly unheard of, so you might want to stick with close-toed shoes.

Most high-speed trains in Europe have a toilet available in every train car, so you typically won’t need to go far to find one.

If you’re a student and/or under 26, you might qualify for discounts.

Keep that in mind when booking your train tickets for Europe, and if you do book a discounted fare, be sure to keep your ID handy (it’ll likely come in handy in many other places during your trip, too).

Keep in mind that some under-26 discounts are only available to EU residents, so be sure to verify that before counting on them if you aren’t European.

You can generally bring dogs (and cats) with you on trains in Europe!

This is a bit beyond the scope of this blog post, but given that we have several photos of Ranger in here, I’m sure at least a few readers are curious!

The vast majority of trains in Europe allow well-behaved companion animals on board, with varying requirements and costs (generally either free or the price of a child) based on the animal’s size, whether it’s confined in a carrier, etc.

It’s best to check the expectations for each route in advance, but with a little planning and flexibility, your furry friends are generally welcome.

Ranger is quite the traveler and has visited 8 countries and counting with us, many of them by train!

Keep an eye on social norms.

Cultural expectations around eating, talking loudly, and storing your luggage can and will vary depending on where your train travel in Europe takes you.

B e sure to keep an eye on what everyone else is doing to ensure you’re not inadvertently committing a faux pas !

For example, if you take a train, say, in Italy and then later in Austria as you travel Europe by train, you’ll likely notice a huge difference in the noise level on the train!

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About Kate Storm

In May 2016, I left my suburban life in the USA and became a full-time traveler. Since then, I have visited 50+ countries on 5 continents and lived in Portugal, developing a special love of traveling in Europe (especially Italy) along the way. Today, along with my husband Jeremy and dog Ranger, I’m working toward my eventual goal of splitting my life between Europe and the USA.

64 thoughts on “How to Travel Europe By Train: The Ultimate Guide (+ Tips!)”

We are senior citizens planning a trip to Italy and surrounding areas in September 2022. Looking at some train travel, multiple cities for sight seeing. We like the smaller, picturesque, historical cities. What advice can you offer?

I definitely recommend searching “Italy” on our search bar (top right of the site on desktop, part of the menu on mobile). Italy is one of our favorites and we have (literally) about 100 posts about it!

For small, picturesque, historic cities, Siena, Venice (it is pretty small!), and Verona come to mind. Florence, too–surprisingly small in some ways!

For even smaller hilltop villages like Montepulciano, etc, in Tuscany, be aware that many of the train stations aren’t in the town center, so you’ll likely want to catch a taxi in many of them to avoid hauling luggage up a hill.

Two years ago we had a small villa in a very small town in Italy. We trained to a new place everyday. It was funned and easy. We took the local bus into the next target town, bought our tickets at the station and took off for the day. We went to Florence, Pizza, and several smaller towns. We are mature seniors and had no trouble getting around. Only a couple of people spoke english in a small town, but, we managed easily.

Your comments encourage me to locate a home base in Italy and take a train or bus to the surrounding suburbs etc. I’m no spring chicken nor my husband but we get around easily. Thank you

Thanks for the helpful information. Appreciate it!

My boyfriend and I just booked our first train tickets in Europe thanks to you!!! I’m so happy we found your blog. We’re going to France and Spain this summer!

Ahhh that is wonderful to hear! Have a fantastic time!

My wife and I, both 70 are taking a cruise from Budapest to Passau and plan on taking trains to Birmingham England from Passau. I’ m planning about 5 stops. First Venice then Tirano, St. Moritz, Sion, Strasbourg and finally Birmingham. I plan on a Eurrail pass. do you have any advice, help or suggestion. Thanks

Hi Wayne! If you’re planning on an Eurail pass, my best advice is to research your routes, dates, and times in advance–many popular routes will still require advance reservations even with a pass.

Kate, my wife and I are planning our first cruise in Europe, and are thinking about taking the train from Barcelona to Rome (cruise departure). Your blog was a great overview. My question has to do with ability to get off and on a subsequent train, for day visits on the way. Is switching covered or individually arranged ahead of time, and is it a good or bad idea for novice mostly monolingual travelers to Europe? Advice? Thanks,(Chuck)

If you book a ticket from Barcelona to Rome, your ticket will be good for that specific train/departure only, so you can’t get off and back on at various stops. If you want to stop places along the way, you’ll need to book individual tickets between each destination you plan to visit.

If you have your heart set on that, look into an Eurail pass–it does what you describe, however, it can get confusing (some routes still require advance reservations) and will usually be more expensive than booking tickets individually.

Traveling by train is absolutely doable as a novice traveler, but be sure to be careful when you’re booking your tickets (to ensure they’re the right dates/times/train stations you expect), and pay close attention to the stops to ensure you don’t miss yours.

Another option, if you’re traveling during the summer and want to get from Barcelona to Rome quickly without flying, would be to take a ferry to Rome and then train to a few places around Italy from there.

Hope you guys have a great trip!

My family is looking to travel from Lille to Amsterdam. My question is: when we depart out train that originated in Lille and transfer to a new train in Brussels, will we need to go through some form of customs before we board the train for Amsterdam? I just want to get an idea of how much time to leave for connecting trains.

Hi Matt! No customs required–all of those countries are part of the EU Schengen Zone, so moving between them via train is generally as seamless as road-tripping between US states.

And, is 33 minutes to connect from one train to another a lot of time? We have never done this type of thing before so I’m not sure if that is cutting it too close

33 minutes should be okay! Definitely move with purpose to find your next platform once you arrive, but you shouldn’t be in a huge hurry as long as everything is on time.

Kate- I am considering coming to Europe early for my Christmas river cruise heading out of Brussels. I was thinking of taking the train from the Brussels airport to Koln to see their markets and explore, and then doing a day train up to Dusseldorf to see their Christmas markets. It looks like about a 2 hour train ride on Thalys to Koln and then only about 30 minutes from Koln on to Dusseldorf. I will then take the train back to Brussels for my riverboat cruise. Does this sound feasible?

As long as the timetables work in your favor, I don’t see why not! Germany and Belgium are both great countries for exploring by train.

Hello Kate, We are looking to visit Italy for the first time in December/2022, I was looking in the train tours, visiting 4 cities (Rome, Florence,Venice & Naples). Your thoughts on train tours? Thank

Hi Sharon! I’m not sure what you mean by tour–if you mean a guided trip, they can of course be very fun with the right group, but I wouldn’t say you need one for this route.

All of those cities are very simple to visit independently by train, and we have taken trains to and from all of them many times (I’m actually typing this on a train to Venice).

Hi Kate, my husband and I are planning to fly in to Italy and travel by train to the following places: 1) Milan 2) Switzerland 3) Vienna 4) Prague 5) Paris

May I know if these places can be connected by train. If yes which train will you recommend, please. We are actually thinking about 15-20 days to cover these areas. As it’s our first Europe trip, do you think it’s sufficient and is there any place along the way that you would encourage to go. Thank you.

Yes, those are all excellent destinations to visit by train, so you’re good to go there. As far as specific trains, you’ll need to pull up the individual routes to check (we recommend Omio for this, especially with cross-border trains).

That’s definitely too many places for 15 days, though, and still pushing it at 20. I’d recommend trimming the itinerary a bit if you can (or adding on extra days, of course!).

Hi there This was so helpful. My husband and I are going to Amsterdamin September and then 3 nights in Bruges. All us booked but I’m overwhelmed but the trains websites. Omio is the easiest but I’m still leary. Is it legit and a decent safe way to book trains? We are only going to Belgium. Then two days to the countryside in The Netherlands which we will just grab a regional train. Everyone is telling us to book the train to Bruges. Any helpful advice would be great. We would go to Antwerp and take an IC train to Bruges an hour later,as my husband does have hip and knee problems. Thanks in advance.

I understand, it’s a lot to take on the first few times!

We use Omio regularly, as do many people we know, it’s perfectly legitimate.

The Antwerp train station will be a beautiful place to rest for an hour. It’s absolutely stunning, especially the front foyer, and often pops up on lists of the best things to see in the city!

Hi Kate, My husband and I will be traveling from Prague to cities in Austria and Germany by train next month. We have used trains a few times in Europe before, but it was pre Covid. It looks like most Covid restrictions have been dropped, but I wondered if you have to show Covid vaccination cards on the trains?

Thank You, Jaymie

I’m always hesitant to answer questions like this because I feel like I’ll be summoning disaster with how quickly things can change, LOL.

But at the moment, no, you won’t need your vaccination proof in either place as far as I know.

Life is pretty 2019 these days when it comes to the logistics of traveling around Europe as a visitor, though a handful of places still require masks on public transport (I think Vienna is one of them, but again–things change!).

This is so helpful, but I’m striking out with trains from Naples to Rome? It says that there aren’t any? Why would they list it as an option if they don’t travel to there? Also, is there a way to preview how long the train rides are to decide if we want to travel to certain cities? Cannot find any train tables. I find the Omio and Eurail sites to be difficult to navigate and I can’t get enough information to plan! 🙁 Does it make sense to buy a eurail pass first and then research times and etas? Any help is appreciated!

Trains from Naples to Rome definitely exist! It’s possible you’re looking too far in advance to book the tickets–on Omio right now, it looks like I can purchase Naples to Rome tickets up to about 6 months out.

When you search for a specific route on Omio, Trenitalia, etc, it’ll show you how long the train is and how many changes there are, if any, much like searching for a flight.

We don’t recommend using the Google tool for this, as it tends to default to how to get somewhere if you leave at that second, which can be confusing and normally involves a more complicated route than you need.

Personally, we don’t generally find Eurail passes to be worth it in terms of cost-savings for most travelers, but in terms of research, you’ll be working with the same information either way. 🙂

Hope that helps! It can be a bit confusing at first, but if you try practicing by looking at dates sooner than when you actually plan to travel, I think you’ll find the information you’re looking for.

Thank you for taking the time to write all that useful information. It is so much appreciated by many of us! 🙂

Like many of your readers, we are (two young adults) planning to visit Europe for the first time this upcoming May. We are currently looking at: Landing in the morning in Prague, spend 1 or 2 nights, then Vienna, one night, leave following morning for Bratislava (this one is a maybe, it’s so close!) OR Vienna to Venice. Spend 1-2 nights, then Zurich, and finally Munich, before we make it back to Prague to catch our returning flight. We are looking at 9 days from the morning we land. 🥴 We figured it would be more efficient to travel in a circle, as some destinations -like Paris- will be out this time around. 🙁

Thoughts on that? I will look into Omni regarding trains, but our plan is to travel only by train, if possible.

I know that’s a lot of questions, but THANK YOU so much for your help! 😊

Thanks so much, Al! So glad to be helpful. 🙂

You definitely have the right idea with traveling in a circle, though I definitely recommend trimming some destinations!

With 9 days, I’d suggest no more than 3 base cities (and that’s pushing it), and you can add a day trip or two from there if you like.

I know it’s SO tempting to add more places (I have this problem constantly myself lol) but you’ll have much more fun with a bit of time to explore each place!

I’m not sure what your priorities are or what your budget is, but based on the cities you listed, I’d cut Zurich (Switzerland is amazing, but you don’t have time) and Bratislava. Ideally, I’d suggest cutting one more city as well.

If it were my trip, personally, I’d do a Prague – Venice – Munich triangle, and potentially day trip to Neuschwanstein Castle or somewhere else in the Bavarian Alps with one of the days in Munich. That’s just personal preference, though!

You can definitely do all the destinations you listed by train, no issue there at all. 🙂

That recommendation sounds amazing. The two big ones are Prague (#1!) and Venice, but really hoping to do Munich as well.

I will look into the Bavarian Alps, as I am not familiar with them 🙂

Thanks again. Really enjoy reading through your content! 😊

If you love mountains and/or castles, you’ll definitely love them!

Enjoy some Czech beer for us 🙂

Hi, we are doing Europe by train in June. Is there a way to determine: a. which direction the train(s) are going, so we can face forward? b. Which side is considered the right side (vs left side) for best views when recommended? Thanks for your perspective.

Unfortunately, there’s no clear-cut way to determine which way trains are facing, especially because they often turn around during the route, depending on how they pull into/out of various stations. On long journeys, it’s not uncommon to find yourself facing forward part of the time and backward part of the time.

If you’re starting from the beginning of the line, you can sometimes tell which way you’ll be facing at the beginning based on the route, but not always.

The same goes for the views–for very specific routes, you can sometimes get personalized recommendations from others who have traveled the route (especially for particularly scenic ones), but there’s no simple solution to figuring it out beyond just recommendations.

It’d certainly be easier if that were the case!

Hi Kate, Really enjoying your posts, photos, and appreciate the helpful advice. I am planning a trip in Sept/Oct to visit Scotland for a week before traveling in southern Germany and Austria. What would you recommend about getting from Scotland/London to Koln, Munich or Frankfurt? Is there a good train route to take? Or is this a case where flights make more (economic or time) sense? Thanks for any pointers!

That’s definitely a route that is better served by flight, both from an economic and time perspective! 🙂

Is there something I am missing about Omio, the booking site that you recommend?

My wife and I are moving to Lyon in April and plan to go to Amsterdam in May. I went on the Omio site just to get a sense of what was available from Lyon (Gare Part Dieu) to Amsterdam (Centraal) on a random date (I picked May 9) and the site told me it could not find any trains between these places. But on the Rail Europe site, it showed a slew of trains available throughout the day.

I am confused.

I am too, I’m not sure why it’s not coming up! I just did the search myself and played around with dates, destinations, etc. Paris – Amsterdam, for example, seems to be pulling up just fine.

Could be as simple as a bug, but I just shot Omio an email asking for clarification.

Hi Kate I am Josh from KL Malaysia looking forward for europe trip in september 2023. I would like to start trip from berlin to budapest for 15 to 17 days.how to go about it by using eurorail?

Eurail has a website with a planning tool that can help you sketch out your journey.

Generally, you’ll buy either a set number of travel days within a given time period (like 7 days to be used in a month) or an unlimited pass.

Many routes do still require advance reservations (with additional fees), so be sure to check each route individually so you don’t miss anything!

Hi! I would love to travel as comfortably with my dog as you have, seeing from the pictures. I have a couple of questions: 1) what’s the name brand of that pet carrier. Looks perfect for mine. 2) Could you post tips on hoe to travel with your pet successfully.

Thank you for your content!

Yes, absolutely–with a catch (if you’re in the US). We bought the bag on Amazon Spain when living in Portugal and don’t know of an equivalent here. But this is the link: https://www.amazon.es/-/pt/gp/product/B00XR2D94W/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&fbclid=IwAR3p0Ihrxf6e1yL4nJv5pJBK0GXmOIVIqXL97ov77VRuxSIvm61M2-NbfQE&th=1

Here’s Ranger’s backpack that he gets carried in as well (size large): https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07C9XLXVH?ie=UTF8&th=1&linkCode=ll1&tag=ourescapeclau-20&linkId=813c9a64c05de1faef0162cbed102f22&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl

He absolutely loves both–gets so excited when we get his bags out, and climbs right in when we get onboard!

Traveling by train in Europe with a dog is usually pretty simple, but you’ll always want to look up requirements for the specific country/train company (some require dogs not in a carrier to pay a half-fare or child’s ticket, etc).

If your dog is very small (like a yorkie or similar) they’re usually free, though again, be sure to check in advance.

I have it on my list to write a whole blog post on this topic eventually, but I hope that helps get you started! 🙂

Just wanted to say thank for you for such amazing content. We are starting to plan a 5 week trip to Europe for Summer 2024 with our 4 kids and your site and recommendations are beyond helpful.

Thank you so much, Megan! That’s wonderful to hear. 🙂 Hope you guys have an incredible trip!

Hi, planning a trip to Europe with the family. Have been to Italy, Spain, Portugal, France and UK so we are looking for something different. Like Berlin, Prague and Vienna or Amsterdam, Berlin and Brussels. Love to get your thoughts on these routes and would you recommend taking the train between these cities? Or any other 3 cities you recommend we do over 10 days.

Sounds like a very fun trip! All of the cities you mentioned are definitely doable by train, but Berlin-Prague-Vienna is more cohesive than Amsterdam-Berlin-Brussels (I also personally would put a couple of dozen other cities in the region ahead of Brussels, though it definitely has things to offer!).

Since it seems like Berlin is a priority for you, I’d recommend using that as your anchor and spanning out from there.

A few other places that could make sense, if you want to add more options to your list, could be Krakow, Budapest, or Bratislava.

If you want to start in Berlin and include Amsterdam, you might look into Hamburg, Cologne, or Bruges.

You could also head south from Berlin, and do a Berlin-Munich-Switzerland (Zurich or Lucerne if you’re looking for cities) route.

Really, the possibilities are endless, so it just comes down to the cities that call to you the most!

We are seniors, experienced travellers but novice on trains. We have 3 weeks to visit Paris, Prague, Vienna, Bern, Marseilles, Barcelona, and Lisbon. What suggestions can you offer us Thanks

My first recommendation would be to trim a city or two–3 days per city is a very fast pace to keep up for 3 weeks!

Lisbon and Barcelona are of course the biggest geographic outliers. Lisbon is a non-starter as far as train travel to the rest of these cities is concerned–realistically, it’ll make more sense to fly to and from there.

Barcelona is a bit tricky, since Spanish and Portuguese trains are on a different rail gauge than the rest of the countries on your list. You can take a high-speed train from Barcelona to Paris, but getting from Barcelona to Marseilles via train is much more challenging than you’d think it would be based on a map.

The rest of the cities you mentioned are very well-connected by train, so you shouldn’t have any issues there. 🙂

Really informative site you have here!

I’m from Asia and planning to visit Europe for the first time in Oct 2023. I’ll likely start the tour from London and have about 10 days, then will fly home from Heathrow Airport London. I’m really into trains and would love your advice on what some destinations would be possible. I’ve never been to Europe so anything is fine with me. 🙂 Thank you

Honestly, the number of options is so overwhelming that you’re going to want to narrow it down–a lot!

Assuming you plan to hop over to mainland Europe (as opposed to heading north to Scotland, for example), Paris and Amsterdam are both great jumping-off points connected to London by train.

From either city, you can then reach dozens of cities within several countries in a day’s worth of train travel (or less).

Consider taking a look at places that interest you in France, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, The Netherlands, and Belgium–just to name a few!

If you want to peruse some sample itineraries, we have several in this post: https://www.ourescapeclause.com/2-week-europe-itinerary-trip/

Hope you have a fantastic trip!

Thanks for all the info contained within this blog. We are planning for summer 2024,a 2-week tour of Europe starting and finishing in the UK. How many stops would you recommend? Where would you suggest?, need to combine, beach, sightseeing and something in the Alpes? Ive got in mind Uk – South of France – Italy- Budapest-Krakow – Germany(or similar)-UK Now for the tricky bit, we are planning to do this with around 20 Explorer scouts! Any tips for travelling in groups? Can you also recommend a great website for hostels Thanks in advance

Sounds like quite the trip! 20 scouts–you guys have your work cut out for you, but I’m sure they’ll love it. 🙂 Can’t offer much personal insight in that direction myself, but I commend you guys for taking it on.

With only 2 weeks, I’d recommend 3 stops, with an additional day trip or two to add on more destinations. Sticking with the UK – South of France – Italy might work best in your case. Germany and Switzerland would also work as potential substitutes as they’re geographically close (depending on where you go).

We go into a lot more detail on putting together a 2-week itinerary in this guide: https://www.ourescapeclause.com/2-week-europe-itinerary-trip/

As far as booking lodging goes, we tend to book all of ours through Booking dot com these days. For hostels in particular, Hostelworld is also popular, though we have rarely used it ourselves. Depending on how old your scouts are you might want to double-check any age requirements for dorm stays.

We are a couple in our 60’s who have travelled by train in Italy and Japan .We are travelling to Greece for 2 weeks then flying to Hamburg.From here we are going to travel straight to Berlin(3 nights),Amsterdam(3 nights),Paris (5 nights),Interlarken,Switzerland (3 nights) then to Munich(4 nights). I have just started researching the best way to purchase rail tickets either a Eurail pass or point to point on Omio.Considering our itinerary what do you recommend?I have read that a Eurail pass is easier than point to point bookings but may be more costly.

Thanks for your blog,very informative.

Hi Francine,

In our experience, Eurail passes tend to be a bit more expensive for most travelers. Part of the reason for this is that many popular routes still require advance reservations that require you to commit to a date and often pay an additional reservation fee.

We have used an Eurail pass in the past, but these days, we always choose to book point-to-point journeys.

However, the only way to know for sure about your route in particular is to plan your trip out via Eurail (be sure to double-check what routes require reservations) and as a point-to-point trip and compare prices. Every trip is different, and since the prices for high-speed trains change depending on when you book them, there’s no way to know for certain.

If you’ve been comfortable traveling by train in other countries in the past, I wouldn’t say the ease of using an Eurail pass is worth the probable extra cost, especially with how simple it is to book train tickets online these days. It does depend on the traveler, though!

Thanks for the information Travelling to krakow then Prague Budapest and Croatia. Have 2 month. Would like to travel by train How far in advance do you need to book train tickets as I want to do it leisurely and not book to far in advance. Also what other country’s/cities do you recommend Thank you so much Betty

For most routes in that area, booking as you go (a few days to a week or so in advance) is just fine, as long as you’re a bit flexible. Exceptions can include night trains and traveling over holidays, so keep that in mind!

Keep in mind that train travel in Croatia is much less expansive than you might think–Dubrovnik doesn’t even have a train station! You can use some train routes, like Zagreb to Split, but plan on adding in buses and/or rental cars (plus ferries, of course) depending on where you want to go in Croatia.

With 2 months to travel from Krakow to Croatia, you might also consider stops in Austria (Vienna is right along your route), Slovakia (Bratislava is very easy to reach) and Slovenia. Depending on how direct you want to travel, Bosnia and Herzegovina could fit in as well.

That barely scratches the surface of the possibilities, but hopefully it gives you some ideas!

Hi! My wife and I love to travel (Between the two of us we have done Italy, Fiji, Australia and many others). We are planning on the F1 races in Spielberg, Austria next June. Thinking about the train from Vienna to Barcelona after and wondering if the ride (about a day) is worth the time? The flight is about 5 hours. We had fun on the train in Italy (Rome to Venice) We will likely leave Vienna the Mon or Tues after and have another 10 days. What do you think about Barcelona and Madrid? Do both? Or one over the other? Thanks in advance!

The distance between Vienna and Barcelona is far enough that unless the idea of a night train and a few train changes sounds like a fun adventure, I’d recommend flying! Basically as a travel experience it can work, but as a basic form of transportation, they’re a bit too far apart for the logistics to make sense.

As far as Barcelona and Madrid, both are wonderful, but they’re very different. Barcelona wins on whimsical architecture and access to the sea. Madrid wins on stately art museums and for having a more laid-back vibe. We enjoy both cities, but Madrid is our personal favorite of the two (though we are in the minority with that opinion!).

If you have time to spend a few days in each, they’re definitely both worth experiencing.

Hi! Thanks for the reply….sounds like flying is the way to go….we will have 4 days each in Madrid/Barcelona so should be able to get the flavors of both. Love your blog!

Thanks, Greg! Enjoy Austria and Spain! 🙂

Hi Kate! I just found your blog while planning my first Europe trip… I’m so excited I have actual tears! I promised myself traveling around/to Europe would be something I accomplish by the time I turn 25. This train travel blog has given me so much needed information as when I originally started planning this trip a few years ago my original plan was by train. I will be combing through your blog site to read as much as I can and support you how I can.

My plan is to start in southern Portugal, through southern Spain, southern France, into Italy. I need to do more research to see if this much in a 2 week time span is even feasible. And, it looks like I may be better off taking a bus in Western Europe. This has been my one hurdle in actually going. If I’m going to go, I’m going to visit multiple countries… but the navigation between countries is the most fearful part for me. I will be using your blog to help me plan and prepare.

All this to say… I’m so glad I found your blog!! Thank you for all of your wonderful information.

Your comment brings a huge smile to my face! I remember planning our first trip so clearly at about the same age (I was 23 on our first-ever trip to Europe and 24 on our first multi-country European backpacking trip) and I can definitely say it was nothing short of life changing. 🙂

All of the places you mentioned are among our favorites in the world! And reading between the lines, it sounds like you may have a preference for coastal areas, which all of those areas have in spades.

One small snag is that you have chosen some of the hardest places to travel between countries by train in western Europe, namely Portugal and Spain. Getting between major cities by train is no issue within each country, but the two aren’t very well-connected by train to each other, and the only train route to France from Spain leaves from Barcelona. There’s a long history as to why, but basically the train rail gauges in the Iberian peninsula are different than elsewhere.

However, don’t worry! There are plenty of solutions. 🙂 Buses are definitely a great option, especially for getting between places like the Algarve and Seville, etc. There are local buses, but also check out Flixbus, which is very popular with travelers and easy to use (we’ve used it many times ourselves). Also, flying is a surprisingly affordable option–Ryanair, Easyjet, etc. have tons of routes in these areas and are frequently way cheaper than traveling by train. Blablacar–basically Uber for traveling long distances–is also an option, though not one we have lots of personal experience with.

Finally, don’t forget about ferries! They can be surprisingly affordable, especially in Spain and southern Italy. We took a ferry from Barcelona to Rome and found it very memorable with amazing views: https://www.ourescapeclause.com/barcelona-to-rome-ferry/

As I always like to tell people, getting on that first plane and starting your trip is the hardest part. After that, everything falls into place. 🙂

Hi Kate, Your blog has been super informative and helpful! We are planning a family trip to Europe this May with our 3 teenagers. Our goal is to do Rome (4 nights), Venice (2 nights), Salzburg (3 nights) and Munich (4-5 nights) in 15 days. Planning to fly into Rome and fly out of Munich or Frankfurt (Dallas is home), and travel by train from city to city. Are we taking on too much? Do you recommend using the fast train from Rome to Venice? Really want to take the train thru the Alps from Venice to Salzburg, but is it going to be much more expensive than flying? I’m assuming I need to book that leg of the train trip asap. Again, great job on the blog! It has made me very excited for our trip!

That’s great to hear, thank you!

That sounds like a good pace for a trip–if anything, 5 nights seems slightly long in Munich, though very doable with a day trip or two built in (and there are plenty of amazing ones in Bavaria!).

Taking the fast train from Rome to Venice would absolutely be our preference–it’s the fastest way to travel between the two cities by far.

Same for Venice to Salzburg (it’s a lovely train ride!). but yes, it can be more expensive than flying depending on when you book and how good of a flight deal you get. It’s much more comfortable regardless, though (not traveling to and from the airports is a big benefit in its own right). Depending on what train company you travel with, expect tickets to be available for purchase anywhere from 3-6 months in advance. I’d start watching earlier, though, just looking at more recent dates, to get a feel for what prices to expect.

Thank you for taking the time to put all of these great information together. Really appreciate it. So our plan for next year is as follow (12 days):

Spain: 1 day Madrid 1day Sevilla 1 day Barcelona

from Barcelona, take fast train to Italy 1 day Rome 1 day Naples 1 day Milan

from Milan take fast train to Switzerland:

What places (areas) would you recommend visiting in Switzerland? We would like countryside, small towns. I heard Switzerland is one of the most expensive countries to visit, so anything where we can enjoy nice scenery but not the most expensive areas. Also, is it feasible getting around in trains between these cities/countries? Thank you in advance!

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Alternative Transportation: European Car Trains

Jul 13, 2010

hiddeneurope

72 comments

There are some occasions on trips through Europe when you just know that a car is essential, but with European fuel prices through the roof, and automobile rental companies sometimes levying draconian one-way drop charges (especially for international journeys), many folks are naturally wary about opting for a vehicle. European car trains can, however, play a key role in your itinerary.

Europe’s car train network

Car trains don’t usually feature in the regular train schedules, and are often not so easy to find out about. Europe’s largest operator is DB Autozug , a division of Deutsche Bahn, which this year celebrates 80 years of operations. Apart from a network of routes within Germany, DB Autozug operates services from seven bases in Germany to ten destinations in France, Austria and Italy.

Other car train operators to bear in mind are:

• ÖBB (Austrian Railways) : Six routes within Austria plus international services to Germany and Italy Austria plus international services to Germany and Italy
• Trenitalia : Six routes within Italy
• SNCF Auto-Train : Some two dozen routes within France including some very useful cross-country links, such as from France’s Atlantic coast to the Riviera or Brittany to Alsace
• Optima Tours run the Optima Express which makes a big leap across the Balkans from Austria to Turkey.

In addition, there are useful domestic services in Croatia and Finland , plus of course a large number of short-hop car trains that transport vehicles and their passengers through Alpine tunnels, under the English Channel or to offshore islands linked by rail causeways to the mainland (as in the case of the German holiday island of Sylt ).

Car train fares

Car train services can be pricey, but at the top end they offer a very high level of comfort with overnight journeys in modern sleeping cars, along with a good on-board restaurant where you can enjoy dinner before retiring for the night. It is possible to board a train in northern Germany mid-afternoon and wake up next morning on the shores of the Mediterranean, having traveled a thousand miles but without having spent a cent on fuel.

Some operators offer discount options for travelers prepared to book very early or last minute. Early bookers with ÖBB, for example, can pick up a one way ticket for car and driver from Vienna to Hamburg from just €133, a journey which by road would take about 11 hours and cost (depending on vehicle size) upwards of €80 in fuel.

National and international services: DB Autozug

DB Autozug has a great one-way special for inner-German route, offering fares of €99, which covers car transport and couchette accommodation for the driver. For international journeys, there is a €149 fare (similarly for vehicle plus driver with couchette).

Regular fares for international journeys for those not wanting to book well in advance start at €179 for car with driver or €319 including car transport plus couchettes for up to five passengers. Not cheap, we know, but really an amazing way to start or end a European car tour. And, once your car rental company has told you that their one-way drop charge from Germany to the Med is over €400, the idea of using a car train to return to your point of origin begins to look like a decidedly attractive proposition.

Car train services are also a credible option for British travelers looking for southern sunshine who want to avoid the long grind south on continental motorways.  The DB Autozug terminal at Düsseldorf is less than a three-hour drive from Channel ports.

About the author

About the authors: Nicky and Susanne manage a Berlin-based editorial bureau that supplies text and images to media across Europe. Together they edit hidden europe magazine .

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72 thoughts on “Alternative Transportation: European Car Trains”

Hello – Is it possible to get a train (with a motorcycle) from Germany to Slovenia (or somewhere nearby)?

Can I get from the UK to Le Marche in Italy by car train.

Which train service should I use to go from fetch side of euro tunnel To southern spain

I can help you, Marilyn, if you can clarify where ‘fetch’ is. You say you would like to travel from ‘fetch side of Channel Tunnel’ Albert

Typo for French side?

This is really useful, but do you know if the trains will operate soon. From my research, as British nationals we can enter into and transit through certain countries. We are looking to leave the UK on 28 June to our final destination Turkey. Any idea how to make this the least painful for adults and kids?

Hi, it’s a difficult one. I am living in Malta with my service dog. I can’t fly back to the uk with her in the cabin. I need to drive, sigh! I can get the ferry to Italy and drive over. Its going to take me up to 5 days alone, except for my SD. I’m wondering if the car trains are running so at least one night I can get on a sleeper.

That’s really tough, mate. Look, we can get the whole team working on it. How big is the hound? Just need an idea if the hound is a Corgi or a St Bernhard. Need to ask ‘cos of the different dress codes on some night trains. You’ll understand, I know. Say no more. Look, we’ll fix something. Just reply here on the dog size.

Perhaps the Catania to Moscow car train would be a poss. Runs every 17 days, with thru sleeping cars and car transport to Murmansk on selected dates. Would that suit? Worth checking out the Murmansk to Shetland ferry perhaps. Remember that there is now 14 days compulsory quarantine upon arrival in Shetland. Britain is always interesting.

Thanks Micha,

She’s a German Shepherd. She is a trained service dog but being in Malta they are so far behind everyone else. I did have a flight with Brussels air to Brussels and then Eurostar agreed after me filling in forms and them seeing what the trainer and my doc had said. Then Brussels air became a partner of air malta and it changed.

I can get the ferry from Malta to Salerno with my car and my SD. Then I had hoped to get to Dusseldorf and ferry to UK. I understand about the 14 days in quarantine. That will change 🙂

Hi, any look with my journey with my SD. I can get to Italy and go through France if any car trains running. I will sleep in my car with my dog if needs be.

Really looking for help.

Good afternoon, I am looking for a possibility to put our car on the train going through France to Spain. We are coming from Belgium and need to get to Valencia. Probably Paris-Barcelona at least should be possible. The date would be after 18th of May, when i think, there will be more possibilities, concerning the Covid-19 situation.Is there any car train going in this direction by than? We are 2 passengers and would like to stay in the car or travel in the same train. Is there any company doing this in France at the moment? Thank you very much. Kind regards, Lucie Jelinkova

Lucie. Bit surprised at this. It’ll be a 19 hour journey on the train from Belgium to Valencia. Will you really want to sit in your car for that entire journey? Is that a worry over health issues perhaps? In the late 19th century English gentlemen would sometimes travel three or four hours in their carriages on board a train. Does you car have good on-board facilities? I fear you might arrive in Valencia in a state of considerable lavatorial distress. Hugo

Any info from Switzerland to Lisbon by train and car train. Thank you

Yes of course. From which city in Switzerland do you want to leave? Are you looking for the Heltveto-Lusitanian LuxusZug, weekly from St Moritz to Porto, or one of the more budget options. These services are in great demand in these difficult days when there are few planes in Europe. Look forward to hearing more. Gino

Is the direct car train from Turkey to Copenhagen still running? Optima Express perhaps? If so, can I drop off stuff along the way at the Türkenmarkt (Freitags-Markt) on the Maybachufer in Berlin Neukölln? Does the train stop there? I’d need an hour or so. Would be looking for sleeping car accommodation with all meals included, Is this possible with Edirne to Denmark? Look forward to advice. Where can I book? Is there wifi and a library on the train?

Is their monorail from vilach to Zagreb to ransport me and my motorbike .

Looking for Cartrain Hamburg to Spain

Does it have to be a train? An excellent option is twice-weekly Gulf Lines Iberia Express shipping service which will transport you and your automobile from Hamburg docks to any one of five ports around the coast of Spain, viz. Bilbao, A Coruna, Algeciras, Almeria or Barcelona. Choose from a simple cabin or upgrade to one with a window. Bring your own bedding. Prices start at about €2000 including auto transport, your passage and all meals (100% vegan). The transport of pets, insects or dead meat of any kind is not allowed. No alcohol.The service to Spain is limited to automobiles bearing EU registration tags. Passage takes 5 to 17 days, depending on destination. The same shipping company also offers direct service from Hamburg to Liechtenstein, Uzbekistan, Kosovo, Lesotho and Nepal.

Hi, interested to find a train that takes cars and passengers together(in my case 4 passengers and 4 cars), from Berlin or close by to Zagreb-Croatia or closest possible(Wienn, Graz, Slovenia…) If anyone can help will be grateful. All ideas welcomed. Cheers , Drazen

P.S. Planing to do that by beginning of the February.

Skall köra bil från Spanien till Sverige.Har hund med och skulle vilja ta biltåg från Frankrike till Hamburg.Går det och var isåfall bokar jag.?

Hi we would like to travel from dussledorf to Verona for August 2018 by car train please advice

Love those direct car trains from Brum to Bari and Malaga. They are just so stylish. Have used them both. Heard that there is talk of having more direct AutoTrain links from Britain to the continent. Would love to see a London to Ankara link.

Does anyone know if you can still use these trains without a car? I once went on a car train from Vienna to Cologne without a car. Felt a bit underdressed of course, but at least they let me on board.

We need to get to brindisi from the uk and would like to take our car with us . Please help!

Your best bet here is the daily Bari to Birmingham car-train service. There are lovely sleeping cars, each with double beds and en suite facilities. It is expected that your car will bring a sense of style to the occasion, so discounts are available for owners of Mercedes, Maserati, Porsche and other up-market brands.

Check in at 2pm each day at Bari Centrale. Champagne is served while cars are loaded. Departure is at 4.30pm. The train travels – without any scheduled stops – via Ancona, Milan, Lausanne, Dijon, Ashford and Guildford to Birmingham Moor Street AutoTrain depot, where arrival is at 7.30 pm – so 27 hours after leaving Bari. The train is combined in Dijon with the car train from Malaga to Birmingham. This takes place around 10 am in the morning, while breakfast is being served in the train’s dining cars.

There is a strict dress code on these long-haul car train services. Formal, black-tie. On-board meals are prepared by some of Europe’s most acclaimed chefs (who work in rotation).

Those who use this marvellous service often comment on the great reception upon arrival in Birmingham. There are two red carpets, one for the passengers and the other for the cars. Locals often turn up to give red roses to the new arrivals. It is a courtesy to respond positively to requests for autographs.

Hi Jill Do you know which train company car-train from Dijon to Birmingham – I cannot find any links for this at all and am trying to get home to Scotland, so this would be the best route for me to take instead of driving thousands of miles !!!! Thank you

Has Birmingham moved, Anne? Or perhaps Dijon? They are not thousands of miles apart. It’s an easy drive, about 5 hrs, from Dijon to Le Havre, where you hop on the boat to Southampton. Then two hours up the A34 to Birmingham.

Hi, I am trying to work out if it’s possible to go from the south of England to near Mojacar in Eastern Spain with my car on a train. I know I can go from UK to Santander or Bilbao by boat but can’t find any car trains to go south. I don’t mind it I have to go UK-France-Spain and I don’t mind some driving but would like to limit it as much as possible.

Can anyone let me know the address for Autorail terminal in Verona? I have booked the tickets from Verona to Dusseldorf.

Is there a car trains travelling between Uk and Ukraine

Sadly not. The twice-monthly Dudley to Donetsk link has just been scrapped. A real pity as it was well-used.

Can a motorhome be carried on trains through Europe thanks

Hi, Can we use car train from Barcelona to Munich or Nurnberg? Thx. M.

Does anyone know if it is possible to travel from Spain–Granada or Madrid to Calais France by car train please?

Please could you let me know if you do any train journeys where we can put the car on the train and travel in a couchette from Italy to Dusseldorf on May 30th? Thank you, Melanie

Do you know if this service Austria to Turkey still running ?

Hi! Is there any car train from Narbonne to Munich? Thanks

Yes — the main trains from Narbonne to Munich go either through Lyon or through Paris. Do a search on the French railway site to see your options and ticket prices:

http://www.voyages-sncf.com/

I am travelling from Vienna to London. Is there a car train between these two destination? Thanks

Melanie (above)

The car train services within France are run by SNCF. During the summer months, the Narbonne to Paris service is daily except Sundays. It is an overnight service – for the car, that is, but you can yourself use a day train of course. You are free to choose whatever train suits, and you then pick up the car in Paris next day. If you do want to go overnight yourself, there is (at least most nights in the summer), a useful direct overnight train from Narbonne just after 10 pm, getting into Paris about 7.30 next morning. And of course plenty of direct daytime TGVs, which speed from Narbonne to Paris in just 4hrs 30mins.

The car train services costs from €119 one way. Find out more at autotrain.voyages-sncf.com. Hope that helps.

Nicky and Susanne editors / hidden europe magazine http://www.hiddeneurope.co.uk

Hi, just wondering if anyone knows if there are still trains which carry cars from Narbonne, France to Paris, France. If there are how do I book it? I’ve been serching for ages and all the companies keep referring me to other companies saying they cant book it & my trip is now only 2 months away! HELP!!!

. Hi Zuzana (above) Your best bet is to take the car-train from Vienna to Feldkirch, which is in the Vorarlberg region – and just an easy 90 minutes drive from Zurich. This car train service runs twice daily from Wien Westbahnhof, usually at 07.48 and 22.52. Hope this helps. Susanne and Nicky editors hidden europe magazine http://www.hiddeneurope.co.uk

I need to get from Vienna to Geneva or Zurich (or somewhere else in Switzerland) by cartrain. Is there any links from Vienna to some Switzerland city? Thanks a lot.

Why get the ferry from England to France when you want to go to Hamburg? Why not get the DFDS ferry from Harwich to Esbjerg in Denmark. It travels overnight and arrives in Esbjerg about midday. It is then an easy three hour drive to Hamburg. Other routes you might consider are P&O from Hull to Rotterdam / Europort and DFDS from Newcastle to Amsterdam / Ijmuiden. Rotterdam and Europort are both rather further from Hamburg than Esbjerg – but still a whole lot closer than French ports.

All of these ferry routes mentioned here will take your car with bike trailer – no probs. If you take Harwich-Esbjerg and can afford to upgrade to their Commodore Deluxe cabins, you’ll in for a real treat. For a family of five it’s worth booking two cabins.

We are planning to Drive from England to France via furry then from there we would like to get to Hamburg.

It is a long drive. So are any car trains from France, Belgium or Holland to Hamburg?

Do car trains accommodate Estate car with bike trailer? family of 5.

Can you suggest the website that I need to book the ticket please?

Thanks for your assistance.

My girlfriend and I will be traveling from the US to Frankfurt Germany in July to visit my son and his wife. While we are there, my girlfriend and I plan to rent a car from Frankfurt to drive down to St Moritz, Switzerland to ride the Glacier Express to Zermatt, Switzerland. From Zermatt, we are planning to continue on down to Geneva and then Italy and return to the Franfurt, Germany area via Austria with a rental car.

My original plan…Rent a car from Franfurt and drop off at St Moritz. Pickup a new rental car from Zermatt and continue on our vacation. After looking at the one-way drop off rates and seeing it will cost me more to have a rental car for 3 days one-way from Frankfurt to St Moritz than it would cost for a rental car for 16 days from Frankfurt and returned to Frankfurt, I’m trying to see if there is a better way (cheaper) to do our trip. Not interested in traveling our entire trip via train.

My question…Are there any automobile transport services from St Moritz to Zermatt that would allow me to have the rental car transported to meet us at the other end of the Glacier Express train ride in Zermatt so we can continue on our vacation with the same rental car without having to pay the outrageous one-way rental prices? Or without having to ride the 7+ hour train ride back to St Moritz to retreive the car and continue on down to Geneva? If there are no auto transport services available, is there a bus that runs from Zermatt to St Moritz that doesn’t take all day to get there? Are there any websites to check on pricing?

Thank you in advance.

I am driving one way shortly from Ireland to Veliko Tarnova, Bulgaria. In order to shorten the amount of time driving what trains are available. I can travel by ferry either from UK or from Ireland to Cherbourg.

I have been looking at the train to Turkey but then I have a long journey back to northern Bulgaria. I presume that this train does not do a drop off anyplace along the journey through Bulgaria.

Can anyone tell me what the Optima Tours train from Edirne to Villach is like. Can you get sleeper compartments? What is the restaurant car like. Any information much appreciated.

Hi all. I need to get from Vienna to Monaco by cartrain. Thanks in advance . A.

Hi all. I need to get by cartrain from vienna to italy..(Genova) is there some solution…? if there is no car train to genova, In which stations in Italy train stops…Thank You. Please do you know some websites where i can find when the trains goes, and where I find prices?

. There is no direct car train from Paris to Bari. As you mention Calais, I presume you are coming by ferry from England. If that is indeed the case, your best bet would be to take the ferry from Ramsgate to Ostend (thrice daily with TransEuropa Ferries) then drive to Düsseldorf, whence there are car trains to northern Italy. I note you plan to travel in March, and they are not so frequent at that time of year – just twice weekly. Just google “DB Autozug” to get to the booking site with schedules and fares.

Im just wondering what are the auto train options for a trip from Calais( France ) to Bari (Italy). Do you always get a cabin to sleep in these type of trains? I understand that Calais auto-train connections were all cancelled but would it be possible to drive to Paris and then by auto-train from Paris to Bari? If you know what are the prices roughly? Planning to travel in March this year. Thanks a lot

. For Dejan (above)

Easy! Yes, there an ÖBB car-train from Villach to Feldkirch, which is in western Austria, just 9km from the Swiss border. Sounds ideal for your purposes. It saves the long drive through the Tirol.

Hope this helps. Nicky and Susanne

Hi everybody…I want to load a car (van) in Graz ,Villach or Klagenfurt and go to Zurich or somewhere near Swiss border..Is there any links from these cities? Thank you….Dejan

Does any one knows if there is a car train from France to Belgrade? Best alternative advice is also appreciated ,

. Tanya (above) Yes, a car train presently runs twice weekly from Villach (Austria) to Edirne (Turkey). From a six week period in late June and throughout July there is a third weekly departure. In autumn, service frequency reduces to just one train per week.

This service is safe, reliable and comfortable. Fares start at €115 per person one-way if booked well in advance. Booking now for travel in the next few weeks, and you’d be looking at the full fare which is €819 for two people in a private two berth compartment and a car (up to 150cm in height). You can trim €288 off that price by opting to share a larger six bed compartment with other travellers. There is an on-board restaurant car.

This wonderfully useful car train is run by Optima Tours GmbH. Hope this helps. Nicky and Susanne

do you know if this service “Austria to Turkey” still running, i mean in jan? if yes, can you please tell me name of the website where i can book a ticket?

many thanks

regards D.beck

Is there direct train from Austria to Turkey?what is the costs if we are 2 people and a car? Many thanks 🙂

. Natasha (above) We are a bit confused by your query. Villach is not in Croatia, but in Austria. As to the Villach to Hamburg car train, it runs weekly and it is very slow (about 19 hours from check-in at 15.40 until you disembark in Hamburg mid-morning the following day. It does NOT take passengers without cars.

But there are alternatives. The daily Vienna to Hamburg overnight car train (so daily rather than merely weekly) does take passengers without car, and has good connections in Vienna from Villach.

And every day there is also a direct daytime train to Hamburg from Villach (operated by Austrian Railways). This train, called the Vindabona, runs via Vienna and Prague. This daily direct train is not the fastest, and there are slightly faster daytime connections to Hamburg from Villach if you are prepared to change once along the way, usually at Augsburg or Munich. Using these latter routes, the travel time comes down to about 11 hours. One way fares, booked when tickets first go on sale (that’s three months in advance) are €39 second class and €59 first class.

Hi! I have several questions, if you can help me because i couldn’t find the answers on line. Because route Villach Croatia – Hamburg is good for me, but this is autotrain, is it possible to book a ticket without car:)thanx

That is what I actually expected, but wanted to be sure 🙂 Thanks for the reply anyway!

. Sadly, you are out of luck Daniel. There is no direct car train on the Geneva to Vienna route. Worth just noting, perhaps, that car-train operators are very reluctant to handle cars that cannot be driven. The issue is that the loading ramp is quite steep and cars cannot therefore be towed onto the train. There are one or two exceptions but the standard practice is that cars must have a working engine to allow them to be driven on board.

Hi, we need to move a car with broken engine from Geneva to Vienna, would it be possible on train?

Frank (above) Paris has direct car-train services to 12 destinations in France. Rome has direct car-train services to 6 destinations in Italy (plus a regular direct service to Vienna). We hope this answers your query. Nicky & Susanne editors hidden europe magazine

How about Paris and Rome ???

… For Stardust Melody (above) There’s not a service that will put your car on the train for you. You’ll need to do that yourself. Being based as you are in Bremen, your best option would be the nightly train from Hamburg (leaving about 8 pm) to Vienna. This train transports cars, with the car freight charge being 104 euros. The fare for yourself depends very much how long in advance you book. It can be as little as 29 euros if you book well in advance. But could be 150 euros of more if you book just prior to travel. The train is run by Austrian Railways.

I need to get a car from Bremen to Vienna is there a service that will put it on the train for you?

Afraid the only way to do this, Gytte (above), is by driving the car yourself. It is very easy drive. Just a shade over 300 miles. Set off early one morning, drop the car off in Bremerhaven, hop on a train and you could be back in Copenhagen the same evening.

Please I nead to send my car from Copenhagen Denmark to Bremerhafen Germany. is that possible

Thank you for sharing this info. There is also an overnight car train operated by Slovak railways that one can take from Prague (Czech Republic) to Poprad (High Taras region in Slovakia) and/or vice versa. I have taken this numerous times as it is a good value and comfortable way to avoid tiring parts of slow roads between these two destinations. There is one dedicated sleeping train car for vehicle transporting passengers that boards (together with vehicles that are loaded to the connetcted “car-go” train car.) outside of main train station.

http://www.slovakrail.sk/sk/autovlak-poprad-tatry—praha

Quite a useful tip. Odd that they do not show the times for auto-trains in the regular schedules. Anyway, I looked at the German auto-trains and just got a cheap fare for car and family of four from Carinthia to Germany for €276. Yep, quite a lot of money but we’d have spent €130 on gas, and the same again on an overnight hotel. Nice article. Keep ’em coming Eurocheapo. Especially transportation features because this sort of stuff does does not get a mention in regular guidebooks and travel sites. Chris Hughes

Thanks, Lyla. Really nice of you to report back like that. Yes, you are right that the car train services between Italy and Austria (and vice versa) have no dining car. They are a bit of an exception in that respect. Another we know of is the Vienna-Hamburg car-train which also has no dining car. But, if we recall correctly, the attendants in the sleeping cars and couchette carriages do sell coffee, tea, cold drinks and sandwiches. But that’s not the same as a decent dining car. And internal routes within Germany often have no catering in the evening, mainly we guess because of their late departure times (and us folk in Germany like to go to bed early). But those inner-German services do include breakfast in the fare.

We just took the car train from Vienna to Florence. It was a fantastic and low stress way to go. It was great to be able to pack everything in our own car and wake up fresh and ready to begin our vacation. We were 2 adults a baby and a toddler and had a 4 bed couchette. A few notes… on this train there was no dining car so bring your own food and drinks, but they did deliver a roll and coffee for breakfast. One other thing to consider is that on the way home the train did not leave til 9pm, so it was a long day of waiting around at the end of a trip when we were antsy to get home. Next time I think we do the car train there and drive home.

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The Man in Seat 61

A beginner's guide to

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Train travel UK & Ireland...

Train travel in europe..., train travel in asia..., train travel in africa..., train travel in america..., train travel in australasia.

Breakfast in London, dinner in Barcelona

There's no need to fly within Europe.  It's surprisingly easy, quick and comfortable to travel by train from London to almost anywhere:  Spain, Italy, Switzerland, Greece, Prague, Helsinki, wherever.  The difficult bit is finding out how to do it and where to buy tickets.  That's where Seat 61 comes in.

This website explains the best routes, train times & fares from London to major destinations all over Europe, and between major European cities.

It explains the best way to buy tickets for your specific journeys, whether you live in the UK, mainland Europe, the USA, Australia, wherever.

Train times & tickets

If your journey starts in the UK , select your destination country in the upper drop-down box to see the best routes, train times, fares & how to buy tickets.

If your journey starts in another European country , select the city where your journey starts in the lower drop-down box - if it isn't listed, select one nearest to it in the same country.

Return to this page for general information & advice about European train travel.

Planning your trip

How to buy tickets, luggage, bikes, dogs & cars, about specific trains & routes, station guides, how to check train times.

If you only remember one European train travel resource

Apart from seat 61 of course - make it int.bahn.de .  This has an excellent online timetable for the whole of Europe, probably the most useful European train travel resource on the net.  Ask it for Palermo to Helsinki or Lisbon to Moscow and you'll see what I mean.  These tips may help:

Place names

It recognises English-language place names & prompts with station or city names.

If you don't know which station to select

The safest option is to select the plain city name, often in capitals, for example PARIS or BERLIN.  The system will work out which is the relevant station for your journey.

If it only offers specific stations, try to select the main station in that city, which may be shown as main station or (in Italy) Centrale , in the Netherlands as Centraal , in Germany or Austria as Hauptbahnhof, Hbf or HB (= main station in German), Hlavni in Czech or Glowny (Gl.) in Polish.

In Brussels, Brussels South Station is the main station, also known as Brussels Midi or Brussel Zuid .  In Barcelona, select Barcelona Sants .  In Verona, select Verona Porta Nuova .  In Turin, the main terminus station is Torino Porta Nuova , but the TGV trains to/from Paris use Torino Porta Susa , which many trains leaving from Porta Nuova heading for Venice or Rome also call at.  In Venice, Venice Santa Lucia is on the Grand Canal in central Venice, Venice Mestre is on the mainland.  In Lisbon, select Lisbon Santa Apolonia .

It only holds data for the main rail operators

Plus some smaller operators, not for all trains everywhere.  Notably it does not cover:

- Some private open-access operators such as Italo in Italy.

- The Circumvesuviana Railway, Naples-Herculaneum-Pompeii-Sorrento.

- Euskotren in Spain, operating narrow gauge local trains between Hendaye, San Sebastian & Bilbao.

- FEVE in Spain, who run narrow gauge local trains along the north coastal towns.

- Spanish suburban routes including Barcelona to Latour de Carol and Barcelona to Portbou & Cerbère.

- It doesn't always hold complete or 100% accurate data for the Balkans or Greek domestic trains.

For British train times it's better to use www.nationalrail.co.uk as this will show any engineering work alterations.

Timetable changes in June & December

It usually holds data only until the next Europe-wide timetable change , which happens twice a year at midnight on the 2nd Saturday in June & December.  So don't be surprised if it shows no trains running in late December if you ask it in August, that's beyond the December timetable change.  Data for dates after the December timetable change usually starts to come online by mid-October and isn't 100% reliable until early December.  Also note that data for French, Italian & Spanish trains will only be held for the next few months, not for the whole timetable period.

This system is very good, but some railways (typically the Spanish, Hungarians, Polish & Balkan railways) can be late in supplying data, and data can be unreliable in some parts of the Balkans, for example.  If you get strange results you can try the railway operator's own website instead, for example www.renfe.com for Spain or www.ose.gr for Greece.  There's a complete list of rail websites on the useful links page .

You can adjust transfer time

By default the system allows the minimum time to change trains, whether changing into a local train that runs every 30 minutes or into a sleeper train which you can't afford to miss.  It won't suggest impossible connections, it always allows enough time to walk from one train to the other if the first train is on time, but it doesn't take into account the possibility of the first train running 20 minutes late. 

It's a good policy to allow more time for transfers, so click in the From box to open the details panel, then change Transfer time from Normal to (say) at least 40 minutes .

On a through ticket you're legally entitled to later onward travel if a delay means a missed connection ( more info on that here ), but with separate non-refundable train-specific tickets the risk is yours so you should allow more than the minimum, see more about how long to allow for connections here .

You can specify a route or add stopovers

Click Stopovers to set one or two via stations if you want to find journeys via a particular route.  By adding a duration in hours and minutes you can specify stopovers at these stations.

Fares & tickets

int.bahn.de will show train times for virtually any journey in Europe, but will only show fares and sell tickets for journeys to, from or within Germany, plus a few cross-Germany routes such as Belgium/Netherlands to Switzerland, Denmark, Sweden, Poland, Czech Republic.  To check fares for other journeys, see the How to buy European train tickets page .

DB Navigator is a free online train timetable app for all of Europe, the app version of the German Railways all-Europe online timetable at bahn.de.  It provided a journey planner, train details, and calling points, though it needs a WiFi or mobile data connection.  To download, go to int.bahn.de/en/booking-information/db-navigator (please let me know if that link stops working).

Railplanner is a free offline train timetable app that you can download onto your phone to check train times & train calling points on the move without the need to be on WiFi or to use mobile data .  It's blisteringly quick and covers almost all the train covered by the DB Navigator app.  The whole European timetable sits on your phone, with updates automatically downloaded every month.  It's created with Eurail and Interrail passholders in mind, but is useful for anyone. Download for iPhone or Android at www.eurail.com/en/plan-your-trip/rail-planner-app - please let me know if the link stops working!

Station arrivals & departures

Click here & enter a station to check scheduled train departures or arrivals at almost any station across Europe.  This is an online equivalent of the printed departure posters displayed at stations.  It shows real-time information for stations in Germany if you pick today's date, but for 'real time' information in other countries, see the real-time section below .

The European Rail Timetable

The world-famous European Rail Timetable is the train traveller's bible, with route maps and up-to-date timetables for trains, buses and ferries for all European countries, plus trains in Asian Turkey and Russia including the Trans-Siberian railway, ferries to North Africa & the Mediterranean islands.

Published since 1873, it had just celebrated 140 years of publication when Thomas Cook pulled the plug on their entire publishing department, and the August 2013 edition was the last to be published by Thomas Cook.  The good news is that the dedicated ex-Thomas Cook team set up a private venture and a reborn European Rail Timetable continues to be published.  Remarkably, the timetable has now survived its parent company, as Thomas Cook collapsed in 2019.  What does it contain?

Buy online at www.europeanrailtimetable.eu for around £16.99 with shipping worldwide.

If you live in the UK you can also buy from www.amazon.co.uk , it's eligible for Amazon Prime next-day delivery.

Back to top

How to check fares & buy tickets

This section has turned into a bit of an essay .  If you just want to know how to buy tickets, skip this section, go to the How to buy tickets page , select a specific journey and I'll tell you how to book it.  If you're interested in how European train booking works (or doesn't), read on.

Reality check:  No single website sells tickets for all trains in all countries

Although you can look up train times almost anywhere in Europe using int.bahn.de , there isn't a single website that can show fares & sell tickets for every European train in every country.

So you can't go to europeanrailways.com (there's no such site) and buy a Stockholm to Alicante ticket (there's no such ticket).  It's perfectly possible to travel by train from Stockholm to Alicante, but we're talking 6 trains run by 5 different operators ticketed with at least 4 separate tickets.  Ah, I see from the look on your face that realisation is beginning to dawn...

Each country has its own national operator with its own website

Each national train operator has its own website and its own ticketing system.  Then there are various private operators, either genuinely independent such as Italo , Regiojet or Leo Express , or pseudo-independent such as TGV-Lyria created by the relevant national rail operator(s) to run specific international routes.

In fact, Europe has over 50 different rail operator websites selling train tickets for their own trains, even before considering third-party ticket resellers.  You need to use the right website for the right journey.  So which is the relevant operator for your journey?

If you go to the How to buy tickets page , select your starting city, and on the next page select your destination, you'll find my advice on how to book that specific route.

However, as a rule of thumb, if there's a named operator such as Eurostar or Regiojet you'd go to that operator's website, in this case Eurostar.com or Regiojet.com.  If it's a normal international train jointly run by the relevant national rail operators, your starting assumption should be to use the national rail operator website for the country where your journey starts, then check the one where it ends.

The pseudo-independent operators can also be booked at the owning national operator sites

Eurostar is owned by French Railways (SNCF) and others, and Eurostar tickets can also be bought at SNCF's website www.sncf-connect.com .  TGV-Lyria is owned by SNCF & SBB (Swiss Railways) and can also be booked at www.sncf-connect.com or www.sbb.ch.  The national operator sites can of course book other trains in their respective countries too, in connection with Eurostar or TGV-Lyria.  So London to Avignon by Eurostar & onwards French train can be booked as one transaction at French Railways www.sncf-connect.com , for example.  It can be useful to know that!

International trains can usually be booked at the national operator website at either end

For international journeys, your starting assumption is to book them at the national rail operator website for the country where the journey starts.  But if a train can be e-ticketed, you can also book using the destination country's national train operator website.

For example, Berlin-Prague trains are run jointly by German & Czech national railways, and can be booked at either German Railways int.bahn.de or Czech Railways www.cd.cz with print-your-own tickets.

Now it gets interesting, as this is one of the routes where each partner operator manages advance-purchase price levels independently.  So the price at bahn.de might be €39 (with cheaper €19 & €29 tickets sold out), whilst €19 tickets remain available for the same train at cd.cz.  It pays to check both!

In fact, even the fixed-price full-flex fare can differ between partner operators.  As I write this, Austrian Railways (ÖBB) charge €64 for a full-flex on-the-day ticket from Vienna to Prague, but even if you were in the ÖBB ticket office at Vienna Hbf, it'd be cheaper to whip out your phone and buy exactly the same ticket for the same trains from Czech Railways for €42.

But a word of warning:  Check ticket delivery carefully if buying from the operator at the destination end.  For example, Austrian Railways oebb.at issues print-your-own tickets for Vienna-Venice trains so can be used for either direction.  Trenitalia.com can also book these Vienna-Venice trains, but you must collect a hard-copy ticket from a Trenitalia ticket machine or ticket office in Italy - not much help if you're starting in Vienna!

There are exceptions to this rule, of course.  The Paris-Milan Frecciarossas enter France on an open-access commercial basis, so can only be booked at Trenitalia.com, not SNCF-connect.com.  Whilst the competing Paris-Milan TGVs enter Italy on an open-access commercial basis and can only be booked at SNCF-connect.com, not Trenitalia.com.

Some trains aren't bookable online at all

Another reality check:  Slovenian, Croatian, Bulgarian & Turkish railways don't sell international tickets online, for example.  Trains between Slovenia or Croatia & Germany can be booked online in either direction at German Railways int.bahn.de .  Trains between Slovenia or Croatia & Austria can be booked online in either direction at Austrian Railways www.oebb.at .  But the only way to buy tickets from Ljubljana to Zagreb or Zagreb to Belgrade or Sofia to Istanbul, is at the station.

Longer journeys often need to be broken down into stages

Many international journeys involve a change of train, often this means a change of operator.  Operator websites may not be able to sell tickets for such journeys.  Nice to Milan can't be booked at the French Railways website www.sncf-connect.com , because SNCF can't access prices or tickets for the Trenitalia train between Ventimiglia & Milan (Ventimiglia is the border station where you change trains).  And the Trenitalia website can't book you from Nice to Milan either, because it can't access prices or tickets for the SNCF train between Nice & Ventimiglia.  You need to book Nice-Ventimiglia at www.sncf-connect.com and Ventimiglia-Milan at Trenitalia.com .  Two tickets, two bookings, on two different websites, such is the reality of Europe's rail network in the 21st century.  But there are two specialist retailer sites that resolve this.

Introducing www.raileurope.com & www.thetrainline.com

Two ticket retailer websites deserve a special mention, www.raileurope.com & www.thetrainline.com .  These connect to multiple operators, allowing tickets for trains across much of western Europe to be booked in one place.

They have their own journey planning logic, so (for example) they can work out a suitable journey from Nice to Milan using an SNCF train from Nice to Ventimiglia and a Trenitalia train from Ventimiglia to Milan, they then source the Nice-Ventimiglia ticket from SNCF and the Ventimiglia-Milan ticket from Trenitalia, and add them together to provide you with a Nice-Milan journey as one seamless transaction.

I often recommend www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com as they allow you to book tickets together in one place for journeys that would otherwise require multiple bookings on different websites.  They are designed for international users, so happily accept overseas payment cards (some national train operator sites struggle) and are written in plain English (some national rail operator sites slip back into local language or use poor English translations).  The downside is that they charge a small booking fee, but it's often worth paying that.

Raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com currently connect to the following national railways: Great Britain (National Rail), France (SNCF), Spain (Renfe), Italy (Trenitalia), Germany (Deutsche Bahn), Austria (ÖBB).  They also both connect to private operator Italo .  www.thetrainline.com also connects to Swiss Railways (SBB), the Benelux ticketing system (SNCB, NS & CFL) and private operators Regiojet & Westbahn .

Raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com come as close as you'll get to a pan-European train booking site, but even they don't yet connect to the Portuguese, Czech, Slovakian, Slovenian, Croatian, Hungarian, Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, Finnish, Bulgarian, Turkish, Greek, Romanian, or Polish Railways ticketing systems.  So for a €15 Lisbon-Porto ticket you still need to go to Portuguese Railways www.cp.pt and the only place you'll find a €21 Prague-Budapest ticket is Czech Railways www.cd.cz.  You get the picture?

More about who Thetrainline are .  More about who Raileurope are .

Incidentally, you might also come across Omio.com .  Omio has similar connectivity, but at the time I write this it doesn't have any journey planning logic.  So although it can sell you a Nice-Ventimiglia ticket using its connection to SNCF if you ask it for Nice to Ventimiglia, and it can sell a Ventimiglia-Milan ticket using its connection to Trenitalia if you ask it for Ventimiglia to Milan, if you ask it for Nice to Milan it will say there are no trains (and will suggest a flight) because it lacks the capability to plan the journey itself and combine multiple tickets.  It also says there are no trains for journeys where it lacks the necessary connectivity.  For example, Omio says there are no trains from Budapest to Zagreb and suggests a bus, but you can easily buy a train ticket from €19 from Hungarian Railways at www.mavcsoport.hu .  So it's important to understand a site's limitations.  Omio does have some extra connectivity, for example it connects to Swedish Railways sj.se so can be useful to book Swedish trains if sj.se rejects your credit card, and to Portuguese Railways cp.pt which no other site does.

So which website should you use to buy tickets?

Don't worry!  On seat61.com I'll tell you the right website(s) to use for any given European journey (well, almost).  Go to the How to buy European tickets page and select your starting city.  On the next page, select your destination city.  I'll then explain the different ways you can make that specific journey and which website(s) to use to buy tickets.

To check fares & buy tickets in one country

You can check fares & (usually) buy tickets for domestic journeys at each country's national rail website, see the links page for a complete list .

To check fares & buy tickets for international journeys

The national rail websites listed above sometimes sell international tickets to neighbouring countries as well, but often only in a limited way, for example tickets for direct trains.  However, you'll find detailed advice on how to book specific international journeys on the How to buy European tickets page .  Here are some general rules of thumb.

Rule-of-thumb 1, try www.raileurope.com & www.thetrainline.com .

These connect to the British, French, Spanish, Italian, German, Austrian, Benelux systems and can easily book journeys including multi-operator journeys to, from and within those countries.

Be aware of their limitations:  You still need to use other sites for journeys not covered, for example they don't connect to the Portuguese, Norwegian, Finnish, Croatian, Bulgarian, Czech or Hungarian ticketing systems.  They also charge a small booking fee, you can avoid paying any fee by buying direct from train operator websites, using the following rules of thumb.

Rule-of-thumb 2 , if you know that the train you want is run by a specific operator, go to that operator's website:

- www.eurostar.com for Eurostar trains between London & Paris, London & Brussels or anywhere in Belgium.

- www.tgv-lyria.com or www.sncf-connect.com for TGV-Lyria high-speed trains between Paris & Switzerland.

- www.regiojet.com for Regiojet trains between Vienna & Prague or Prague & Bratislava.

Rule-of-thumb 3 , otherwise, simply go to the national train website for the country where your journey starts.  Although there are many exceptions to this rule, as you can see below:

- For journeys starting in London : 

   www.eurostar.com for Eurostar to Lille, Paris, Brussels or anywhere in Belgium.

   www.nsinternational.nl or www.b-europe.com for journeys to Rotterdam, Amsterdam or anywhere in Belgium or the Netherlands.

   www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com for journeys to anywhere in France, Germany, Spain, Switzerland, Milan, Turin, Germany. 

- For journeys starting in Paris & France :

   The French Railways site www.sncf-connect.com sells many journeys from Paris & French cities to neighbouring countries.

   For journeys from Paris to Germany, it's better to use German Railways int.bahn.de .

   For journeys from Paris & France to Italy, Spain, Portugal, Austria it's better to use www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com .

- For journeys starting in Brussels, Bruges or Belgium :

   The Belgian Railways international site www.b-europe.com will handle journeys to neighbouring countries.

   For journeys from Belgium to Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Denmark, Sweden, Czech Rep. it's better to use German Railways int.bahn.de .

   For the Nightjet sleeper from Brussels to Vienna it's better to use Austrian Railways www.oebb.at or www.thetrainline.com .

- For journeys starting in Amsterdam & the Netherlands:

   The Dutch Railways international site www.nsinternational.nl will handle journeys to neighbouring countries.

   For journeys to Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Denmark, Czech Rep., Sweden it's better to use German Railways int.bahn.de .

   For the Nightjet sleeper train from Amsterdam to Munich, Innsbruck & Vienna use Austrian Railways www.oebb.at or www.thetrainline.com .

- For journeys starting in Switzerland :

   The Swiss Railways site www.sbb.ch can book journeys to neighbouring countries, for example Paris.

   For journeys to Paris you can also use French Railways www.sncf-connect.com , it's worth checking prices there too.

   For journeys to Italy, it's better to use Italian Railways www.trenitalia.com as SBB can't sell Trenitalia's cheap fares beyond Milan.

   For journeys to Germany, Benelux & Denmark it's better to use German Railways int.bahn.de .

   For journeys to Austria you'll often find cheaper prices at the Austrian Railways site www.oebb.at .

   For the sleeper train from Zurich to Prague sleeper, book using Czech Railways www.cd.cz as Sbb.ch can't sell it.

   For the sleeper trains from Zurich to Vienna, Budapest, Hamburg & Berlin use Austrian Railways www.oebb.at or www.thetrainline.com .

- For journeys starting in Italy :

   The Italian Railways site www.trenitalia.com can book many international trains from Italy, but not the French-run trains Milan-Turin-Paris.

   For journeys from Milan or Turin to Paris, use French Railways www.sncf-connect.com .  Add connecting tickets from other cities at www.trenitalia.com .

   It's better to use Austrian Railways www.oebb.at for Venice-Vienna day & sleeper trains, Rome-Florence-Vienna/Munich sleeper trains.

- For journeys starting in Germany : 

   German Railways int.bahn.de sells through tickets to most neighbouring countries. 

   For travel to Austria, it's often cheaper to use Austrian Railways www.oebb.at , so check this too.

   For travel to Prague, it's often cheaper to use Czech Railways www.cd.cz , so check this too.

   For Nightjet sleeper trains within Germany & to Switzerland & Austria, it's better to use Austrian Railways www.oebb.at .

- For journeys starting in Austria:

    Austrian Railways www.oebb.at can book journeys to most neighbouring countries.

   For travel to Germany, also check German Railways int.bahn.de as they can occasionally be cheaper for the same train.

   For travel to Prague, check prices at Czech Railways www.cd.cz too as they can be cheaper than ÖBB for the same train.

- For journeys starting in Prague :

    Czech Railways www.cd.cz can book journeys to most neighbouring countries.

  For journeys between Prague & Brussels, Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Stockholm also try German Railways int.bahn.de .

- For journeys starting in Budapest :

   Hungarian Railways www.mavcsoport.hu can book journeys to most neighbouring countries.

   For journeys to Germany, you can also check prices at German Railways int.bahn.de , but the Hungarians are usually cheaper.

   For journeys to Austria, you can also check prices at Austrian Railways www.oebb.at , but the Hungarians are usually cheaper.

   The sleeper trains from Budapest to Zurich & Munich can also be booked at www.oebb.at .

- For journeys starting in Slovenia or Croatia

  Zagreb or Ljubljana to Germany can be booked at German Railways int.bahn.de .

  Zagreb or Ljubljana to Austria can be booked at Austrian Railways www.oebb.at .

  Other international journeys (e.g. to Belgrade or Budapest) cannot be booked online, you have to go to the station.

- For journeys starting in Poland :

   Polish Railways haven't yet enabled online booking for international trains, except for than Berlin-Warsaw.

   You can book from Warsaw or Krakow to German cities at German Railways int.bahn.de and print out your ticket.

   The sleeper train from Warsaw & Krakow to Vienna can be booked at Austrian Railways www.oebb.at as you can print your own ticket.

   All other international tickets starting in Poland can be arranged through reliable ticketing agency www.polrail.com .

- For journeys starting in Copenhagen :

   Danish Railways www.dsb.dk can't sell international tickets.

   German Railways int.bahn.de can sell tickets from Copenhagen to Germany, Brussels, Amsterdam, Prague, Switzerland.

- For journeys starting in Stockholm & Sweden :

   Omio.com (formerly GoEuro) or www.sj.se can sell tickets to Oslo or Copenhagen or within Sweden. 

   German Railways int.bahn.de can sell tickets from Stockholm, Gothenburg & Malmo to anywhere in Germany.

   German Railways int.bahn.de can also sell tickets from Stockholm, Gothenburg & Malmo to Amsterdam, Brussels, Switzerland & Prague.

Rule-of-thumb 4 , break the journey down

I have lost count of the times I've advised travellers to split the booking and book each section of the journey, or if necessary, each individual train, at the relevant operator's website.

For example, int.bahn.de comes up with silly-money €246 prices if you ask it for Paris to Vienna, a journey which passes through Frankfurt, but it will happily sell you a Paris-Frankfurt ticket from €39 and a Frankfurt to Vienna ticket from €29 if you break the journey down.

Similarly, Prague to Venice can't be booked online anywhere, but the Czech Railways site www.cd.cz/eshop will happily sell you a Prague to Vienna ticket from €14 and Austrian Railways www.oebb.at will book the Vienna-Venice sleeper from €59 with couchette.

There are endless examples of this all over Europe, some creative thinking is often required!

Rule-of-thumb 5 , some trains cannot be booked online

Remember that some trains simply cannot be booked online so will need to be booked by phone or at the station.  For example Zagreb to Belgrade, Belgrade to Montenegro, or Sofia to Istanbul.

I'll say it again, for advice on which website to use for which specific European train journey, see the How to buy European train tickets page .

It matters whom you call!  Some agencies are better for some journeys than others because of the ticketing systems they use.

You'll find a list of agencies with advice on who to call on the How to buy train tickets by phone page .

Maps of the European rail network

Free online rail maps.

This free online rail map of Europe is a good basic overview of the extent of the European railway network. 

It's intended for people using a Eurail or Interrail pass so leaves out many routes in non-Interrail/Eurail countries such as Russia & Ukraine, and leaves out many smaller lines even in countries covered by these passes.

For more detail, try the zoom-able online map of European (and indeed, world) railways at www.openrailwaymap.org .

You can also try the Swiss Railways all-Europe online map at maps.trafimage.ch .  Zoom in for more detail.

For the best (and official) map of the British rail network , click here .

For an online map of the French rail network click here .

For an online interactive map of the German rail network click here .

For the best (and official) map of the Swiss rail network , click here .

But for a decent map of all European train routes, you really need to buy one of the printed rail maps listed below.

Rail Map Europe:  Buy here

Travellers' railway map:  buy here, rail atlas of europe by ian allan:  buy here.

Ian Allan Publishing do an excellent hardback rail atlas of Europe for around £21, available through Amazon.co.uk .  You can also buy it in the USA at Amazon.com .

Rail Atlas of Europe by M Ball:  Buy here

There's another highly-detailed European Railway atlas covering the whole of Europe, europeanrailwayatlas.com , price £24.95 in 122-page paperback book form covering 23,000 locations with free PDF version for your computer, tablet or phone.

Real-time train running information

Are the trains running on time?  Delays, incidents, strikes or disruptions?

London to Paris or Brussels by Eurostar

Changing trains in paris.

Train journeys from the UK into Europe often involve a change of train and station in Paris.  Eurostar arrives at the Gare du Nord , which is an easy 7 minute 500m walk from the Gare de l'Est but a metro or taxi ride from the other Paris stations including the Gare de Lyon .

See the Changing trains & stations in Paris page for advice on metro, RER and taxi travel, and an easy route guide.

The Paris metro website is www.ratp.fr .

If you want to spend some time in Paris, by all means take an earlier Eurostar on the outward journey or a later one on your return.  There are left luggage lockers at several Paris rail stations if you need to leave your luggage somewhere.

You can avoid the hassle of crossing Paris when travelling to many French destinations, by changing at Lille , see the London to France page .

Changing trains in Brussels

The ferry alternatives, london to paris by train & ferry.

London to Paris 'sleeper' option via Portsmouth-Caen:   There's an overnight train-ferry-train option where you can leave London Waterloo around 18:30, sleep in a comfortable cabin with en suite shower & toilet 22:45-06:45 on Brittany Ferries' overnight sailing from Portsmouth to Caen, then take a train from Caen to Paris St Lazare arriving around 11:05.  This is not a bad option if you need an alternative to Eurostar.  Times, fares & info for travelling from London & Portsmouth to Paris by overnight train & ferry are shown here .

London to Amsterdam by train & ferry

Uk to spain by ferry, other useful ferry routes.

DFDS Seaways ( www.dfds.com ) sail overnight from Newcastle to IJmuiden near Amsterdam, see the Newcastle-Amsterdam page .

Should you go 1st or 2nd class?

2nd class is absolutely fine for most travellers.  There's no need to pay for a 1st class ticket to travel in comfort these days, especially on the fast modern air-conditioned express trains.  So if you're on a budget, don't bother with 1st class unless you are offered prices that make it silly not to upgrade.

For most of us, 2nd class is the norm unless the Company is paying.  If you're visiting Europe from overseas, rest assured that there are very few peasants and chickens in 2nd class these days.

What more do you get in 1st class? 

First class gets you wider seats, plusher seats, more leg and elbow room, and fewer passengers per coach.  In most cases, assume that is all.  Luggage room is the same, perhaps with fewer passengers per coach using it, but this is not a sensible reason for paying a 1st class fare as there's always room for luggage in any class.

On a few premier trains including Eurostar , Spanish AVE trains & Lyria , some 1st class fares include an at-seat service of food & drink, but these are the exceptions.  Unless you're told otherwise, you should assume that a 1st class ticket simply gets you a nicer seat with more leg and elbow room, surrounded by more business travellers with laptops and fewer families with kids.  On German ICEs and Austrian railjets , food & drink is not included but in 1st class a steward will take orders and serve you at your seat, in 2nd class you have to go to the bistro or restaurant car.

Tables for two & solo seats:   First class cars generally have seats arranged 2+1 across the width of the car (two seats abreast, then the aisle, then one solo seat), hence the wider seats with more elbow room compared to 2+2 seating in 2nd class.  So in a typical first class car you'll find face-to-face tables for two and solo seats as well as tables for four - if you're a couple, facing each other across an intimate table for two, both of you getting a seat that's both window and aisle, is a key advantage of going 1st class.  As is booking a solo seat if you're travelling alone, a seat that's both aisle and window, where you aren't sitting next to anyone else.

Train seat numbering plans :  Click here for train seating plans

1st class can be an affordable treat

Don't decide until you see the price!  Most train operators have airline-style variable pricing, you might find 2nd class costs €40 and 1st class only €45 because of the way the price quotas have worked in each class.  In which case you'd be crazy not to pay an extra €5 to upgrade!

On sleeper trains, class is irrelevant

On sleeper trains, whether you have a 1st or 2nd class ticket is almost irrelevant, as your comfort depends on the type of sleeping accommodation you pay for:  Seat, couchette, or sleeper.  A 2nd class couchette is more comfortable (and more secure) than a 1st class seat.  A 2nd class sleeper is more comfortable than a 1st class couchette (where such things exist).  In fact, on most routes only a 2nd class ticket is now needed for a 2-bed sleeper.  On nightjet sleeper trains , for example, all accommodation is now classified as 2nd class, even deluxe sleepers with shower.  The options for travelling on overnight trains are explained here .

Should you make a seat reservation ?

Local, suburban & regional trains in most countries don't have seat reservations.  You just get on and sit where you like, like the London Underground or New York Subway.

Long-distance trains in France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Sweden & Poland are usually all-reserved and every ticket comes with a seat reservation automatically included, free of charge.  The same goes for international trains to, from or between these countries including Eurostar , TGV-Lyria , Paris-Barcelona TGVs , Paris-Milan TGVs , Paris-Milan Frecciarossas and Paris-Germany TGV/ICE trains .  Such trains often don't have any displays showing which seats are reserved and which free because it's assumed that all passengers have a reserved seat.

Long-distance trains in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Denmark & much of central Europe are usually reservation optional .  You can travel without a reservation (the risk is you may have to stand at busy times) or you can pay a small fee to reserve a seat.  If you don't have a reservation you can sit in any empty unreserved seat - an electronic display above each seat (or on older trains, a little printed slip in a slot) show which seats are reserved.

Making a short journey mid-week in February as a solo traveller I might not bother making a reservation, especially if I'm joining at the station where the train starts so will have my pick of the seats.  But if you're making a long journey or travelling on a busy Friday or Sunday afternoon or travelling with your family or in a small group, I strongly recommend making a reservation to be sure of a seat.  You are usually offered the option of adding a seat reservation when buying a ticket online, if you fail to add one you can sometimes make a separate seat reservation only booking later, the German, Austrian & Czech railway websites can do that, but not all websites.

Forward-facing seats

I know from experience that American visitors in particular (if you'll forgive me for saying so) are obsessed with facing forwards.  Europeans less so, as we are used to trains with half the seats facing one way, half the other, and we know that it's no big deal as trains run smoothly on rails - think cruise liner restaurant, where half the diners are going backwards at 18 knots without noticing!

On most European trains you cannot specify which way your seat faces.  The reservation system knows the carriage seat layout, but it cannot predict which way round the train will enter service that day.  Indeed, on some routes the train reverses en route, for example on a journey from Rome to Venice, seats which are backward-facing from Rome to Florence will be forward-facing from Florence to Venice as the train changes direction at Florence SMN which is a terminus.  Similarly, trains from Zurich to Innsbruck, Salzburg & Vienna change direction at Buchs, before the Austrian border.

There are a few cases where a forward-facing seat can be requested.  Some operators including Eurostar keep their trains a particular way round, for example on Eurostar car 1 is always at the London end, car 16 at the Paris end.  You can often select your seat from a seat map when you book such trains direct with the relevant operator, the direction of travel is often indicated on the plan so you can see which seats face which way.  On a few TGV routes in France a clever dual numbering system allows the correct set of numbers to illuminate depending which way round the train is, which in turn allows the reservation system to offer a choice of forward-facing seat if you book at www.sncf-connect.com or www.thetrainline.com .  In the UK, we have traditionally had a much simpler low-tech system.  Two seats facing each other have the same number, say 15, the one facing is 15F and the one going backwards is 15B.

Remember that on trains where reservation is optional (domestic trains in Benelux countries, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Denmark, and much of Eastern Europe) you can sit where you like, and if you find your reserved seats not to your liking just sit elsewhere.  However, in France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Sweden, all long-distance trains are all-reserved so you usually have to stick with your reserved seats.

My favourite arrangement in first class on most European trains is a face-to-face table for two.  Both of you get a window seat, and both an aisle seat, and one seat is always facing forwards.  My wife usually gets that!  It also means you get the full length of a window to look out of, not half a window.

Which side of the train?

On some routes the best scenery is on a particular side of the train, for example the left hand side going south along the Rhine Valley from Cologne to Mainz, or the right hand side from Switzerland into Austria through the Arlberg Pass.  I try and mention which side to sit on the relevant pages of this site, if it matters.

However, many reservation systems won't let you choose which side of the train to sit as the train or carriage could enter service either way round.  Only in some cases is direction of travel shown.  On trains where reservation is optional (domestic trains in Benelux countries, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Denmark, much of central Europe) you can sit where you like so can move if your reserved seat is on the 'wrong' side.

First class lounges at stations

There are first class lounges at some major stations, usually with complimentary tea, coffee, soft drinks or even beer and wine, plus WiFi and charging points.  Sometimes the lounge is for anyone with a first class ticket (which may or may not include first class Eurail or Interrail passes), in other cases the lounges are only for holders of the most expensive premium-fare first class tickets or who have that train operator's frequent traveller loyalty card. Here's a quick guide:

Eurostar business lounges at London St Pancras, Paris Nord & Brussels Midi

Eurostar has a business lounge opening off the departures hall after security at London St Pancras , Paris Nord & Brussels Midi with complimentary tea, coffee, soft drinks, wine & spirits, beer and snacks.  The lounge has toilets, free WiFi and charging points.  The London and Paris lounges also have a free cocktail bar, open afternoon until evening.

The business lounges are open to holders of Business Premier tickets or holders of Eurostar's top-tier Carte Blanche loyalty card.  They are not open to holders of Standard Premier tickets or railpass holders. 

Paris & France

Anyone with any 1st class ticket for TGV-Lyria trains from Paris to Switzerland can use the SNCF Salon Grand Voyageur at Paris Gare de Lyon in Hall 3 with free WiFi, hot drinks and water.

Apart from this, the Salon Grand Voyageur is only open to travellers with SNCF loyalty cards or the most expensive full-price 1st class Pro tickets.  You can use it with any 1st class ticket if you have a Eurostar Carte Blanche loyalty card.

All the other major Paris termini and many big city stations across France have an SNCF Grand Voyageur lounge with free WiFi, hot drinks and water, but these are only for passengers with SNCF loyalty cards or the most expensive full-price 1st class Pro tickets.  You can use them with any 1st class ticket if you have a Eurostar Carte Blanche loyalty card.

Brussels & Belgium

Eurostar (formerly Thalys) has its own lounge at Brussels Midi, only for Eurostar (formerly Thalys) passengers who have the most expensive Premium class tickets.  Not open to holders of Comfort class (= regular 1st class) tickets or to railpass holders.

Apart from this there is no first class lounge at Brussels Midi , but I consider the bar at the Pullman Hotel to be the best VIP waiting room for the price of a beer.

Amsterdam & the Netherlands

There is an NS International Lounge at Amsterdam Centraal at the western end of platform 2 and there are similar lounges at Schiphol & Rotterdam Centraal .  You can use these lounges with any type of 1st class international ticket including 1st class Eurail & Interrail passes.

Follow the signs for NS International Lounge, check www.nsinternational.nl for opening times.  Tea, coffee, soft drinks and snacks available. 

Switzerland

Unfortunately, SBB closed their first class lounges at Zurich & Geneva at the end of 2016, citing lack of use.

Trenitalia has Freccialounges at major city stations.  These are only for holders of the most expensive Executive class tickets or who have Trenitalia's own frequent-traveller loyalty card.

Competitor Italo also has lounges at major city stations, branded Club Italo.   These are only for holders of the most expensive Club class tickets or who have Italo's own frequent-traveller loyalty card.

There is a Renfe Sala Club lounge at Madrid Atocha , Madrid Chamartin , Barcelona Sants , Malaga Maria Zambrano, Seville Santa Justa, Cordoba, Valencia, Alicante, Girona, Zaragoza Delicias, Valladolid and several other stations. 

The Sala Club is open to anyone who has paid the Premium fare, or who has a 1st class ticket for an international AVE (but not TGV ) to France.  Typically open from 06:00 to 22:00 every day.  You can use them from 2 hours before your train leaves until departure.

Tea, coffee, soft drinks, beer and snacks available.  For details search www.renfe.com .

There are DB Lounges at major stations, but only for holders of the most expensive DB Flexpreis tickets.  You cannot use the lounges if you have a 1st class Sparpreis or Super Sparpreis ticket or Eurail or Interrail pass.

They don't admit holders of tickets for regional trains or trains operated without DB involvement such as Eurostar (formerly Thalys) , Nightjet , European Sleeper or the Munich-Prague trains .

However, if you have a Eurostar Carte Blanche loyalty card you can use a DB Lounge with any ticket.

There are lounges at Berlin Hbf , Bremen, Dresden, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt am Main Hbf , Frankfurt Flughafen , Hamburg Hbf , Hanover, Cologne Hbf , Leipzig, Mannheim, Munich Hbf , Nuremberg, Stuttgart.  Typically open 07:00-21:00 daily, follow signs for DB Lounge , search int.bahn.de for opening times.

There are ÖBB Lounges at Vienna Hauptbahnhof , Vienna Meidling , Linz, Salzburg , Innsbruck , Graz & Klagenfurt.

These Austrian lounges are really useful because you can use them for up to 90 minutes before or after your journey with almost any type of 1st class ticket or with a ticket for any type of sleeper for Nightjet or EuroNight trains and with a 1st class Eurail or Interrail pass.

There's one exception:  You can use the lounge with a 1st class DB Sparpreis or Flexpreis fare, but not with a Super Sparpreis fare.

Typically open 06:00-21:00, for details see www.oebb.at & search for ÖBB Lounge .  Tea, coffee, soft drinks, snacks & free WiFi available.

Budapest & Hungary

Budapest Keleti has an excellent business lounge on platform 9 , open 06:00-21:30 daily.  This lounge is really useful as it can be used by anyone with a 1st class international ticket to, from or via Budapest, or a single or double sleeper ticket, or a 1st class Eurail or Interrail pass with a reservation for a train that day.  Unfortunately, there's no lounge at Budapest Deli or Budapest Nyugati.

Prague & the Czech Republic

CD (Czech Railways) has a lounge at Prague Hlavni with newspaper and free WiFi, but it's also open to 2nd class passengers with tickets for the higher categories of train such as EuroCity and SuperCity so it's more upmarket waiting room than 1st class lounge.  The excellent Fantova Kavárna upstairs in the historic station hall makes a better VIP waiting lounge for the price of a cup of coffee.

PKP Intercity used to have poorly-advertised lounges at Warsaw Centralna & Krakow Glowny , but strangely closed them in 2014 due to lack of users.

Copenhagen & Denmark

DSB Danish Railways have DSB1 lounges for first class passengers at Copenhagen , Aarhus and Odense.  Open Monday-Friday only.  Passengers with 1st class tickets for SJ trains to Stockholm or Intercity trains to Germany can also use it.  For details search www.dsb.dk and use Google Translate.

Stockholm & Sweden

SJ have a first class lounge at both Stockholm Central & Gothenburg Central open to all first class ticket holders   It's open Monday-Friday only morning until mid-evening, for details see www.sj.se .

Travelling overnight

Sleeper trains are a time-effective and romantic way to travel.  Huge distances can be covered while you sleep, using less daytime time than flying and often saving a hotel bill, too.

Forget about first and second class on sleeper trains, these terms become misleading.  The real classes on an overnight train are seat, couchette and sleeper.  In fact, all accommodation on nightjet sleeper trains is now technically 2nd class, even a deluxe single-bed sleeper with shower.  Although some operators still require a 1st class ticket for a single-bed sleeper.

Incidentally, trains don't have sterns or bows or port or starboard as they are not a ship.  They also don't have cabins , the correct term has always been a sleeper or couchette compartment .

Click for sleeper & couchette car berth numbering plans , this answers the typical worry We have berths 21 & 25, are we in the same 2-berth compartment?   Yes, you are!

...in a sleeping-car

A sleeping-car is the equivalent of a hotel :  A cosy bedroom, with comfortable beds, washbasin, and room service.  Sleepers come in 1, 2 & 3 berth varieties, depending on the route, whether you have a 1st or 2nd class ticket, and the price you want to pay.  For the daytime parts of a journey, the beds fold away to reveal a sofa.

If you are travelling alone and don't want to pay for a 1st class single room, you can normally book just one berth in a 2 or 3-berth room and share with other passengers of the same gender (though this is currently not possible in Italian domestic sleepers).

In addition to the normal lock, sleeper compartments have a security lock which cannot be opened from outside even with a staff key, so you'll be both safe and snug.  The most modern sleepers now have CCTV in the corridor, too.

On most sleeper train routes there are inclusive fares covering travel, sleeper & breakfast.  If you have an Interrail or Eurail pass, you can look up the additional cost of a sleeper on the Interrail & Eurail reservations page .

For more detailed information about what to expect when travelling by sleeper, see the Travelling by Sleeping-car or Couchette page or the information about specific sleeper trains, including:

- Nightjet sleeper trains linking Germany, Austria, Italy, Switzerland.

- Prague to Krakow sleeper train .

...in a couchette

A couchette is rail's answer to a youth hostel or pensione:   Economical and comfortable, it's an ordinary seating compartment for 4 or 6 people by day, with fold-out padded bunks for 4 or 6 people by night, each with sheet, rug & pillow which you arrange yourself.  Male and female passengers normally share the same compartment (although there are 'ladies only' compartments on most routes), and apart from removing shoes & jackets,  passengers do not normally undress.

A berth in a 6-berth couchette compartment costs around €20-€27 per berth per night, in addition to a 2nd class ticket or railpass.  A berth in a less-crowded 4-berth couchette compartment costs around €30-€37 per berth per night, in addition to a 2nd class ticket or railpass.

In addition to the normal lock, couchette compartments have a security lock or chain which cannot be opened from outside, even with a staff key, so you'll be quite safe.  1st class couchettes (4 berths per compartment) are rare, they pretty much only exist in on the few remaining French domestic overnight trains .

There's more detailed information about what to expect when travelling by couchette on the Travelling by Couchette or Sleeping-car page .  For more specific information, if your journey involves a nightjet, see the nightjet sleeper train page .  If your journey involves a French domestic Intercité de Nuit overnight train, see the Intercités de Nuit page .

...in a seat

Although it's the cheapest option, travelling overnight in an ordinary seat is a false economy.  It's not recommended however tight your budget, either for comfort or security, unless there's no other option.  There's no lock on the compartment door, and no staff on duty.  Think of it as the equivalent (almost!) of sleeping in a shop doorway.  Always budget for at least the couchette supplement for a comfortable night's journey. 

How early to be at the station?

There are some exceptions .  Major Italian stations now have a simple manual ticket check between concourse and platform circulating area.  In France some major stations have automatic ticket gates when boarding long-distance trains, scan the barcode on your ticket and they open, they're work until 2 minutes before departure.  But it's still nothing like air travel.

Train composition posters

Is there passport control before boarding, how long to allow for connections , it takes just minutes to change trains, if your onward train is a local one, if your onward train is all-reserved, if your onward train is a sleeper, if connecting out of a sleeper.

Example   You're catching the Cologne-Munich sleeper train, due to arrive in Munich at 07:10.  There are onward connections to Salzburg at 07:25 and 09:30, both with cheap fares available which are only valid on whichever specific train you choose.  Online systems and the European Rail Timetable suggest the 07:25.  But is this a safe connection?  No, it isn't.  Even this excellent sleeper train can arrive 20, 40 or 60 minutes late, and it pays to be on the safe side.  In this case I'd recommend booking the 09:30 and having a leisurely breakfast in Munich.

Through ticket or separate tickets?

Recommended connection times when changing stations in paris, travel tips, what happens if you miss a connection, if things go wrong ..., here's what you should know.

With a through ticket the international conditions of carriage (CIV) give you a cast-iron legal entitlement to travel on by later trains if a delay means a missed connection, so tight connections aren't necessarily a problem.

However, through tickets no longer exist for many journeys and you'll often be given separate tickets for each train.  Unfortunately, CIV protection only applies to connections within each ticket, not between tickets.

The good news is that rail staff will usually help you out if there's a delay, as connections between separate tickets and different operators are often covered by the Agreement for Journey Continuation (AJC) or RailTeam/HOTNAT , which I explain below.

If you miss a connection

If you are on a delayed Eurostar and you realise you're going to miss your onward connection, Eurostar train managers carry a HOTNAT / CIV stamp and will endorse your ticket.  They may walk through the train helping people with connections, or may announce that they are available in a particular car.  Similarly, staff on other European trains can usually endorse or stamp your ticket if their train is delayed.

Tip:  If crossing Paris by metro, buy a metro ticket in the Eurostar cafe-bar car to save vital minutes, you might still make your connection.

It's good to be aware of your rights under the international conditions of carriage or CIV and its limitations, and of AJC & HOTNAT .

An example...   I was travelling from London to Bordeaux on a Eurostar running 40 minutes late.  It looked like I would miss my connection in Paris, and naturally my onward ticket was train-specific & non-changeable!  An announcement was made that the train manager was in the bar car to help passengers with connections.  He stamped my ticket and told me to go to the ticket office at Paris Montparnasse to get myself rebooked on a later train.  In the event, I bought a metro ticket from the Eurostar cafe-bar to save time at the metro station (important tip!), I walked to the front of the train as we approached Paris, I had allowed a little more than the recommended minimum 60 minutes to cross Paris in any case, and I made my connection!

If you miss a Eurostar due to a delayed train

If you miss a connection in brussels, your rights:   civ conditions of carriage.

Unfortunately, this CIV missed connection protection only applies within a single contract for carriage, in other words, within one ticket.

If you have a through ticket from A to C changing at B, your connection at B is protected if there's a delay.

But if you have a ticket from A to B and a separate ticket from B to C, your connection at B is not protected by the CIV as this is two separate contracts for carriage and CIV does not apply between contracts.  These days, many journeys have to be made using separate tickets.

For example, there are no through tickets between London and Germany, so if you book a journey from London to Berlin, even as one transaction on one website, you'll get a London-Brussels Eurostar ticket and a separate Brussels-Berlin DB (German Railways) ticket.  This is two separate contracts for carriage and CIV does not protect you for a missed connection in Brussels, between the two tickets.

The CIV were written when through tickets were the norm for almost all European journeys, these days many through journeys have to be made using multiple tickets.  Frankly, the CIV are no longer fit for purpose.  I have spoken at the EU Parliament in Brussels on the subject!

Railteam & HOTNAT

Agreement on journey continuation ( ajc ).

The signatories to the AJC are:

SNCF (French Railways), DB (German Railways), ÖBB (Austrian Railways), Trenitalia (Italian Railways), Renfe (Spanish Railways), SBB (Swiss Federal Railways), BLS (Bern-Lötschberg-Simplon Railway), CD (Czech Railways), SNCB (Belgian Railways), NS (Dutch Railways), CFL (Luxembourg Railways), DSB (Danish Railways), SJ (Swedish Railways), SZ (Slovenian Railways), ZSSK (Slovakian Railways). 

Eurostar signed up to the AJC in 2023, as did MAV (Hungarian Railways), PKP (Polish Railways), HZPP (Croatian Railways) & European Sleeper .

The AJC doesn't currently cover some open-access operators such as Italo, Westbahn, Regiojet, Leo Express.

To qualify for help under the AJC:

Both trains have to be run by signatories to the agreement.

You have to be making an international journey, not a domestic one.

You must have allowed reasonable period of time between trains, meaning at least the minimum applied by official journey planners.

You may need to get proof of the delay from the delayed operator, which they are obliged to give you.

Onward travel has to be on the same operator on the same route.  It is either the station staff or the train manager for the onward train you gives you permission, you should ask at the interchange station.

Remember that the AJC is a commercial agreement between operators, it's not a passenger right you can claim.  So politely remind staff about it if they don't seem to know about it.

A traveller's report

A traveller reports:   "I got to my local station and there were no trains going anywhere!  There had been an emergency that stopped all trains for half an hour or so in the early morning rush hour, just when I needed to get to London for the 8.30am Eurostar to Paris and TGV down to Toulon, with train-specific tickets all the way.  So what do you do?  I just went to the ticket office when I reached London - they had the emergency flagged up on their computer screens and just wrote me a docket/stamped and signed it and on I went.  At St Pancras, I did the same - went to the Eurostar ticket office and they stamped the unused tickets, issued new ones and off I went.   At Gare de Lyon, I went to the ticket office, showed them all the dockets, stamped, stapled and initialled tickets and again they just issued me a ticket for the next train."

Holidays & tours by train

Railbookers , railbookers.co.uk.

Railbookers can custom-make a holiday or short break by train to most European countries for you, with train travel & carefully-chosen hotels, for however long you like, leaving on any date you like.  If you tell them what you want, they'll advise you on the best trains, routes & hotels and sort it all out for you.  They look after their customers well and get a lot of repeat business, so I've no hesitation in recommending them.

Byway, byway.travel

Byway ( Byway.travel ) is a UK-based eco-holiday firm with a 5-star TrustPilot rating .  If you're nervous about booking train travel yourself, they'll book European trips for you as a package including hotels, starting from any British station.  Byway includes package protection, a 100% Covid refund guarantee, free disruption & re-planning and on-demand WhatsApp support while you're away.

To see pre-configured packages from the UK to various destinations, use the journey planner on their website .

Tip:   First book a one-way outward journey to your destination city on your outward date.  Then change the direction of the arrow and book an inward journey on your return date.  The journey back to the UK can be from a different location if you like, for example if you plan to travel around a bit before your return to the UK.

Alternatively they can build a trip to your requirements, email them or use the contact form .  Please say you heard about them from Seat 61.

General country guidebooks

People sometimes think a guidebook is an unnecessary expense, but it's a tiny fraction of what you're spending on your whole trip.  You will see and understand so much more if you have a decent guidebook.  For the independent traveller, I think the best ones out there are either the Lonely Planet or the Rough Guide.  Both guidebooks are excellent, and you won't regret buying one!

Click the images to buy at Amazon.co.uk or buy in the USA at Amazon.com

H otels in europe, backpacker hostels.

www.hostelworld.com :  If you're on a tight budget, don't forget about the backpacker hostels.  Hostelworld offers online booking of dorm beds or ultra-cheap private rooms in backpacker hostels in most European cities at rock-bottom prices.

Car hire comparison:  www.carrentals.co.uk

The award-winning website www.carrentals.co.uk compares many different car hire companies including Holiday Autos.  That means not only a useful price comparison, but a wider choice of hire and drop off location.

Travel insurance & other tips

Always take out travel insurance.

You should take out travel insurance with at least £1m or preferably £5m medical cover from a reliable insurer.  It should cover trip cancellation and loss of cash & belongings up to a reasonable limit.  These days, check you're covered for covid-19-related issues, and use an insurer whose cover isn't invalidated by well-meant but excessive Foreign Office travel advice against non-essential travel. An annual policy is usually cheapest even for just 2 or 3 trips a year, I have an annual policy with Staysure.co.uk myself.  Don't expect travel insurance to bail you out of every missed connection, see the advice on missed connections here .  Here are some suggested insurers, I get a little commission if you buy through these links, feedback always welcome.

Get an eSIM with mobile data package

Don't rely on WiFi, download an eSIM with a European mobile data package and stay connected.  Most newer mobile phones can download a virtual SIM including iPhone 11 & later, see device compatibility list .  There's no need to buy a physical SIM card!  Maya.net is a reliable eSIM data retailer with a 4.5 out of 5 Trustpilot rating and a range of packages including unlimited data .

Get a Curve card for foreign travel

Most banks give you a poor exchange rate then add a foreign transaction fee on top.  A Curve MasterCard means no foreign transaction fees and gives you the mid-market exchange rate, at least up to a certain limit, £500 per month as I write this.  The money you spend on your Curve card goes straight onto one of your existing debit or credit cards.  And you can get a Curve card for free.

How it works:   1. Download the Curve app for iPhone or Android .  2. Enter your details & they'll send you a Curve MasterCard - they send to the UK and most European addresses.  3. Link your existing credit & debit cards to the app, you can link up to two cards with the free version of Curve, I link my normal debit card and my normal credit card.  4. Now use the Curve MasterCard to buy things online or in person or take cash from ATMs, exactly like a normal MasterCard. Curve does the currency conversion and puts the balance in your own currency onto whichever debit or credit card is currently selected in the Curve app.  You can even change your mind about which card it goes onto, within 14 days of the transaction.

I have a Curve Blue card myself, it means I can buy a coffee on a foreign station on a card without being stung by fees and lousy exchange rates, just by tapping the Curve card on their card reader.  The money goes through Curve to my normal debit card and is taken directly from my account (in fact I have the Curve card set up as payment card on Apple Pay on my iPhone, so can double-click my phone, let it do Face ID then tap the reader with the phone - even easier than getting a card out).  I get a little commission if you sign up to Curve, but I recommend it here because I think it's great.  See details, download the app and get a Curve card , they'll give you £5 cashback through that link.

Get a VPN for safe browsing.  Why you need a VPN

When travelling you may use free public WiFi which is often insecure.  A VPN encrypts your connection so it's always secure, even on unsecured WiFi.  It also means you can select the geographic location of the IP address you browse with, to get around geoblocking which a surprising number of websites apply.  See VPNs & why you need one explained .  ExpressVPN is a best buy with a 4.7 out of 5 Trustpilot ranking which I use myself - I've signed up as an ExpressVPN affiliate, and if you go with expressvpn.com using this link you should see a special deal, 3 months free with an annual subscription.  I also get some commission to help support this site.

Carry an Anker powerbank

Tickets, reservations, hotel bookings and Interrail or Eurail passes are often now held on your mobile phone.  You daren't let it run out of power, and you can't always rely on the phone's internal battery or on being near a power outlet.  I always carry an Anker powerbank which can recharge my phone several times over.  Buy from Amazon.co.uk or Buy from Amazon.com .

Touring cities?  Use hill walking shoes!

One of the best things I've done is swap my normal shoes for hill-walking shoes, in my case from Scarpa.  They're intended for hiking across the Pennines not wandering around Florence, but the support and cushioning for hiking works equally well when you're on your feet all day exploring foreign cities.  My feet used to give out first and limit my day, now the rest of me gives up before they do!

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Traveling with car trains – overview of routes and providers

Once the favorite routes have been grazed in front of your own front door, motorcyclists are drawn into the distance. But the way to the dream destination is sometimes difficult.

Going to bed in the evening and waking up at your destination in the morning, that’s it! That’s exactly what car trains promise. Although Deutsche Bahn will cease operating its car trains in 2016, some routes will continue to be served by private companies. In addition to the Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB), the Holiday Express car travel trains (UEX) and the BTE AutoReiseZug travel to German train stations.

Overview of routes and providers

Car trains run between the Czech Republic and Slovakia as well as within Greece. The Optima Express even commutes on the more than 1,300-kilometer route between Villach in Austria and Edirne in Turkey. All of them, without exception, also transport motorcycles, sometimes at prices starting at EUR 29. That sounds very tempting given the savings in gas, tire wear, tolls and slack.

Motorail train Slovakia

The optional extras that can be booked in the car trains are also tempting. The Urlaubs-Express offers on-board breakfast from as little as 8.90 euros. The motorcycle transport costs 199 euros, the single ticket 109 euros. ÖBB gives its customers more say by allowing the level of travel comfort to be staggered to suit every budget. Of course, you have to replace a seat, but a surcharge of 40 euros for a couchette car or even 70 euros for a sleeping car can add a touch of luxury to your arrival.

The ÖBB allows you to take a motorbike with you in addition to the normal tickets from EUR 29.90. The motorbike is transported from Hamburg to Lörrach by BTE AutoReiseZug for EUR 169.00. There is an additional 200 euros per person. That saves a good 800 kilometers on your own, which is certainly worth considering given the current petrol prices.

UEX – Holiday Express

Optima express.

Text: Thomas Kryschan, photos: Alessandro Lai, kenshi991 & Karl Allen Lugmayer – stock.adobe.com, M&R archive

#Germany #Greece #Italy #Croatia #Austria #Slovakia #transport #Czech Republic

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Book your summer vacation now

Book early and save money, our booking portal for the 2024/2025 winter season has now been activated for you, your winter holiday at uex early booking prices.

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With the UEX car train to Carinthia and Tyrol – our top travel destinations this summer

A holiday in Carinthia and Tyrol promises unforgettable experiences. In Carinthia, you can enjoy the idyllic lakes, such as Lake Faak, and explore the surrounding mountains. Tyrol offers spectacular Alpine panoramas and numerous outdoor activities, from hiking to rafting and much more. Both regions are characterised by their natural beauty and rich culture, ideal for a relaxing and varied break from everyday life. We will take you to Austria overnight on our motorail trains from Hamburg and Düsseldorf . The next morning you will arrive in Villach or Innsbruck rested and ready to start your well-deserved holiday. Book your summer holiday 2024 here . We are looking forward to meeting you! Photos: Bopp, Henry Czauderna, Andreas P – stock.adobe.com

Plan your summer holiday with the Urlaubs-Express now – many UEX trains are already fully booked

We are delighted that our motorail trains are once again very popular with our passengers this summer. The connections from Hamburg to Innsbruck and Lörrach are very well booked, especially in June and July – some are even fully booked. If your desired trains from the Hanseatic city are already fully booked, please check our booking portal for connections from Düsseldorf . Is your vehicle category no longer available? The car transporters have parking spaces with different maximum heights. You may be able to use a lower car or do without a roof box. In this way, it might still be possible to take a lift. Photos: Bopp, Jörg Kuenstle, Paha Balint

Our booking portal for the winter season has been activated – book quickly and save money!

You can already look forward to your winter holiday in the most beautiful ski regions in Germany and Austria. The earlier you book, the cheaper we can get you to your vacation destination. In our winter calendar 2024/2025 you will find all travel dates. We wish you lots of snow, sun and a wonderful skiing holiday! Photos: gustavofrazao, Jag_cz – stock.adobe.com, Bopp

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Trainspotter – Here the UEX picture gallery

Trainspotters are a remarkable bunch. They stand for hours next to the tracks and wait with their camera for the most beautiful trains and locomotives. We from the Urlaubs-Express have become really fond of our companions at the edge of the railroad lines. Here in our Trainspotter photo gallery we show the most beautiful UEX shots. Photos gladly to [email protected]

Summer and winter photos and videos

Photos and videos of the Holiday Express: The motorail train as an environmentally friendly means of transport is not only becoming increasingly popular with our guests, but is also attracting the interest of the media. We welcomed many journalists and camera teams on our trains. Here you will find many summer and winter photos as well as the reports from WDR and VOX. (more …) .

Summer season/winter season – Everything at a glance

Dear guests of the Urlaubs-Express, here you will find everything you need to know about the UEX summer and winter season with just one click: Our Summer calendar/winter calendar, all timetables and of course the booking button. We look forward to meeting you and welcoming you on our trains! We wish you lots of fun on your well-deserved holiday! (more ...) .

Would you like to be regularly informed about new UEX offers? By subscribing to our newsletter, you will always be up to date. As a newsletter subscriber, we will inform you exclusively one week in advance of the date when our booking portal will open for the coming season. This allows you to plan your trip in peace and quiet and get the early bird prices as soon as you start booking. Click here to register

ADAC members save on UEX booking

ADAC members can save € 10.00 per route and vehicle booking with the Urlaubs-Express. Have your ADAC membership number ready during the booking process. Please enter your ADAC membership number in the “ADAC no.” field and carry your ADAC membership card with you when you start your journey.

Jobs at UEX: Welcome to the train team!

Do you enjoy customer service, gastronomy and travelling? Are you ready for night and weekend work? Do you fancy a varied job in a young company in the railway industry? If you say yes three times, you’ve come to the right place!

After check-in: This is how the car transport works

Our crew will greet you at the loading termina l with a “Welcome! At check-in you will receive detailed information about the rest of your trip. Loading takes place from about 120 minutes before the departure of the Urlaubs-Express.

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Travel Europe on a Budget

The Savvy Backpacker

City Guides .\33 a132798-3f3b-4585-954d-7e70cf863447{fill:#231f20}

Cheapest way to travel europe — comparing train, plane, and car travel.

What is the cheapest way to travel Europe — train, plane or car? This guide will help you choose the best transportation for your travel style.

Transportation

There are multiple methods for traveling around Europe but what is the cheapest option? To help you plan your trip, we’ve compared three of the most popular options — train, automobile, and plane.

We’ve created a sample itinerary that includes some of the most popular European destinations. We’ve also tried to include the hidden costs like gas, tolls, and airport transfers.

Quick Notes About Transportation Options in Europe

Time vs money.

Many budget travelers get caught up on choosing the absolute cheapest transportation option, but you have to remember that your time is also valuable. It may make more sense to spend an extra €30 on a plane ticket if it saves you 10 hours of travel time compared to using the train.

Train Travel in Europe

Europe’s train network is extensive and nearly every town and city is connected by rail. If your train journey is less than six to eight hours, then the train is normally the best choice. There are also many overnight long-distance routes, which can be a good option since you sleep on the train.

Flying in Europe

There are multiple budget airlines in Europe, so it’s pretty easy to find cheap airfare between destinations. If the train journey is going to take more than eight hours, I recommend looking into flying. Flying is often the cheapest option for medium- to long-distance travel. But don’t forget to add in the extra cost and travel time of getting to the airport. This can add an extra 8€-25€ and 2+ hours to the journey.

Driving in Europe

Pricing car travel can be a bit tricky since there are so many variables (and hidden fees). The biggest problem arises if you drop your rental car in a different country from where you picked it up. Car rental companies often charge anywhere from 100€-300€ for this ‘convenience.’ This poses a big problem if you want to make a lot of point-to-point trips to different countries since you will have to pay this large fee each time you drop the car off.

If you’re doing a grand European tour, it might make the most financial sense to rent a single car for your entire trip so you only get charged a single fee for dropping it off in another country (or you can have your trip end in the same country you rented the car in). But keep in mind that parking in European cities is not only difficult, but it can get very expensive. I know in Paris a spot in a garage can easily run 20€-30€ per 24 hours, but you can often save a lot of money by parking just outside the city.

A car is a great option if you want to explore small towns and the European countryside. For example, when we visited the Normandy region of France, we discovered that the only way to visit was via car. Any other option simply wasn’t possible.

Sample Itinerary Comparing Train, Plane, and Car Travel Costs

The sample itinerary below starts in Paris and goes through Brussels, Bruges, Amsterdam, Berlin, Prague, Munich, Interlaken, Lyon, and finally ends in Madrid. I started this itinerary on May 29th, 2013 and it ends July 8th, 2013. I found these prices online on May 1st, 2013, so these are typical prices if you booked between 3-13 weeks before the travel dates.

How I found the prices:

Train: For the train, I used each country’s individual rail site to get the price. For more information about train travel, see our guide to  using trains in Europe .

Plane: I found airfare through Skyscanner.com. For more information about finding the best airfare, check out our guide to  air travel in Europe .

Car: The car pricing was a bit more complicated. Doing point-to-point car rentals for the entire trip will be very expensive since you’ll get charged an extra 100€-300€ each time you drop your car off in a different country. If you were to rent a car from May 29th to July 8th (as per my example below, starting in Paris and ending in Madrid) it would cost about 1100€ —   This price does not include gas, tolls, or parking . I included the estimated price for gasoline and tolls for each leg of the journey in the example below. I used  ViaMichelin.com  to find these costs.

Note : Transportation costs do change based on how early and what time of year you book. Train and plane prices also fluctuate based on their departure time. For example, desirable departure times are often more expensive than the early 6am departures.

The Travel Itinerary

I chose a handful of the popular travel destinations to help make this travel price guide.

Paris to Brussels – May 29

Train = 39€ – 99€ 1h22 Plane = 100€ 55min Car  = 50€ in fuel and tolls 3h32

Brussels to Bruges June 2

Plane = No feasible routes Train = 18.80€ 1hr Car = 13€ 1h30

Bruges > Amsterdam June 6

Train = 44€ 4h Plane = 180€ 5hr Car = 37€ 3h24

Amsterdam > Berlin June 12

Train = 49€ – 73€ 6hr-7hr Plane = 55€ 1h30 Car = 77€ 7h22

Berlin > Prague June 18

Train = 30€ 4h45 Plane =  140€ 3h10 Car =  54.22 € 4h19

Prague > Munich June 24

Train = 20€ 6h Plane = 175€ 3h30 Car =  57.16 € 4h29

Munich > Interlaken June 29

Train = 40€-70€ 7hr Plane = 262€+plane ticket  5hr45 Car =  88.28 € 5h16

Interlaken > Lyon July 3

Train = €83-€93 5hr Plane = €1000+ not worth it Car = €86  Toll €15.60 | Petrol €41.19 | Road tax €29.12 4h02

Lyon > Madrid July 8

Train = €150-€200 10h-18h Plane = €105 2h Car =  €223.18 Toll €85.60 | Petrol €138 12h33

Conclusion — What is the cheapest transportation option?

It depends… I know, that is a terrible answer. But it’s true.

Generally, if you’re only visiting major cities, a combination of trains for the short distances and planes for long distance will probably be the cheapest option. If you were to choose the cheapest option between the train and flying for each route, the price would come out to around 460€-475€  per traveler (I added a little extra to cover the transport fees to/from the airport).

Driving starts becoming more affordable when you’re traveling with more than two people. For example, if you were to rent a car and keep it for the entire trip, it would cost about 1,100€ for the rental and 700€ for gas and tolls. This is a total of 1800€. If you have four travelers, then the per-person cost is about 450€. (This doesn’t include parking, which can be costly.)

But the trip above is a pretty long journey. What if you want to just travel around France for two weeks? A rental car will cost about 300€ for two weeks — add about 200€ for gas and tolls. If you have four people, then the cost per person is about 125€. A normal one-way ticket between major cities in France will run about 50€-90€, so a car will be a cheaper option if you visit more than a few places.

Plus, a car will give you the freedom to visit small towns and explore the countryside — which is very difficult, if not impossible, when using trains or planes. I recommend getting out of the cities — even if it is just for a day or two. If you do rent a car, make sure it is big enough to carry your group. I’d just check out the make/model that rental car is offering on  wikipedia to make sure everyone will be comfortable.

My Recommendation

Use whatever method works best for your travel style. There is no easy answer, and you just need to put the time into researching the cost of each option.

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• hidden europe 31
• Southbound: Europe's car trains

by Nicky Gardner

DB Autozug car train (photo © hidden europe).

• The Magazine

In the early days of train travel, landed gentry and the well-to-do made arrangements with local rail companies to convey their horses and carriages on board the trains. Europe's car trains are the modern day incarnation of the same arrangement, a chance to take the car along when heading off on a long train journey. We take a look at some of Europe's car trains, including Europe's premier car train network operated by DB Autozug.

T here are surely many reasons to go to Hildesheim, a mid-sized town on the edge of the hills in northern Germany. Hildesheim has a remarkable marketplace which, though left in ruins at the end of the war in 1945, has been carefully restored and now ranks as one of the finest city squares in a part of Europe that has superb squares aplenty. Others travel to Hildesheim to see the city’s distinctive Romanesque cathedral which is inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Our goal was rather different. We skirted the Old Town centre, crept through back streets and past railway sidings. We saw an abandoned multistorey car park, hung a right then a left, passed the sex shop and eventually reached the rainbow railscan coloured sign that announced ‘the cruising zone’ (in English). Some things leave so little to the imagination that they just do not need to be translated. There in the middle of the road stood some two dozen guys in leathers.

Such moments demand audacity. So we parked the car, strolled casually across the road and tried to look really cool mingling with the men in leathers, who were far more interested in their Harleys or their BMWs than ever they were in two women travel writers who had somehow turned up the cruising zone on a wet Friday afternoon.

We never did get to see that perfectly restored market square nor the Romanesque cathedral. But that’s the beauty of taking your car on a train. Car trains depart from (and often arrive at) the parts of cities that the tourist boards and PR agencies would rather you never knew about. The very helpful people at DB Autozug had sent us a map highlighting where in Hildesheim we might join the car train to Avignon. It is not as if you just drive to the main station and look for Platform 4. Car trains depart from the nether regions, from the forgotten territories on the wrong side of the tracks, or — in the case of Hildesheim — from the railway siding beside the cruising zone.

Marking Time: New Train Services for 2020

The hidden europe award for ingenuity in creating new European rail travel opportunities is awarded to Austria's state rail operator, Österreichische Bundesbahnen (ÖBB). We look at what ÖBB will offer anew for 2020, and examine too what's new on the rails in Russia, Germany and elsewhere across Europe.

Making Tracks for Sweden

As winter slipped slowly into spring in 1917, Lenin passed through Berlin on his journey back to Russia from Switzerland. His onward route from Berlin took him by train to Sassnitz, then on by ferry to Trelleborg in Sweden. These days it's still possible to follow the route taken by Lenin, using the occasional direct trains from Berlin to Sweden.

At the water's edge: Germany's Wadden Sea

Within just a few centuries, the geography of the Frisian region has been reshaped by storms and tides. Paul Scraton is a regular writer for hidden europe; here he explores Germany’s Wadden Sea coastline. It’s a tale that shows the power of the sea.

A Comprehensive Guide to Train Travel in Europe

Train travel in Europe is the ultimate bucket list experience! Find out all you need to know about riding this continent’s extensive rails.

If you’re trying to explore any part of Europe without taking at least one train ride, good luck! It’s kind of part and parcel of the experience. Mastering train travel in Europe isn’t difficult. The rail system is vast, generally well-connected, and fairly easy to use, but there are a few tips you need to know before planning your itinerary. In this ultimate guide to European train travel, we’ll discuss why, when, and who should take the trains, which trains you should book, how to get tickets, the types of available train trips, and a few suggested routes. Get your pen and pad, or bookmark this blog—you’re going to want to keep these tips handy!

Exploring Europe With Let’s Roam

Train travel in Europe has never been easier than it is today. And with the vast rail system at your feet and Let’s Roam in your pocket, you can easily hop off the train, explore a city in an hour or two, and be back at the station in time for coffee before departure. Our app-guided scavenger hunts introduce you to Europe’s greatest cities at the touch of button. We’ve got bar crawls , sightseeing hunts , art walks , and ghost tours in cities all over the world. Just download the app, pick your city, purchase your tickets, and start exploring!

Train Travel in Europe

It should go without saying (but unfortunately does not) that Europe is a continent, not a country, and therefore, train travel across the region differs wildly depending on which nation we’re talking about. For instance, trains in Switzerland are pristinely clean, always on time, relatively quiet, and orderly. Trains in Southern Italy tend to be late, drastically overcrowded, loud, and… interesting.

Your train travel experience will also vary immensely depending on what type of train you’re booking. The intercity and commuter train experience is a totally different one than fastspeed, long-haul trains, for instance. Each train company also has differing standards and procedures. Bearing these facts in mind, we’ll be as specific as we can in this guide, but you’ll need to do some research on every train journey you book, making sure you look for a few specifics (which we’ll cover) so you know what you’re getting into. Here we go!

The Pros of Train Travel in Europe

1. savings on hotels.

One of the perks of train travel is that you can book your transitions overnight if they are long rides. Sleeper trains are generally less expensive than a European hotel room, and by traveling overnight, you don’t lose any of your precious sightseeing time! You can choose to go cheap and book a regular seat for your night train or pay extra for a sleeper cart with bunk beds. Bunk rooms usually have anywhere from 2 to 6 bunks and vary in price depending on the train company, length of journey, and level of privacy you choose. However, they are typically equivalent to a night in a nice hostel.

2. City Center Convenience

Unlike airports, central train stations are generally located in the middle of the city. If you’re on a tight schedule or are watching your budget, this is one of the primary perks of taking the train. While a flight may be faster and cheaper at first glance, sometimes the journey from the airport to the city center can take over an hour and can cost up to $80.

Some cities, like Athens, now have a city metro line that runs from the city center to the airport, which is cost and time-effective, but that isn’t always the case. When deciding between a flight and the train, always look at the cost and time that transferring from the airport to your hotel will add (both ways). Then, make the most efficient decision.

3. Easy Ticketing Process

Most train companies now offer online ticketing, and you can use an e-ticket from your mobile phone. Occasionally, you may need to stop in the ticket office before your departure and show them your QR code, and they will print you a paper ticket, but this is becoming less and less common. Many train routes have fixed prices (more on that later), so you can easily book your journey the day of without exorbitant rate hikes.

4. No Luggage Restrictions

Unlike buses and planes, trains generally do not have luggage restrictions or fees. If you’re willing to load and unload four suitcases and you can find space for them, you can take them. We still suggest that you travel light, as lugging a bunch of suitcases on and off trains isn’t exactly the epitome of fun.

5. Spontaneity

As noted above, most popular train routes in Europe have multiple options to choose from. Therefore, they are unlikely to sell out. Most long-distance trains do have variable prices, and they are cheaper to book ahead of time. Slower commuter trains between bigger cities have fixed rates, as they are used by locals, and you can typically book a ticket on the same day with no financial penalty.

This allows you to move freely between cities without being locked down to a particular schedule. There’s nothing worse than leaving a city you’re enjoying without seeing all you want to see. It’s even worse if the next city on your list is a disappointment. Having flexibility in your schedule allows you to spend more time in the places you love and move on from those you don’t care for as much.

6. Peaceful Journey (Mostly)

Trains offer a level of peace that the bus and plane do not. Long-distance trains through the European countryside offer a chance to enjoy the scenery, catch up on emails, write in your travel journal, listen to a podcast, etc. The ambiance of trains in Europe varies greatly by country and company, but in general, it’s a fairly peaceful journey.

7. No Security or Checks

There are no long lines to get on a train. There are no security or baggage scanners (except maybe a quick one to get in the station). You won’t be asked to take your shoes off or disrobe your jacket, jewelry, etc. The boarding process is swift and easy.

8. Increased Comfort

Train seats are usually larger and more comfortable than planes and buses. The walkways are wider. It’s easier to get up and walk around. The bathrooms are bigger, and there’s more storage for luggage. Sometimes, you even have your own table, charging station, and cup holders.

9. Seats With a View

Most European trains, especially sightseeing trains or long-haul tourist trains, have large windows for viewing the scenery. It’s a great way to experience the countryside and snap some photos as you roll along.

10. Eating How You Like

For the most part, you can bring any food or drink you want on the train. This does not apply to inner-city and metro rides—you shouldn’t eat or drink on those. But on longer trains, you’re more than welcome to bring a basket of food and a bottle of wine in most places.

11. A Plethora of Options

The European rail system is vast. If the train you wanted to take sells out, there is likely another option. If you want to add a stop in a city, you can easily do that, too. When you take the train, you can visit small towns that aren’t accessible when flying.

12. Youth Discounts

If you’re a student with a valid ID or a European citizen under the age of 26, you can qualify for reduced-priced tickets!

13. Pets Welcome

You may need to arrange it ahead of time and pay an extra fee (usually the price of a child’s ticket), but well-behaved pets are usually allowed on European trains.

14. No Extra Fees

Unlike the budget airlines that hop all over Europe, a train ticket is the price that’s stated. There’s no extra charge for choosing your seat, checking in at the station, or any other nonsense. The price is the price.

15. Reliable

Train travel in Europe comes with fewer delays than air travel. In most European countries, trains are on time and running efficiently. Some countries are far more efficient than others, but overall, the train system stays pretty consistent.

The Cons of Train Travel in Europe

The days of cheap train travel in Europe, especially Western Europe, are pretty much gone. While there are some good discounts, it’s rare for the train to cost much less than a flight. For long-distance, high-speed trains, it’s especially important to book your ticket early. This is the one case where you’ll want to book from home well in advance of your trip.

When considering the cost of a train ride versus a plane ticket, remember to figure in the cost of transit to and from the airport. Also, consider any luggage fees, booking fees, etc., that you’ll pay on the smaller European airlines.

2. Confusing Schedules

Train schedules can be quite confusing at first glance. Luckily, the major train companies all have apps now that simplify the process for visitors. Make sure you download the apps for whatever companies you’re traveling with. There are generally helpful workers in the ticket office or on the platforms who can help you find the right train. However, language barriers can be a problem, especially in smaller, more rural stations. Pay attention to signs, listen for announcements in English, and get there early so you have plenty of time to ensure you’re in the right place. There’s almost always a local or fellow traveler who can help reassure you. Don’t be afraid to ask! The train station is a great place to meet travel companions.

Switching Trains

Another confusing aspect about trains is that many of your routes will require you to change trains somewhere in the middle. That can really get hairy as you’ll need to pay attention during your journey and not miss your transition station.

Multiple Stations

The major European cities will have several train stations. Pay attention when booking your ticket, and ensure that you choose the correct station, both for your boarding and your departure. This is especially important if you’re taking a multi-train journey. Always double-check. The last thing you want to do is get off your train at your connection city and realize your next train leaves from a totally different station all the way across town.

3. Rail Strikes

Rail strikes are extremely common in Europe, especially France, Italy, and Greece. However, rail strikes are generally planned in advance and announced. If your train is going to be affected, you’ll receive a notification or email. You may have to go to the station or call a provided number to see if your specific train is affected, though. Pay attention when traveling in these countries, and have a backup plan in mind.

4. Decreased Accessibility

The nature of trains makes them more difficult for travelers with a physical disability. Many are not wheelchair accessible. Many have very large gaps and steep steps that you’ll need to maneuver. They can be crowded and have fast-paced boarding processes, which can be overwhelming or even physically impossible for disabled travelers.

5. Longer Travel Times

While the highspeed trains chug along at 140-170MPH, it’s nowhere close to the more than 500MPH you get when flying. When deciding between the two, you should consider the time it takes for security and check-in at the airport and weigh your choices. For instance, taking the regional train from Milan to Naples makes sense, as you can do it in 4.5 hours, probably less time than the whole flying process. However, the train from Paris to Budapest takes over 15 hours, while the flight is less than two. In the latter case, taking to the sky is much more time- and cost-efficient.

6. Location Limitations

While the European rail system is huge, it’s not consistent. If you’re traveling in Germany, no problem. However, if you’re taking a tour of Central Europe and the Balkans, you’re much more likely to take the bus than the train. While there are regional trains that connect big cities like Sofia, Bulgaria, and Bucharest, Romania, other popular routes have no train access.

Types of European Trains

We’ve hinted at a few of the common types of trains you may encounter on your travels through Europe, but now let’s dive into the details of what to expect with each category of choo-choo.

Overnight Train (Sleeper Trains)

Sleeper trains are not truly a separate category unto themselves. They are a type of car on a high-speed regional train. Sleeper trains are a great option for budget travelers who want to kill two birds with one stone. An overnight journey not only saves your precious sightseeing time, but it essentially gets you a free or reduced night’s accommodation.

To take advantage of this cost-saving, you’ll need to book early! Sleeper cars do sell out, and they don’t have a fixed price, so the longer you wait, the higher the price you’ll pay. Typically, you can pay per bed or book a private two-person bunk room.

Innercity Trains (Subway, Metro)

Inner city trains are one of the easiest ways to get around a big city. Most major European cities will have a variety of trains. For instance, London has the Underground (the Tube), the Overground, the DLR, both suburban and national rail services, and the London Tramlink. In most cities, you can use the same ticketing system or rail pass for all the commuter options within a certain zone of the city. Traveling further out or trips to the airport may cost extra. This varies by city, though, as some, like London, have a centralized transportation organization, and others are privatized and operated by separate companies.

Innercity trains usually have a kiosk in the subway station or at the rail hub. You can purchase a ticket up to seconds before the train arrives. There are generally no assigned seats, and they’re usually crowded. You will likely be standing often, and eating and drinking on the train is usually frowned upon. These trains move quickly, so get there on time, and be ready to load up fast. There are typically little to no luggage storage spaces. You may need to verify your ticket when boarding the train, and there will usually be a scanner in or around the entrance.

High-Speed Regional Trains

High-speed regional trains are the rails that you’ll use to get between major cities on your European vacation. You will typically book these tickets in advance, at least if you want the best price. You’ll usually have a seat reservation, as well. These usually have comfortable seating, Wi-Fi, and snack options.

Some high-speed trains do not have assigned seats, but you will be relegated to a certain class. Most of these trains have a 1st class option that gives you a bit more space and amenities. Pay attention to the number on the outside of your carriage, and make sure it corresponds to your ticket. Often, the carriages are numbered 1 or 2. If you have a regular ticket, get on a carriage labeled 2. At some point during the ride, an employee will come by to verify your ticket, so keep them handy. This could be ten minutes or ten hours into the journey.

Tourist Trains

Tourist trains are typically used for day trips to major attractions. This includes the Swiss Glacier Express and the Jacobite Steam Engine in Scotland. These trains are typically set up for viewing scenery, are round-trip, and are highly sought after. They are generally expensive compared to other public transit and tend to sell out.

Book these tickets in advance, and do some research about which side of the train you should sit on to get the best views.

Booking Your Tickets

When to book.

As discussed previously, when you book your ticket will depend highly on which type of train you’re taking. For most travelers coming from the United States, you’re going to be on a tight schedule, and you’ll likely have all your travel days set in stone before you leave home. If that is the case, as soon as you know the route you’d like to take, book your tickets. The earlier, the better.

If your schedule is more flexible, I suggest booking your longer regional tickets ahead of time. However, you can leave the smaller journeys unbooked. For instance, there are multiple trains from Florence to Pisa or Rome every day. The journey takes an hour or so, and you can play it by ear.

How to Book

Third-party booking.

For most travelers, booking online through a third party like Omio, Rail Europe, or Trainline is going to be the easiest for you. These companies work similarly to Kayak or Google Flights. They search a plethora of companies and give you the best prices and times available. They will also easily allow you to compare bus, train, and plane prices in most cases. These platforms are easier to use, as they are more organized and the schedules are presented in English.

Direct Company Booking

Once you find the train route you want, you can either book through the companies listed above, or you can redirect to the train company website and book with the train number you’ve found. Some websites are easier than others, and you may be able to save a few dollars by booking directly with the train company. Online is the best way to book regional and long-distance trains. Just follow the directions in your confirmation email. Some companies still require you to have a paper ticket printed at the train station before departure. Many companies still have stipulations in their email, but when you get to the station, they’ll tell you it’s not necessary, and you can use your e-ticket. But it’s better to ask than to get a nasty surprise at go-time!

With a Representative

Shorter trains can easily be booked at the train station via a kiosk or the ticket window. Don’t shirk this option, especially if you find a worker whom you can easily communicate with. Many of the smaller train companies don’t have websites, and they aren’t included in the searches done by Omio and others. By talking to an actual person, you can often score a much cheaper train ticket on a local train!

European Rail Passes

In this section, we’ll discuss the plethora of rail pass types and their pros and cons. In general, rail passes are meant to keep you from having to purchase multiple individual tickets. They usually come as a card that’s valid for a set number of days. They cover specific transit options in specific regions only. Depending on when and where you’re traveling, a pass may or may not be your best bet.

National and City Passes

Each nation or large city has a version of a rail pass. London has the Oyster Card. Paris has the Navigo that covers the city and surrounding region, and Deutschland has the German Rail Pass that covers transit within in country. The latter also covers the trip from Munich to Salzburg, Austria, and a few other international trips on the Deutsche Bahn to Venice, Innsbruck, and Brussels. The details of these passes are beyond the scope of this article, as each has very specific rules about which regions they cover, what forms of transit are included, etc. You will need to do some basic calculations to determine if a local pass is the right option for you (more on that in a minute).

Eurail Pass

The Eurail Pass (known as the Interrail Pass for Europeans) is a pass that covers both local and regional trains and high-speed international trains in 33 countries across Europe. Sounds great, right? Here’s the catch: The Eurail Pass is expensive, and it has strict limitations.

The most popular option is the 10-Day in 2-Month Pass, which sells for $351 PP. This option is valid for two months from the day you take your first trip. Within that two months, you have ten days of unlimited travel. If you take a ride of any kind, that counts as a day. Seat reservations on international and regional trains are not covered by the pass, so you must still go online and reserve your seat, which comes with an extra charge. Another con is that the Eurail system only sets aside a small number of train seats for pass holders, so they sell out fast. While Eurail can be useful, it is not always your best financial option.

Writer Note

I personally find that the Eurail Pass is rarely worth the price unless you’re booking all your train tickets 4-6 months in advance or more. If you’re not booking early, you’ll likely find that you paid a huge amount for a pass that has no tickets available for the routes you desire. I once paid $500 for my pass because I was taking the Eurostar from England to Paris, and it was worth it, as that particular ticket is very expensive. However, when I went to book my train five minutes later, there were no available Eurostar tickets for months. Unfortunately, there is no way to see if tickets are actually available before purchasing the pass.

Tourist City Passes

Another way to score a deal on European transit is with a tourist city pass. These passes are primarily used to get free entrance and discounts to tourist attractions. However, many of them include local public transit in the price. These passes are only worth their weight if you plan to see several attractions! For instance, the Rome City Pass comes in 1-, 2-, 3-, 4-, 5-, or 7-day options. It covers all tourist attractions in the city and public transit and offers discounts at restaurants and shopping facilities. It also allows you to skip those long ticket lines. If you plan to thoroughly explore a city, these passes are great options!

Determining if You Need a Pass

The best way to determine the value of a rail pass is to map out your major routes for the trip. Get on Omio to find the trains you want, and write down the prices. Then, compare your individual ticket prices to the price of the pass. Don’t forget that you may spend a few more dollars per day getting around the city itself on trams, buses, and metros, so add a few dollars for the days that you’re in a big city to your individual ticket total, then compare. Make sure you read the fine print on these passes. Most of them have stipulations, and sometimes, they are too restrictive to be useful.

Popular Train Lines

Here are a few train lines you may find useful!

• Most French public trains are operated by SNCF .
• In Italy, your primary options are Italo Treno, ItaliaRail, and Trenitalia.
• The Spanish train system is Renfe . It has beautiful and easy-to-use trains connecting most of Spain, including the new high-speed train from Madrid to Barcelona.
• The Deutsche Bahn is the German privatized national rail.
• There are as many train routes on the Nederlandse Spoorwegen in the Netherlands as there are bikes in Amsterdam.

Popular European Train Routes

Here are a few ten-day trips through Europe that are easy to organize and offer major bang for your buck!

1. Central Europe Capital Jaunt: Hungary to Slovenia

If you’re looking to get acquainted with the gems of Central Europe, you can’t beat this train journey from Budapest to Ljubljana, with stops in Bratislava and Vienna. You’ll cross the beautiful scenery of the Alps, visit epic castles and quaint wineries, and spend a few days in each capital city. Wander the architectural wonders of Budapest, and enjoy the luxurious Széchenyi Thermal Bath and quirky nightlife of the Ruin Bars. Tour the tiny capital of Slovakia and its historic Old Town. Explore the historic cafes and royal palaces of Vienna before ending your trip on the scenic route to Ljubljana. The pretty city lies on the Danube and is filled with charm. It’s also an easy day trip from lovely Bled, the country’s most stunning lakeside village.

2. Deep Dive Into Italy

If you want to limit your time on the train and dive into one country, we recommend a north-to-south trip through north-to-south Italy. Flying into Venice, you’ll enjoy the incredibly historic canals and grand bridges before moving on to Florence, the home of the famous Duomo and the most impressive collection of Renaissance art in the world (and the best steak and gelato on the planet). Take a day trip to Pisa to see the Field of Miracles, then head for a few days in Ancient Rome. Finish your trip with a train ride to Naples to explore the ruins of nearby Pompeii and Herculaneum, and take the ferry for a day on the Isle of Capri!

3. Czechia Republic and Germany

For this route, you’ll explore the funky Czech capital of Prague, enjoy the famous beer, explore some of the most beautiful architecture in Europe, and gorge yourself on roasted pork and dumplings. Then, move on to Nuremberg, reveling in the adorable Old Town Markets and cathedrals and visiting the iconic trail venue. Then, pop over to Munich; you’ll enjoy incredible beer gardens, stunning Old Town, fantastic markets, and easy day trips to Neuschwanstein Castle and the historic Dachau Concentration Camp.

A secondary option would be to turn north at Nuremberg and further explore Germany by visiting Frankfurt and Cologne.

Train Travel Tips for a Smooth Ride

To get the most out of your European rail adventure, you must do some proper planning. We’ve covered most of these tips already, but here’s a summation to make sure you get the best experience every time!

• Book your inter-city trains as early as possible. These have variable rates, and you’ll get the best seats and prices by booking well in advance.
• Use a third-party website like Omio or Rome2Rio to compare all your transit options. A train may be your best bet, but sometimes, a flight or a luxury bus is a better option!
• Read the fine print for any pass, and carefully calculate the cost of individual tickets before purchasing. Sometimes, they look amazing on the surface but don’t live up to the hype.
• For local transit, always stop by the station and talk to a person. They often know of better, more economical options than what you can find online.
• Always download the transit and train company apps. They offer notifications on strikes, have easy access to your tickets, and have more user-friendly train schedules. Aside from train companies, every major city has a transportation app. Google the options for your city, and get to know the apps before your trip!
• Get to the train station early so you can find your platform, print your ticket if necessary, and secure a good seat on the train.
• If you’re using mobile tickets, ensure that you have a way to keep your phone charged for the duration of the trip.

Pack Your Bags!

Hopefully, you found our ultimate guide to train travel in Europe helpful! Enjoying Europe by rail is a bucket list experience, so don’t stress too much. If you miss your train, there’s always another one close behind. Do your research, make your plan, and then sit back and enjoy the beauty of Europe from the rails!

For more epic train adventures, check out “ The Most Incredible Train Excursions in the World ” or “ How to Experience the World’s Best Luxury Train Rides .”

Frequently Asked Questions

While some stations have confusing train schedules, traveling Europe by train is easier than ever with handy third-party apps, increased English signage, and high-speed efficient trains.

The best train company depends on which nation you’re in, as each has its own national rails. Some travelers opt for the Eurail Pass , which covers 33 countries in Europe, including France and Ireland .

Traveling Europe by train is efficient and nostalgic. It’s not always the cheapest option, but there are no bag fees, it’s comfortable, and you get to enjoy stunning scenery along the way.

The cost of exploring Europe by train varies drastically depending on which cities you visit, when you book your tickets, and many other factors. However, a 10-day Eurail Pass sells for $351.

One of the best train trips in Europe is the adventure through Central Europe from Budapest to Ljubljana with stops in the Slovakian capital of Bratislava and the Austrian capital of Vienna .

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Why You Should Consider Train Travel in Europe

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Train system in Europe

Europe train map, booking train travel in europe, 3 ways to make your european train fare cheaper, smart money move: earn points on train travel, train travel in europe recapped.

If you’ve been dreaming about visiting Europe this summer and eating gelato in Italy or visiting the Basílica de la Sagrada Familia in Spain, good news: Airfare is down 8% compared to this time last year, according to Hopper’s 2024 Summer Travel Outlook.

And once you’re in Europe, you may be able to save money if you travel by train. Traveling by train in Europe is convenient and sustainable. Plus, some trains, like the Glacier Express in Switzerland, are designed to travel through scenic destinations so you can sightsee while you relax.

If you’re considering incorporating train travel into your European itinerary , here’s what you need to know about getting around and how to save money on tickets.

There are several train companies in Europe. Some only offer regional train service, while others offer trains between countries. As you plan your trip, familiarize yourself with the train companies that serve your intended destination so you can determine if traveling by train makes sense for you.

Here are some train companies that serve different countries in Europe:

Eurostar trains travel between the U.K., France, Belgium, Netherlands and Germany. (Although the U.K. is not in Europe, it's a popular destination on its own and often coupled with a European itinerary.) 

NS is the leading train company in the Netherlands. 

Renfe is the national train company in Spain. 

Deutsche Bahn (DB) offers long-distance and regional trains in Germany.

SNCF Connect offers high-speed train travel in France.

Trenitalia is the state-run train company in Italy.

Glacier Express offers scenic trains within Switzerland.

Some of these train companies have partnerships with each other to offer convenient connection options. For example, DB-SNCF is a joint venture between DB and SNCF that links travel between Germany and France.

If you Google search “Europe train map,” you’ll find many different maps based on regions, countries, or travel throughout the continent. Here’s a European train map offered by Trainline, which shows different destinations accessible by train.

The interactive map on Trainline’s website highlights popular routes across the country. If the country you’re looking for isn’t featured or you want to see regional trains instead, make your search more specific to check availability.

Buying train tickets in Europe is fairly straightforward. You can purchase your tickets through:

An online travel agency (OTA): Several OTAs that sell train tickets in Europe include Trainline, Rail Europe, Eurail and Omio.

The train company: If you know which train company serves your destinations, consider booking directly on the train company's website in case you need make any changes, since booking travel through an OTA adds an extra layer of complexity . 

At the train station: If you don’t know (or plan) your schedule in advance, you can purchase a ticket at the train station. Keep in mind purchasing at the train station is running a risk that the train time you want might be sold out, or more expensive, since it’s a last-minute purchase. 

Depending on when and where you buy your tickets, there are a few ways to save money on train travel within Europe.

1. Comparison shop

If the train company and an OTA offer tickets, compare prices to see where those seats are cheaper. We searched for a train from Paris to Amsterdam in August 2024 on the Eurostar site and on Trainline to see which option is cheaper.

Booking directly with Eurostar (price in U.S. dollars and euros)

Booking a Eurostar train on Trainline (price in U.S. dollars and euros)

If you pay in euros, tickets on Eurostar and Trainline are the same price (60 euros). But if you pay in U.S. dollars, the fare is slightly cheaper on Trainline ($68.30 versus $70). If you don’t have a credit card that waives foreign transaction fees, you’d want to book the ticket from Trainline in U.S. dollars.

Generally though, if you’re going to Europe — or really anywhere outside of the U.S. — consider using a credit card that waives foreign transaction fees , because these pesky fees are usually between 1% to 3% and can quickly add up.

2. Take advantage of discounts

There are often discounts available for students, seniors and families.

For example:

Spanish train operator Renfe, offers up to a 30% discount on tickets for those ages 14 to 25.

Eurail offers a family discount, a 10% senior discount and up to 25% off for travelers age 27 or below. 

Eurostar offers discounted rates for those under age 26 and 60 and up. 

Other discounts or sales may be available, so be sure to shop around. Booking early can also score you a deal. For comparison purposes, we searched for a ticket from Rome to Milan on Trenitalia one week and three months out. Most of the available tickets a week out were priced at $108, while the tickets three months in advance hovered around $48.

3. Consider travel insurance

According to NerdWallet’s annual summer travel survey , an impressive 84% of Americans plan on vacationing in 2024, with 45% of Americans going on a summer trip (June-August). Summer travelers plan to spend $3,594, on average, for their flights and hotel stays.

When considering an expensive vacation, travel insurance can be a good option, particularly if your trip plans are nonrefundable and you want overseas medical coverage. Even if you have a credit card that offers complimentary travel insurance , most U.S.-based medical plans don’t protect you for medical care abroad.

In addition to travel medical coverage, a comprehensive travel insurance plan includes benefits such as trip cancellation , trip interruption , baggage delay and lost luggage coverage . If you don’t need travel medical insurance, and the coverage provided by your travel credit card is sufficient, you may not need to purchase a standalone travel insurance policy.

» Learn more: How to find the best travel insurance

If you have a credit card that earns extra points for travel, using it to buy train tickets makes sense since trains are part of the travel category. Here are some popular cards that earn additional rewards for travel and don’t charge foreign transaction fees.

on Chase's website

• 2 points per $1 spent on travel, including train travel.

• 3 points per $1 spent on travel, including train travel.

• 2 miles per $1 on every purchase.

• 3 points per $1 on transit, including train travel.

Terms apply.

Earn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's over $900 when you redeem through Chase Travel℠.

Earn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $1,125 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Travel℠.

Enjoy a one-time bonus of 75,000 miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel.

Earn 40,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $3,000 on purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.

» Learn more: Best travel credit cards

Traveling around Europe by train can be a great way to explore one or several countries, all while avoiding the hassle of the airport or renting a car. There are many options for finding train tickets, but generally, purchasing tickets in advance and directly from the train company can save money.

How to maximize your rewards

You want a travel credit card that prioritizes what’s important to you. Here are some of the best travel credit cards of 2024 :

Flexibility, point transfers and a large bonus: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

No annual fee: Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card

Flat-rate travel rewards: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

Bonus travel rewards and high-end perks: Chase Sapphire Reserve®

Luxury perks: The Platinum Card® from American Express

Business travelers: Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

On a similar note...

What's better for traveling in Europe — train or rental car?

by Charlie Leocha | Aug 8, 2015 | Really good travel advice

Train or car in Europe? It is not an easy question to answer. Here is a Consumer Traveler classic discussing how to make that discussion. I spent much of my youth living in Europe as a military brat. One of the big bargains then was the Eurailpass. I clickity-clacked through Europe for months. In those days, there were few bargains as fancy-free, dramatic or romantic as the Eurailpass. It was once the cheapest mode of transportation short of lacing up your hiking boots or sticking out your thumb. Car rentals were rare and very expensive. These days, however, Eurailpasses cost far more and have restrictions galore. Today, for many travelers (especially those traveling as a family or couple), the best bargain may be a rental car. The truth is, there’s no “best way” to travel through Europe. Sometimes it’s better to rent a car, and sometimes it’s better to hop on the train. Here are 10 European travel situations, with advice on which way to go. Five reasons to take a train • Traveling alone. Rail is almost always the better deal for the solo traveler, especially if you can use a discounted train pass. In most cases, the cost of a rental car, tolls and gasoline will be about twice as much as the cost of the train. • Visiting only a few major cities. Train travel between the major cities of Europe is generally fast and easy, while getting into and out of the cities by car can be a chore. In town, stick with local transportation. Compare the cost of rail passes and regular train tickets carefully; the passes are not always the best deal if you are visiting only a handful of cities. • Visiting only one major city. Never rent a car if you intend to stay in one city. Parking is next to impossible and/or expensive in almost every European capital. Plus, driving through the old city centers is often tortuous and confusing. Besides, Europe’s urban mass transit systems are excellent. • Traveling through Switzerland. The deciding factor here is the difficulty of the driving on mountain roads, which takes concentration and sometimes real skill. Trains allow visitors to really enjoy the spectacular mountain scenery. Moreover, the Swiss train system is linked to the Postal Bus system, which reaches every nook and cranny of the country. • Traveling on the day of arrival. Many people think they can bull their way through the day after their overnight flight to Europe, but I can’t recommend it. Take a train from the airport to the first stop on your itinerary; you’re more likely to arrive safe and rested. If you want, rent a car a few days later. Five reasons to rent a car • Exploring small towns and the countryside. A car is the only way to reach many small towns, inns and castles, historical sites, natural attractions, roadside shrines and other interesting places not served by timely train transportation. And, except in Switzerland, a car is the only efficient way to wind one’s way through Europe’s mountains. • Traveling with family. Whenever three or more people travel together, a car becomes the most economical way to get around Europe. After arriving in a city, park the car and take public transportation. If the kids are determined to ride a train, take them on a short excursion. • Rambling. Timetables! What if you don’t want to leave Rome at 6:40 p.m.? Or arrive in Paris at 9:10 in the morning after a sleepless night on the train? What if you want to just ramble? Travelers who want to wander according to their whims really need to have a car, as do travelers who like to decide on their destination at the last minute. • Eating and drinking off the beaten path. Many of the top restaurants and vineyards of Europe are well off the rail lines; in fact, the Michelin Red Guides list hundreds of eateries and lodges that are not reachable by train. Vineyards and wineries are even more secluded, and many see no public transportation at all. • Escaping other tourists. Travelers with cars can literally steer clear of major tourist centers, and so have the opportunity to discover parts of Europe that are little visited by American tourists. Train or car? It depends. Not so much on your pocketbook (unless you are traveling alone or too young to rent a car in Europe) but on where you are going and how you like to travel. After traveling to Europe, searching for bargains and renting a car for almost two decades, I can heartily recommend AutoEurope. They are rental car consolidators, based right here in the United States (in Portland, Maine). They guarantee the lowest rental car prices. AutoEurope also provides renters with toll-free numbers that work from Europe in case of any problems and they stand behind their customers in case of any conflicts with rental car companies in Europe. Contact them by telephone at 1-800-223-5555 or on the Web at www.autoeurope.com . (AutoEurope can also help with virtually every train pass and city card available.)

Charlie Leocha is the President of Travelers United. He has been working in Washington, DC, for the past 14 years with Congress, the Department of Transportation, and industry stakeholders on travel issues. He was the first consumer representative to the Advisory Committee for Aviation Consumer Protections appointed by the Secretary of Transportation from 2012 through 2018.

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Comparing Costs of Rail Travel in Europe

One of the most frequently asked questions about European Rail Travel is "How much does it cost?" followed by "Should I buy a pass?" We kept track of our expenses on our summer of 2003 trip just to give you an idea of the cost of a trip done entirely by walking up to a ticket window and buying the day's train ticket. We'll compare it to what it might cost had we rented or leased a car for the same trip, and we'll tell you how a railpass would have worked had we bought one.

Europe by Rail

Two of us traveled in a round trip from Zurich through Italy, Austria, the Czech Republic, Germany, and back to Zurich. We bought tickets by walking up to the ticket counter at rail stations and purchasing them.

Each country maintains its own pricing structure. In general, Italy is relatively cheap for train travel, as is the Czech Republic. Germany and Switzerland are fairly expensive, so the total trip is pretty representative of what you'll find in Europe.

The table below outlines our trip. Costs have been translated into US dollars and rounded, even though all tickets were purchased in local currency.

Rail Travel - Leg of Journey Cost for 2 Zurich - Bellinzona Switzerland 70 Bellinzona to Padua, Italy 71 Padua to Venice, Italy 6 Venice to Villach, Austria 73 Villach to Vienna , Austria 58 Vienna to Brno, Czech Republic 41 Brno to Prague 30 Prague to Leipzig , Germany 70 Leipzig to Nuremberg, Germany 108 Nuremberg to Munich 21 Munich to St. Gallen , Switzerland 90 St. Gallen, Switzerland to Zurich Airport 35

TOTAL for 2 people - $673

Note: Be aware that you can't order tickets for local trains off the internet as far as we know. The prices you'll see listed on the Internet for Padua to Venice, for example, will cost considerably more than we paid because they're for the most expensive express train running on that line--another reason to do like the locals and just buy your tickets when you need them. For overnight trips and on international trains that require seat reservations, you will want to buy your ticket a day in advance if possible.

Leasing a Car

The cheapest rate for leasing a car (a small Peugeot) for 30 days listed by Auto Europe at the time of writing was $719--and you still have to pay for gas. Of course, if there's more than two of you this might turn out to be the budget option. You can see more in a car and can motor around the countryside, visiting smaller towns and country villages. But if you just want to see the major cities it's easier to forgo the car and related parking headaches and just hit the train stations. We try to vary our trips by the size of towns we want to visit--last year it was the major centers and we went by train, next year we'll take in smaller towns and villages and lease a car.

Eurail Pass

Rail passes can be a bargain. Back in the 70s, they were always a good deal. Today you have to plan your trip well to make use of the many types of European Rail passes available.

You'll find that on a trip like ours above, the prices for a rail pass for each person would exceed our example. That's because we've traveled relatively short distances each trip, visited countries where rail travel is relatively cheap, and used second class tickets rather than first class.

We hope this information is of use to you when choosing a method of traveling through Europe. Have fun traveling!

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Traveling through Europe: Should I Drive or Take a Train? 10 Reasons Why It is Better to Drive

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Home • Blog • Traveling through Europe: Should I Drive or Take a Train? 10 Reasons Why It is Better to Drive

When planning your travels through Europe, one of your most important considerations is transportation. Among the most popular options are taking a train, reserving a long-term car rental, or choosing a short-term lease . Read on to learn the advantages of driving yourself and see how to get the most out of your time spent in Europe.

1. Cost savings for multiple people

For families or groups of friends, the combined cost of train tickets can add up quickly. You can transport your group of five, or even eight , all over Europe for less than the cost of taking trains though several major cities. Travelers that choose to drive across Europe instead of take trains can also cover more ground for less.

2. You would likely need to arrange additional transportation from the train station to your final destination anyway

Unless you are staying within walking distance of the station, you will need to take a taxi or arrange for a driver to take you to your final destination after arriving to your stop. Taxi drivers picking up from places like train stains or transit centers are likely to charge more than a normal, already expensive fare. If you drive yourself in a car, you can pull up directly to your accommodation.

3. You get to see remote areas

When you take a train, you only have as many options as there are stops. By driving a car, you and your passengers will have the freedom to access areas that are more remote and off the beaten path. Especially if you are a more spontaneous traveler, the mobility of a car will allow you to take that unplanned detour or change your course if you so please.

4. You can access destinations that would otherwise need an expensive tour bus

Many famous landmarks that are only accessed by road will oftentimes see bus-loads of tourists and travelers. If you prefer to explore on your own, you can even save money by driving yourself to the attraction, and being on your own schedule once you are there. By doing some research, you could even find out the typical schedule when tour buses arrive and depart, and coordinate your visit to stagger their times leaving you to enjoy the attraction with less crowds.

5. You are not limited to the train’s schedule

Having the freedom to come and go as you wish has its perks. You can sleep in or take your time enjoying your breakfast without the worry of missing your train. If you are eager to get going and prefer to be ahead of schedule, you take off and be on your way. If you are unfamiliar with the stations, arriving early enough to ensure you make the train can also mean you spent a considerable amount of time waiting at the stop. Sometimes the train can be delayed, which could possibly disrupt travel plans especially if you were to miss a connection.

6. If you see something beautiful along the way you can stop and spend as much time as you like

One of the best things about riding a train is to look outside the window and admire the beautiful scenery. But what if you saw those gorgeous views and had the ability to stop and take it all in? With a car, you are able to really explore as you go and get to know each town or village you stop in.

7. You have a place to store your luggage when you need it

Though it comes with some risk, having your own private car means you can lock your suitcases and luggage away while you walk around a town or want to relax on the beach, without having to lug heavy bags around. Be sure to cover your belongings when leaving your car unattended, and don’t leave anything visible from the car’s windows.

8. You get to know the geography first hand and truly explore

Learning to navigate in an unfamiliar place develops a skill set that truly defines a traveler. Though all of our vehicle models have a GPS option, sometimes getting lost is part of the fun!

9. You don’t have to deal with crowds or noisy train passengers

Having your own car means you have privacy, and the ability to talk as you please or play music as loudly as you want. When riding a train without reserved seating, the rush to get on can leave you sitting somewhere that is less-than-ideal, or apart from the rest of your party. You are unable to control who you sit next to on a public train, meaning you could be stuck across from the overly affectionate couple, or the gentleman enjoying a foul-smelling snack. And hey, if you are the one enjoying foul-smelling snacks, then you could do so without judgement in the privacy of your own car!

10. If you enjoy driving, it’s a plus

If you are simply the type of traveler that loves to drive then the answer is clear! The adventurous feeling that only comes while driving through Europe is sure to leave you with memories that will last a lifetime. The thrill of driving a European-designed and European-made car in Europe is an unmatched experience, and we are here to help coordinate your short-term lease for the road trip of your dreams.

Click here to learn more about the options we offer and choose to pick-up your car at one of our 28 locations across Europe.

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What’s a worthy alternative to the Trans-Siberian railway?

Jul 3, 2023 • 3 min read

Turkey’s Dogu Express (or Eastern Express) crosses most of Anatolia, providing epic scenery over the 26-hour journey © Ozan Kose / AFP via Getty Images

Lonely Planet’s team of writers and editors answers your travel problems and provides tips and hacks to help you plan a hassle-free trip. Whenever we get a train-related query, we call on our in-house rail guru, Tom Hall.

Question: I had planned to take a Trans-Siberian train journey late in 2023, but I don’t anticipate that can happen now. Could you recommend some other epic European routes?

Tom Hall: Though Europe does have some very long trains, nothing compares to the cross-continental odyssey of traveling east from Moscow for a week or more. As you note, that’s not an option right now. However, there are plenty of other amazing routes to consider to keep you rolling for a long time.

Several thin fingers of railways connect up distant corners of the European continent. The longest by distance is the Snälltåget train from Malmö , Sweden to Innsbruck , Austria , which exists primarily to ferry Swedish skiers to the Alps then back again a week later. It covers the 1075-mile (1720km) route each week in about 22 hours, with stops at several key Austrian towns offering connections to ski resorts.

Given Sweden’s size and location, you’ll find two more long-distance heavyweights departing, in different directions, from Stockholm . The mighty daily service between Stockholm and Narvik in Norway – 137 miles inside the Arctic Circle – covers 916 miles (1467km) in 18 hours. At least one one and sometimes two sleeper services connect Stockholm with Berlin , taking between 15 and 17-and-a-half hours to cross southern Sweden, Denmark and northern Germany . 

The longest train in the UK is the outwardly unassuming Cross Country service connecting Aberdeen in Scotland to Penzance in Cornwall . The 13-hour trip covers a huge swathe of Britain , traversing almost 800 miles (1280km). It also needn’t be the end of the journey. From Penzance, the Scillonian ferry plies the waters over to the idyllic Isles of Scilly .

The spirit of the Trans-Siberian – and perhaps the experience you’re looking for – is a rolling adventure where you might share a very unusual journey (and train picnic!) with your fellow passengers as the landscape becomes ever-more unfamiliar. For that, consider heading to Turkey .

Starting in Istanbul – perhaps reached by a rail odyssey of your own from elsewhere in Europe ( Sofia, anyone ?) – Anatolia awaits. Istanbul’s Marmaray train speeds under the Bosphorus and on to Söğütlüçeşme station on the city’s Asian side, from where a high-speed train heads east to Ankara . Once in the Turkish capital, the Dogu Express (Doğu Ekspresi) takes 26 hours to wend its way 818 miles (1310km) to Kars in the north-east of the country, via superb Anatolian mountain and river scenery. There’s a version of this train aimed at tourists that makes several stops over a 30-hour journey – but the regular train is the classic experience.

Incidentally, the longest train I could find in Europe by duration is the irregularly scheduled and privately run train from Villach in Austria to Edirne in Turkey. Clocking in at 34 hours – perhaps more allowing for border controls – it is a car-carrying service aimed at Turkish expats traveling with their vehicles. This is one of the last remnants of what was once a much more extensive auto-train network in Europe, a fact you’d have plenty of time to appreciate as you and your car trundle across the continent’s southeastern corner.

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Traveling slowly and giving a reasonable time for a few select countries is a much more rewarding and memorable way of discovering Europe than hopping all over the place.

One of the biggest differences between Europeans generally and Americans is the approach to customer service. Your waiter will not tell you their name and come over every five minutes to "check if everything is ok." Waiters take your order, bring it to you, and leave you be until you're ready to leave. They won't bring you the cheque until you ask them to. It’s considered rude to rush people out of a restaurant by bringing them the cheque since in Europe a meal is more an event rather than just a "eat and move on" deal.

ChicagoAvidTraveller

In France, if you just talk to a local in English, people will ignore you. If you at least greet them in French, then they themselves start talking to you in English (realizing you are a tourist).

lastraniera

I can’t help noticing how well behaved even quite young children are in restaurants. They understand that they have to sit at the table patiently and eat with the grown-ups in what may appear to your children to be a fairly formal setting.

luvplayacar

Pack small! The buildings are old and the stairways are small and narrow and the elevators say they will fit eight, but, they will not fit eight U.S. citizens with large luggage.

European countries have amazing diversity and allow you to see totally different landscapes, cultures, and cuisines on the same continent.

Berlin is one of my favorite European destinations.

Barcelona is well known for its incredible cultural offerings from Gaudí’s impressive architecture to amazing works by the artist Picasso.

Rome is one of the world's most fascinating cities.

A unique Mediterranean Island full of history, great people, fantastic food and amazing places. Sea, mountains, active volcanoes... come and discover Sicily, it will go beyond your expectations.

London is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world for a reason. A cultural and historical hub.

Paris is magical! From its pretty and remarkable landscapes to its inspiring cafes, Paris has a unique combination of traditional architecture, rich history, pleasant parks and squares, original cuisine and special spirit of life.

This is such a fabulous restaurant and the food is exceptional. The cuisine draws on the traditional Sicilian but adds a modern twist.

Mike Weddle

This is our favorite restaurant in the world. An exquisite Parisian experience.

One of London’s best kept secrets for chilling out and lazing on a Sunday afternoon. A proper roast Sunday lunch with all the trimmings and apple crumble and custard to follow...I think I've gone to heaven!

What is the best way to get there?

International airports are located in all major cities in Europe.

Do I need a visa?

Travelers can obtain a single visa allowing access and free movement between all 26 countries of the Schengen zone. If you’re visiting from overseas, use  Schengen Visa info  to see if you need a visa.

For countries outside this zone, including the U.K., Ireland, and many countries in Eastern Europe, contact the respective country’s embassy to find out if you need a visa.

When is the best time to visit?

Any time: Europe is a year-round destination. Summer travelers flock to the beaches of Spain, Greece, and the south of France; while winter visitors hit the ski slopes in the Alps or tour Europe’s famous Christmas Markets. The summer months are often the busiest for city sightseeing—a spring or autumn visit means fewer crowds and often lower prices on flights and accommodation.

Festivals take place throughout the seasons in Europe, with top events including Munich’s Oktoberfest (Sept), Venice Carnival (Feb-Mar), Cannes Film Festival (May), Edinburgh Fringe Festival (Aug), and La Tomatina Festival in Valencia (Aug).

Low-cost airlines operate throughout Europe and flying is often the cheapest way to hop between cities.

There are high-speed trains linking cities all across Europe. The most cost-effective option is a Eurail or Interrail Pass, which offers unlimited train travel. Passes are available for individual countries or you can get a Global Pass valid in 33 countries. There’s also the Eurostar train between England and France.

Most countries operate their own nationwide bus companies. Eurolines and Flixbus operate low-cost long-distance bus services to 29 European countries.

Car and passenger ferries operate between the destinations along the English Channel, the Baltic Sea coast, and the Mediterranean coast.

ridesharing

Uber , BlaBlaCar , and Bolt are available in many European cities on your smartphone.

On the ground

What is the timezone.

Time zones range from Greenwich Mean Time in the United Kingdom to Central European Standard Time in France, Italy, and other central European countries; to Eastern European Standard Time in Finland, Romania, and other Eastern countries.

What are the voltage/plug types?

Most European countries use a standard voltage of 220–240 V and the standard frequency is 50Hz. The plug has two round pins. Exceptions include the UK and Ireland, which use a plug with three pins. For plug types, you can reference the international guide here.

What is the currency?

The Euro is used by 19 countries within the Eurozone. Other countries each have their own currencies. Although some non-Euro countries may accept the Euro, this practice is typically restricted to tourist areas, and you will need to use the local currency throughout Europe.

Are ATMs readily accessible?

Are credit cards widely accepted, how much do i tip.

Although tipping etiquette varies from country to country, in general, tipping is not obligatory in Europe. A tip for exceptional service is always appreciated, typically between 10-20%. Some restaurants, especially in major cities, may add a service charge, so it’s worth checking the bill.

Are there local customs I should know?

In almost all European countries, the federal legal age for buying and drinking alcohol is 18 years old. In some countries, the age for purchasing beer and wine is lower. An exception is Iceland, where the legal age for buying and drinking alcohol is 20 years old.

Public transport

Allow others to disembark before boarding, don’t take up more than one seat, and stand to offer seating to pregnant women or someone with a disability. In many cities, it is customary to stand to the right on escalators to allow others to pass.

Try to speak the language

The EU has 24 official languages and even more languages are spoken throughout the rest of Europe. Although you will often find someone who speaks English, especially in major cities and tourist areas, it is polite to enquire if the person speaks English instead of assuming. Where possible, try to learn a few words such as ‘Hello’ and ‘Thank you’ in the local language as a sign of respect.

Keep your VAT receipts

Most European countries add TVA or VAT (value-added tax) to the purchase of goods and services. This sales tax can often be refunded for international travelers, so hold onto your receipts and fill out the claims form at customs on departure.

Always greet people

A courteous, formal greeting in the local language is always appreciated—this includes shop attendants, wait staff, hotel staff, and drivers. However, Europeans, in general, are more reserved than some other cultures, so don’t expect strangers to smile at you in the street or strike up a conversation.

Don’t talk loudly in public

Although customs vary from country to country, in most European cultures, this is considered ugly and rude.

Europe Travel Guide

Last Updated: April 18, 2024

From beautiful Paris to smoke-filled coffeeshops in Amsterdam, Oktoberfest to La Tomatina, Europe is a massive, diverse continent with an unlimited assortment of things to see and do. You won’t have any problem filling your time, whether you’re backpacking Europe for a few months on a budget or just spending a few weeks there on a well-earned vacation.

The continent boasts wonderful beaches, historical architecture, amazing wine, and tons of world-class festivals. Every country is incredibly different from the next too, providing limitless variety in what you do during your trip.

I first backpacked Europe in 2006 and was hooked immediately. I’ve been visiting every year since, have run tours around the continent, and even wrote a book on traveling in Europe . It’s a destination I love and never get tired of exploring.

This guide will give you an overview of Europe and the tips and tricks you need to start planning your trip. I’ve also written extensive travel guides to each country on the continent (linked below in this post) so you can get more in-depth information for your specific itinerary too!

Table of Contents

• Things to See and Do
• Typical Costs
• Suggested Budget
• Money-Saving Tips
• Where to Stay
• How to Get Around
• How to Stay Safe
• Best Places to Book Your Trip
• Related Blogs on Europe

Click Here for Country Guides

Top 5 things to see and do in europe.

1. Tour the Greek Islands

These islands are the mecca of summer beach fun and each is unique in its own great way. There’s Ios (beach party central with archeological ruins and awesome boat tours); Kos (ancient ruins and nature); Crete (Bronze Age ruins of Knossos, hiking, beaches, and wine), Santorini (iconic blue water, white buildings, and local wineries); Mykonos , (the upscale party island with beautiful beaches, villages, and sunsets), Naxos (best island in the Cyclades). Plus, Milos, Corfu, Lemnos, Zakynthos, and so many more! With hundreds of islands in the country, you can always find what you are looking for!

2. Ride the rails

Europe is famous for its international rail system. Rail passes like the Eurail Pass have been around forever and still make it very easy to get from country to country on a relatively small budget (and with lots of flexibility). Europe has some of the fastest trains in the world that travel up to an incredible 217 mph (350 kph). The whole continent is connected by trains and there’s a growing push for even more connections and long-distance, high-speed trains in order to reduce flying and help combat climate change. There’s nothing more quintessential than riding the trains in Europe and I encourage you to take as many trains as possible. It’s one of the best ways to see the continent.

3. Get lost in Paris

The “City of Lights” is everything people say it is. I fell in love with it the first time I stepped foot in Paris . The city is just magical. You have a ton of museums, cafes, jazz clubs, famous art, and beautiful architecture. I love just strolling around the streets of the Quartier Latin (Latin Quarter) or Montmartre neighborhood as it makes for a breathtaking day. Another one of my favorite things to do here is just sit in the Jardin des Champs-Élysées park and picnic like the Parisians. For something a bit different, check out the famous Catacombs and Paris Sewer Museum. With so much to offer in the way of culture, history, and gastronomy, it would take years to see everything here but you can still get a good feel of the city in a few days.

4. Go city hopping

There are so many amazing cities in Europe that we’d need a top 100 to list them all. Here are some of my personal favorites and must-see cities: London is rich in history, culture, and the famous Big Ben clock; Edinburgh is a vibrant medieval city with cozy pubs and a famous castle with a huge New Year’s Eve Party; Amsterdam has cozy coffee shops and canopied tree-covered canals; Berlin has a wild party scene, street art, and the Berlin Wall; Barcelona has tapas, beach, and unique Gaudi architecture; coastal Lisbon has colorful tiles, old tramcars, cobblestone streets and plenty of fresh seafood; Prague has a beautiful intact Old Town, incredible architecture and eclectic bars; Tallinn Estonia has beautiful medieval buildings with colorful roofs. Florence  is a mecca for Italian Renaissance architecture, art history, and gelato; Stockholm mixes medieval architecture and modern art and design. Crisscross the continent, take in the culture, and enjoy all the historic cities!

5. Hit the Alps

Whether you go skiing in the winter or hiking in the summer, the Alps hold some of the most breathtaking views in all the world. You don’t even need to be an expert hiker because there are mountain trails for all levels and crystal-clear Alpine lakes. Check out the spectacular Eibsee trail loop in Bavaria at the foot of Die Zugspitze, Germany’s tallest mountain, for the clearest, multi-colored, sparkling lake you’ve ever seen. Or the Männlichen Kleine Scheidegg Panorama trail in Switzerland’s stunning green and snow-capped Alps. Or visit Italy’s Dolomites in South Tyrol for the scenic Seceda trail. The Alps have trails for every fitness level and in every season.

Other Things to See and Do in Europe

1. tour amsterdam.

I love Amsterdam so much that I lived here for a short period of time in 2006. Here cobblestone and brick streets weave around lovely canals as people ride their bikes to and fro. My favorite things to enjoy here are Amsterdam’s vibrant art and music scene and there are also a ton of interesting museums here like the Anne Frank House, FOAM, the history museum, and the hemp museum. Be sure you get out of the center into Jordaan and Oost with their wonderful outdoor cafes and fewer tourists. Also, a visit to Amsterdam wouldn’t be complete without a canal cruise to visit the many islands and there are many to choose from that include snacks and drinks, sunset cruises, live guided tours, and more.

2. Hang out in Barcelona

Barcelona is a city that goes 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. It truly could give NYC a run for the “city that never sleeps” title. Be prepared for late-night dinners and parties until dawn. Besides a great food and nightlife scene, there is a wonderful beach, tons of Gaudi architecture (including the fairytale-like Parc Güell, as well as the iconic Sagrada Familia , which has been under construction for over 100 years!), incredible food tours, one of the best history museums in the country, and lots of outdoor spaces. What I love about Barcelona is that when you’re ready to chill, you can wander around Parc de la Ciutadella and marvel at the majestic fountains, plant life, and buildings created from an ornate military fortress.

3. Visit Berlin

Hip and trendy Berlin is an energetic destination. It is one of Europe’s most affordable capital cities, with a vibrant music and art scene and a growing foodie movement. Be sure to spend some time learning about the city’s darker history via the many excellent museums, memorials, and landmarks. The East Side Gallery, a section of the Berlin Wall that’s now painted with murals, and the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe are two especially powerful reminders of Germany’s past. For all periods of German history, don’t miss the Deutsches Historisches Museum (German Historical Museum) – it’s one of the best history museums in the world. Once you’ve had your fill of history, relax in Berlin’s many green spaces, from Tempelhof Field, the site of a former airfield and popular local hangout spot, to Tiergarten, a tree-covered former hunting ground for 17th-century aristocrats.

4. Drink beer at Oktoberfest

Oktoberfest is a must for anyone going to Germany at the end of September. While not a budget option since beers now cost 15 € a maß, I love the energy and friendly camaraderie this event inspires. For two weeks, millions of people from all over the world gather for lots of beer, excitement, music, and wild fun. Watching thousands of people sing together, raising quart-sized beer mugs for endless toasts, and enjoying the general party atmosphere makes you feel good about the world. (Or maybe that’s just the beer?) Just be sure to book your accommodation well in advance and be prepared to pay top prices for them. If you don’t have an outfit, don’t worry, there are plenty of shops even at the main train station where you can buy a Bavarian dirndl dress and men’s lederhosen.

5. Experience London

Get a taste of English culture in diverse London . The museums here are some of the best in the world (most are free) and include the Tate, the British Museum, the City Museum, the National Gallery, the Historical Museum. There’s no shortage of iconic sights here as well, with Big Ben, the House of Parliament, the London Eye, the Tower of London, Tower Bridge, and of course, Buckingham Palace. I love London’s diversity because of the countless international eateries with great food and wonderful pub culture, perfect for after a long day seeing the sights. Head to Brick Lane on the weekends for some amazing food and craft markets. I prefer Paris to London, but there is something sophisticated and fun about London. Just watch those pints — London is not a cheap destination!

6. Get outdoors in Scandinavia

My favorite region in Europe is Scandinavia. The quality of life here is high, the people are beautiful and friendly, and the cities are clean and historic. Cycling the cities, taking canal tours, hiking the vast forested areas, archipelago hopping, enjoying fika (a Swedish coffee break), and warming up in saunas are just a few of the popular activities that await you here. True, this area of Europe is not cheap, but there are plenty of ways to reduce your expenses. Don’t let the high prices scare you away. Highlights for me include Copenhagen , Stockholm , Gotland, Norway’s fjords, and Lapland in Finland .

7. Get enchanted in Prague

Prague has an amazing history and is one of the most beautiful and picturesque cities I’ve ever seen. Highlights include the 9th-century Prague Castle, the magnificent Charles Bridge (built in the 14th century and one of the oldest standing bridges in the world), the 10th-century old square with its iconic astronomical clock, and the winding Jewish Quarter. Even if you only have a few days there don’t miss the free walking tour which is one of my favorites in Europe and the best way to learn about the Old Town and the tragic history of the city that went from thriving Bohemian capital of art, music, and literature to part of the Iron Curtain after WWII. Some of my favorite gems here include the fantastic black light theater shows in 4D and the one-of-a-kind medieval dinner show in an old tavern complete with musicians and jugglers not to mention hearty food and drinks. During the weekends it heaves with people enjoying the bars, cheap beer, and delicious food so try to visit during the week (and in the spring or fall) to beat the crowds.

8. Relax on the French Riviera

Here, you can pretend to live the high life for a little bit. Have fun in the sun, relax on the beach, swim in azure blue water, hobnob with the rich and famous, and sail on (or gaze at) gigantic yachts. As for cities, Nice is nice with its palm-tree-lined promenade, old town, and many art museums. If you want to go see how the rich and famous live, spend an afternoon checking out Cannes to soak up some glamorous vibes on La Croisette where they hold the famous Cannes Film Festival. The kingdom of Monaco with its tiny streets, beautiful buildings, and world-famous casino is just a skip away too.

9. Enjoy the great outdoors in Interlaken

Located in the beautiful mountains of Switzerland, Interlaken is a gorgeous place to unwind with fantastic hiking, delicious hot chocolate, and plenty of outdoor sports. The area is full of natural attractions to explore, including the St. Beatus Caves (complete with a legendary dragon), the cascading 500-meter-high (1,640 feet) Giessbach Waterfalls, the Jungfraujoch mountain railway (which leads to the highest train station on the continent), and a plethora of lakes (hence the town’s name). It’s a good alternative to all the cities and museums. Interlaken is also a popular party destination for backpackers and other young travelers. By far, my favorite scenic and visually stunning trail was the Oberberghorn panoramic hike, where you can wander the green mountain ridge ogling the amazing views and the turquoise-blue Brienzersee.

10. Experience history in Rome

In this thriving historical city, you can’t walk two feet without stumbling over a ruin, making Rome a history buff’s dream. Its tiny streets are perfect for wandering as you explore the Colosseum, see the Forum and Palatine Hill, visit the Pantheon, spend time in Vatican City, admire the Spanish Steps, and toss coins into the famous Trevi Fountain. The skip-the-line tickets can definitely be worth it so you don’t waste time waiting outside attractions. Rome also has amazing food (it’s Italy, after all) and nightlife. Visit the Trastevere area for a taste of “local” Rome and chill bars. It’s my favorite area in the city because you feel like you’re in a small village in the middle of a big city.

11. Hike around the Cinque Terre

Cinque Terre is my favorite part of Italy. These five beautiful cliffside towns are perched near warm waters and beautiful olive and grape groves. There are wondrous and strenuous hikes in these hills; for a real challenge, take trail #8. Or just walk the coastline for something less difficult. Many activities here revolve around the coastline: kayaking, swimming, having a beach picnic or visiting the Technical Naval Museum. If you happen to be here in December or January, don’t miss the Nativity Manarola, the world’s biggest lighted nativity scene.

12. Tour Krakow

Krakow looks like it stepped out of a medieval postcard. It’s a hip, trendy, and youthful city that’s the center of education in Poland, meaning there are a lot of university students here. Most travelers come to party here (the vodka is cheap) but try to enjoy the city’s history and food besides just the bars. Walk the Royal Road through the Old Town to the 13th-century Wawel Castle, tour Schindler’s Factory (where Schindler saved over 1,200 Jews during World War II), and visit the sobering Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp. You can also take a fascinating day trip to the UNESCO World Heritage Wieliczka Salt Mine, a 13th-century mine with cavernous chambers, statues, chapels, chandeliers, and cathedrals all carved out of salt.

13. Visit the ruin bars in Budapest

The coolest nightlife in all of Europe is found in Budapest . Built in abandoned buildings, ruin bars feature funky art installations, repurposed furniture, and quirky decor. They are amazing, fun, and great places to meet locals, as people of all ages flock here. Open since 2001, Szimpla Kert is the original ruin bar and one of my favorites, along with Instant-Fogas Complex, which takes up an entire building and is actually many different bars in one. Don’t skip the ruin bars — they’re one of the most unique things about the city!

14. Explore Cornwall

The best part of England is outside London, yet unfortunately, not a lot of travelers leave London. Head west to the area of Cornwall for cheaper prices, welcoming locals, natural beauty, great hiking, rolling hills, plenty of medieval castles, and picturesque small towns. If you like biking, the Camel Trail from Bodmin to Padstow is worth the trip and you even pass by a local vineyard. It’s an easy way to spend a day (and it’s pretty flat so it’s not too hard to do.) Plus, I had the best fish and chips in Cornwall! Overall, it’s what you think of as “traditional England.”

15. Walk the Camino

El Camino de Santiago (The Way of Saint James) is an ancient pilgrimage route that stretches from France all the way across northern Spain. It is a 500 mile (800 km) trail that winds through incredible terrain, ending in Santiago de Compostela at the cathedral where St. James is supposedly buried. As a pilgrim, you get a “pilgrim’s passport” which allows you to stay in affordable pilgrim-only hostels, making this a surprisingly budget-friendly adventure. While it usually takes over a month to complete, you can just walk a section if you don’t have the time. To receive a “Compostela” (certificate of completion), you just need to walk the last 62 miles (100 km), which generally takes 4-5 days.

16. Throw tomatoes during La Tomatina

By far my favorite festival, the largest food fight in the world happens during the last Wednesday of August in Bunol, Spain. What started in 1945 as a local brawl has turned into a massive event drawing tens of thousands of people from all over the world. For about an hour, everyone throws tomatoes at each other, leaving streets ankle-deep in tomato juice. Afterward, everyone walks down to the river, cleans off, and then heads to the town square for sangria and music.

17. Find Dracula in Romania

Not a lot of people visit Romania but this underrated country in Eastern Europe has undiscovered yet picturesque medieval towns like Brasov (home to “Dracula’s castle”), Sighisoara, and Sibiu; gorgeous beaches on the Black Sea; and incredible hiking in the Fagaras Mountains — all at dirt-cheap prices. Other major sights include frescoed Byzantine monasteries, the steepled wooden churches of Transylvania, the hip university town Cluj-Napoca, the post-communist capital of Bucharest, and the Danube Delta, a huge nature reserve.

18. Drink whisky in Islay

Whisky has a long history on Islay , an island off Scotland’s west coast. It’s been made there since the 16th-century — first in backyards and then, starting in the 19th-century, in large distilleries. Over the years, whisky from the island came to be considered a specialty and was used to flavor a lot of other blends on the mainland. There are currently nine working distilleries on the island, all located along the island’s shores, with Laphroaig, Ardbeg, and Lagavulin being the most famous. Most distilleries here make single-malt Scotch, meaning that only one type of grain (barley) is used. My visit here was amazing and, even if you don’t like whisky, there are tons of good hikes and walks throughout this magnificent island.

19. Explore Iceland

Iceland is a magical country with majestic waterfalls, hidden hot springs around every corner, and sweeping vistas unlike anywhere else in the world. After my first visit, the country quickly became one of my favorite countries. With whale watching in the summer, the northern lights in the winter, and geothermal baths for soaking in year-round, there really is no bad time to visit! While Iceland’s main draw is the epic natural landscapes, it’s worth spending a couple of days in Reykjavik with its café culture, artsy feel, and brightly colored wooden row houses.

20. Sail the Croatian coast

With calm winds, short distances, a coastline littered with over 1,000 islands, and countless historical sites, Croatia is one of the world’s best sailing destinations. If you can, go during the shoulder season when you can find some great deals. Plan to stay at least a couple of days on one of the islands, with the most popular being Brac, Hvar, Krk, Cres, and Lošinj. However, don’t be afraid to get off the beaten path and explore some of the lesser-known islands such as Silba, Vis, and Lastovo. If you want to splash out and spend a week partying on a yacht, check out The Yacht Week, which hosts week-long parties, complete with DJs, from May-September. You can book a full boat to share with friends or just a cabin if you’re traveling solo. Prices start at 5,250 HRK per person and go up to 9,300 HRK.

21. Explore the Balkans

While the Balkans have become more popular with backpackers in recent years, it’s still largely overlooked by most budget travelers, despite being an extremely budget-friendly region. The Balkan peninsula is home to great (and again, overlooked) wine, beautiful medieval towns like Kotor and Mostar, stunning mountainous landscapes, beautiful pebble beaches, coffee culture, fresh, hearty yet inexpensive food, and museums covering the area’s history, including the most recent turbulent events of the early 1990s. I especially loved my time in Albania . Don’t miss the beautiful beaches in Ksamil, nicknamed the “Maldives of Europe’ as well as the mountain village of Gjirokastër, which was occupied by Romans, Byzantines, and Ottomans. The Balkans have so much to offer for every budget and every country has its unique cultural flavor.

22. Take a wine tour in the Loire Valley

Located in central France, the picturesque Loire Valley is a UNESCO World Heritage site and stretches 280 kilometers (174 miles) along the Loire River. One of the major wine-producing regions of France, the area is home to some of the best wines in the world, with over 1,000 vineyards open to the public. Even those who don’t drink wine will enjoy the beautiful small towns, great food, and the region’s over 300 impressive chateaux. I loved the medieval Chenonceau Castle and Chateau Villandry and the small villages like Saint-Florent-le-Vieil. Spring and Autumn are my favorite times to visit because you can go biking and do outdoor activities when it’s not too hot and there are fewer people. It’s an area not to be missed.

23. See Fado in Portugal

Fado is an important musical tradition in Portugal , originating in Lisbon and stretching back some 200 years. The word “fado” likely stems from the Latin word for fate, and it’s very haunting, poetic, and emotional music. Most of the songs follow themes of loss and mourning, and the music was popular with the working class (especially sailors). Performances normally take place in restaurants during dinner. In Lisbon, head to Clube de Fado, Tasca do Chico, Parreirinha de Alfama, or Senhor Vinho.

24. Tour green Slovenia

Slovenia is one of Europe’s least-visited destinations, which is mind-blowing to me because it’s an amazing place to visit. Slovenia offers all the beauty of Western Europe but at a fraction of the cost and with a fraction of the crowds. Perfect for outdoor adventure lovers, Slovenia offers rugged mountains, untouched landscapes, fantastic ski resorts, plentiful wine, sprawling cave systems, incredible food, and postcard-perfect lakes, such as the famous Lake Bled with its castle on an island. I loved Piran, Slovenia’s often overlooked coastal Venetian-style harbor town that was actually founded 3000 years ago. Stroll around its beautiful windy cobble-stoned streets, beautiful plazas, and take advantage of the many affordable restaurants right on the water. Make sure to also spend a few days in the country’s capital, Ljubljana, known as one of the continent’s greenest and most livable cities. Take a river cruise to see the city and enjoy the friendliness of the locals.

  For more information on specific countries in Europe, check out the guides below:

• Albania Travel Guide
• Austria Travel Guide
• Belgium Travel Guide
• Belarus Travel Guide
• Bosnia & Herzegovina Travel Guide
• Bulgaria Travel Guide
• Czechia Travel Guide
• Croatia Travel Guide
• Denmark Travel Guide
• England Travel Guide
• Estonia Travel Guide
• Finland Travel Guide
• France Travel Guide
• Germany Travel Guide
• Greece Travel Guide
• Hungary Travel Guide
• Iceland Travel Guide
• Ireland Travel Guide
• Italy Travel Guide
• Latvia Travel Guide
• Lithuania Travel Guide
• Malta Travel Guide
• Moldova Travel Guide
• Montenegro Travel Guide
• Netherlands Travel Guide
• Norway Travel Guide
• Portugal Travel Guide
• Poland Travel Guide
• Romania Travel Guide
• Scotland Travel Guide
• Slovakia Travel Guide
• Slovenia Travel Guide
• Spain Travel Guide
• Sweden Travel Guide
• Switzerland Travel Guide
• Ukraine Travel Guide

Europe Travel Costs

Accommodation – Accommodation prices vary greatly by region. In Western Europe, hostel dorm rooms cost between 25-45 EUR per night, depending on the room’s size and the popularity of the hostel. I stayed in a 6-bed dorm in Berlin for 20 EUR, while the same one would have cost me around 45 EUR in Paris. A room in Paris costs on the higher end and a room in cheaper Athens costs on the lower end.

In Eastern Europe, hostel dorm rooms cost between 10-15 EUR per night depending on the size of the dorm room and the popularity of the hostel. The further east you go, the cheaper it gets. Expect to pay around 30-60 EUR per night for a private room that sleeps two.

In Scandinavia, hostel dorm beds cost around 25-45 EUR, while private rooms are 65-80 EUR. Budget hotels start around 85 EUR.

Most accommodations offer free linens, free Wi-Fi, and a lot offer free breakfast, but it’s important to check specific websites for exact amenities.

Campsites cost between 10-15 EUR per night for a basic plot for two without electricity.

Food – Food traditions in Europe run deep, stretching back centuries to become integral parts of each country’s culture. From baguettes in France to tapas in Spain, from hearty Eastern European stews and goulash to the fresh vegetables and olive oils of the Mediterranean, European cuisine varies as much as the countries themselves. Food prices differ greatly across the continent, so check individual country guides for specifics.

But no matter where you are, even in the more expensive countries, finding places to eat within your budget is easier than you might think. Throughout Western Europe, you can find small shops, street food stalls, or food trucks where you can get sandwiches, gyros, kebabs, slices of pizza, or sausages for between 3-7 EUR. These shops are most often found in train stations, bus stations, and main pedestrian areas, and offer cheap food alternatives that can have you eating on 12-17 EUR per day. Fast food (think McDonald’s) costs around 7-10 EUR for a combo meal.

Turkish, Middle Eastern, and Vietnamese eateries abound in Germany, while Indian food is incredible and everywhere in the United Kingdom. Meals at these restaurants usually cost between 8-12 EUR.

Restaurant meals in casual, traditional eateries generally cost around 13-25 EUR for a main dish and drink. Food is much cheaper in the east than in the west, and in the west, northern regions like Scandinavia and the UK are more expensive than southern countries like Spain, Portugal, and Italy.

In Eastern Europe, even if you are eating out for all your meals, you can still get by on a food budget of as little as 15 EUR per day.

For drinks, a pint of beer is 2-5 EUR, a glass of wine is 2-7 EUR, a cappuccino is 2-5 EUR, and cocktails range from 6-14 EUR.

If you eat out, do so at lunch and get the prix-fixe menu (two-course or three-course set menu). Restaurants offer this set menu during lunch, and with prices between 10-20 EUR, it’s a way better deal than the regular dinner menu. You can also get affordable lunches at outdoor markets. So many European cities have huge fresh food markets throughout town.

You can cook your own food for around 45-65 EUR per week. This gets you basic staples like rice, pasta, seasonal produce, bread, and some meat. You can save money by shopping at discount supermarkets like Profi, Lidl, Aldi, and Penny Market.

If you want to save big money on meals, head to one of the markets, pick up some cheese, wine, bread, meats, or anything else, and go to the park for a picnic. (Or grab a sandwich for later!) You’ll find the locals doing the same thing, and it’s one of the cheaper ways to get a true taste of local food.

Backpacking Europe Suggested Budgets

Prices for travel in Europe vary greatly depending on how far north, east, south, or west you travel. If you stick to the budget accommodations, food, and tours listed here and use all my tips on saving money, you need about 65-110 EUR per day in Western Europe, 40-50 EUR in Eastern Europe, and about 85-130 EUR in Scandinavia.

Those numbers reflect a traveler who stays in hostels, cooks some meals and eats out cheaply, enjoys a few drinks, and sticks to free and cheap activities like hiking, walking tours, and enjoying nature. This is your typical backpacker budget. You aren’t going to have a fancy time, but you aren’t going to want for anything either.

However, by getting tourist cards and rail passes, avoiding flights, occasionally Couchsurfing or camping, cooking all your meals, and not drinking, you can travel a lot cheaper. On this budget, you could do Western Europe on 35-45 EUR per day, Eastern Europe on 20-25 EUR, and Scandinavia on 50-65 EUR. That would require you to take a train or a bus or hitchhike everywhere, skip most museums, and limit how often you go out.

Generally, the suggested daily budget for Europe is 80-120 EUR. You can use the chart below to get an idea of how much you need to budget daily. Keep in mind these are daily averages – some days you’ll spend more, some days you’ll spend less (you might spend less every day). We just want to give you a general idea of how to make your budget. Prices are in EUR.

Europe Travel Guide: Money-Saving Tips

Individual country guides have more specific information on how to save money in them but here are some general tips on cutting your costs while you explore Europe:

• Picnic – This continent has a lot of little shops where you can buy pre-made sandwiches or ingredients to make your own. Many supermarkets have delis as well where you can get food to go. Buy some food, eat outside, and watch the city and its people go by. It’s a much more enjoyable and cheaper way to eat.
• Eat local and cheap – Not into picnicking? Eat at local sandwich shops, pizza parlors, Maoz, Wok to Walks, and outdoor street vendors. Avoiding restaurants and eating at a lot of the local “grab n’ go” places gives you a taste of the local cuisine at a much cheaper price. If you’re really on a budget, use your creative cooking skills to prepare meals at the hostel as well.
• Stay with a local – Hostels can add up really quickly. If you don’t have any friends with whom you can stay, consider using Couchsurfing , which connects you with locals who let you stay with them for free. Plus, they tend to also have meetups to meet other locals and travelers. It’s a great way to save on accommodation and meet a local who can share their insider tips and advice.
• Camp in a garden – A very good camping service specific to Europe is Campspace , which allows you to pitch a tent in someone’s backyard for free or for a small fee (around 10-20 EUR). All of the garden owners have profiles that tell you what services and facilities they offer. Also, many countries allow wild camping (like Sweden), which can save you a fortune if you have a tent.
• Take the bus – Budget bus companies like Flixbus can take you across the continent for cheap. I personally feel it’s best for day travel as sitting up for an overnight bus isn’t really ideal for sleeping. It isn’t glamorous, but with tickets starting at 5 EUR, you really can’t complain!
• Get a Rail Pass – Eurail Passes have saved me hundreds of dollars. If you are traveling far distances and through many countries, they are a great deal.
• Take the free city tours – One of the great things about Europe is that you can find free walking tours in all the major cities. They can be a great way to see the city attractions, take in some history, and learn your bearings without spending any money. Just make sure to tip your guide at the end!
• Plan accordingly – Plan your trip around Europe so you avoid doubling back. Transportation is a big expense so proper planning can save you a lot of money (and time). Go in a straight line or a loop. Booking your accommodation ahead helps you save as well since cheap, good places unsurprisingly get reserved first. One thing I’ve learned is that waiting until the last minute means you get stuck with expensive places or cheap places no one wants.
• Fly cheap – If you know where you are going and a train won’t do, try to book flights early. You can often get round trip fares for as little as 5 EUR from many of the European discount airlines like Ryanair or Wizz. Many capital cities have smaller airports farther from the city with ‘inconvenient’ times but cheaper fares. Keep in mind you might need to factor in an early morning Uber or taxi if the busses aren’t running and you have an early flight!
• Drink less – Those 5 EUR beers add up. Hit happy hours or pick and choose when you party. Hostel bars are a good place to get cheap drinks or buy your alcohol at the supermarket. Plus, in Europe, it’s legal to drink outside in parks, plazas, by the lakes or rivers. You’ll find you can save a lot of money by not going to bars and clubs. Partying your way across the continent will destroy your bank balance in no time.
• Get a city tourist card – Many local tourism offices sell a tourism card for all their attractions, tours, and restaurants. This card gives you free entry and substantial discounts on all the attractions and tours in a city, free local public transportation (a huge plus), and discounts at a few restaurants and shopping malls. They save a ton of money. If you plan on doing a lot of sightseeing, get one of these cards.
• Rideshare – If you’re flexible in your schedule, use the ridesharing service BlaBlaCar to catch rides with locals between cities (or countries) by paying a small fee. It’s like Airbnb but for rides. I used this service in Switzerland and, not only did I save a lot of money, but I got to meet interesting people and learn about local culture and life. Drivers are verified and it’s perfectly safe, though sometimes rides cancel at the last minute (which is why you need to be flexible). Check their ratings first and try to use rides where the person has done many trips.
• Bring a water bottle – The tap water is safe to drink in most of Europe, so bring a reusable water bottle to save money and reduce your plastic use. LifeStraw is my go-to brand as their bottles have built-in filters to ensure your water is always clean and safe.
• Get a HostelPass – HostelPass is a discount membership for hostels in Europe. Members get 10-20% off select hostels around Europe, as well as perks like free breakfast or free drinks. There are discounts on tours and activities too. It’s a great way to save money if you’re bouncing around Europe as they have hostels in 18 countries around the continent.

Where to Stay in Europe

Europe has a ton of budget accommodation options. The individual country and city guides have tons of recommendations but here’s a short list of some of my favorite budget hostels and hotels around Europe:

• The Flying Pig (Amsterdam, The Netherlands)
• Hotel 54 (Barcelona, Spain)
• Generator Hostel (Copenhagen, Denmark)
• Harcourt Hotel (Dublin, Ireland)
• Castle Rock (Edinburgh, Scotland)
• Ios Palm Pansion (Ios, Greece)
• Greg and Tom’s Party Hostel (Krakow, Poland)
• Largo da Sé Guest House (Lisbon, Portugal)
• Sophie’s Hostel (Prague, Czech Republic)
• The Yellow (Rome, Italy)
• City Backpackers (Stockholm, Sweden)

How to Get Around Europe

Public transportation – Transportation around most European cities is by tram, subway, or bus. Prices are typically around 2 EUR for a one-way ticket in Western Europe and closer to 1 EUR in Eastern Europe. Most large cities also have day passes available that offer unlimited public transportation. These passes are usually 5-12 EUR per day.

In large cities with international airports, there is usually a bus or train available that ferries travelers from the downtown core to the airport. Expect to pay around 5-15 EUR to get to/from the airport.

Bus – Buses are not quite as comfortable as Europe’s trains, although certain lines do have great amenities (like roomy seats and Wi-Fi). While buses are not the most efficient way to travel around the continent, they’re certainly dependable, reliable, and cheap. You can find last-minute rides for as little as 5 EUR. A route from Berlin to Munich is about 25 EUR, while Paris to Bordeaux can be as low as 10 EUR. Longer routes, like Amsterdam to Copenhagen, start at around 47 EUR.

Each country has its own national bus service, but some lines also take you long distances internationally. Megabus and Flixbus (which now owns Eurolines) are the most popular companies.

Train – Train travel is a great way to see Europe. Intercity train prices vary wildly from country to country, depending on whether you take the slow train or a high-speed train and how far in advance you book. For example, a high-speed train from Berlin to Munich costs around 38-60 EUR, Bordeaux to Paris is about 50-85 EUR, and Madrid to Barcelona ranges from 45-85 EUR. Non-high-speed trains and other intercity lines are a lot cheaper, generally costing about 40-50% of the price of high-speed trains. Eastern Europe inter-country trains usually cost between 45-100 EUR when the ticket is booked last minute. Short train rides of 2-3 hours within countries cost about 27 EUR.

To find routes and prices for trains around Europe, use Trainline .

You may also want to consider getting a Eurail Pass , which allows travelers to explore Europe by providing a set number of stops in a specific time period. These passes are continent-wide, country-specific, or regional. It can potentially save you hundreds of dollars.

Ridesharing/Car sharing – If your schedule is flexible, use a ridesharing service and catch rides with locals between cities (or countries). Drivers are verified and it’s perfectly safe. BlaBlaCar is the most popular.

If you’d rather rent a car yourself and find passengers to share a ride with, use Discover Cars to find the best car rental prices.

Flying – Budget airlines are so prolific that competition helps keep fares low. You can often find tickets where the fare is just 5 EUR round-trip! Companies like EasyJet, Ryanair, Wizz, and Vueling offer mind-blowingly cheap flights throughout Europe. Book at least a month early to scoop up great deals.

Make sure that the airport they fly into isn’t too far out of your way (transportation from the secondary airport sometimes negates the savings from using the budget airline itself).

Keep in mind that you’ll have to pay to check your baggage on these cheap flights. It costs about 25-39 EUR for one checked bag. If you wait to pay for your luggage at the gate, you end up paying almost double. Travel carry-on only to avoid this added cost.

Hitchhiking – Hitchhiking in Europe is very safe, but it’s not for everyone. Hitching is quite common around the continent and I’ve met a number of travelers who have done it (I, myself, traveled this way in Bulgaria and Iceland). Some countries are very supportive (Romania, Iceland, Germany) while others may be a bit more time-consuming (Italy, Spain). HitchWiki is the best website for hitchhiking info.

Here are my suggested articles for how to get around Europe:

• 7 Cheap Ways to Travel Across Europe
• Are Eurail Passes a Giant Scam or Do They Save You Money?
• The Ultimate Guide to Finding Cheap Flights

When to Go to Europe

There’s no wrong time to visit Europe. Peak season is summer, when Europe gets crowded and August is the time most European families are at the beach so everything becomes more crowded and expensive. But the overall atmosphere and weather are great during this time, so it’s still worth visiting during peak season (just book your accommodation in advance — especially in August). Keep in mind it’s much hotter in summer so if you like AC, be sure to check that your hostel or hotel has it before you book. You can expect the most crowds in Western Europe. For this reason, I feel summer is a great time to visit the Balkans and the Baltics because many people head to the beaches in Spain, France, Italy, Croatia, and Greece.

Shoulder season is spring and fall (April-May and September-October). It’s still warm during this time but there aren’t as many crowds and prices are cheaper. This is my favorite time to visit hotspot places like Spain, Croatia and Greece, where it’s still hot enough to swim in the sea but you have way more room on the beach. It’s also a good time to go hiking in the Alps in Germany, northern Italy, Slovenia and Switzerland because it’s cooler during the day so you’re much less sweaty on the mountain without shade. The weather is good, the crowds are smaller, and the prices lower.

Winter is from November to February but in much of Central Europe, it’s wet and cold until March or April. It gets cold, even as far south as it gets (like Greece). On the other hand, the Christmas season has Christmas markets and festivals galore! Even if it’s cold, this is a cultural tradition you can’t miss and why I love Europe in December. There is hot mulled wine, sweets, and plenty of hot snacks, which vary by country. One of my favorites is Prague because the Old Town Square is lit up with a gigantic tree with aromas of crispy cinnamon pastries and mulled wine. Berlin takes their Christmas markets very seriously, so there are around 80 different markets with special themes.

Winter is fantastic in Europe for skiing and snowboarding but it doesn’t have to break the bank if you plan carefully. While Switzerland and France are probably the most famous, they are also expensive, but there are plenty of budget winter options.

How to Stay Safe in Europe

Europe is very safe for backpacking and solo traveling, even if you’re traveling solo, and even as a solo female traveler. Violent crimes against tourists are very rare. In fact, some of the safest countries in the world are in Europe. (I wrote a whole article about how Europe is safe to visit right now .)

That said, there are scams and petty crimes you should watch out for, especially around popular tourist landmarks. The most important thing to be aware of is pickpockets in crowds and on public transportation. Zip your bags and don’t put your mobile phone in a jacket pocket where someone could quickly take it. This should be obvious but don’t flash your money to let everyone know you have a huge wad of cash.

When choosing a hostel, look for ones with lockers. It’s always a good idea to carry around a padlock or combination lock. Most hostels are safe and travelers respect each other and I’ve rarely seen things happen to people’s valuables. Nevertheless, I always think that prevention is better.

As anywhere, the standard precautions apply (never leave your drink unattended at the bar, never walk home alone intoxicated, etc.). When at the bar, always keep an eye on your drink. Avoid walking home alone at night if you’re intoxicated.

For female travelers in particular, it’s always a good idea to have a bit of extra money on you just in case you need to take an Uber or taxi back by yourself so you don’t take unnecessary risks to save money. If you’re using apps to date people while traveling, please use common sense and meet in public places. Since I’m not a female traveler, please check out the numerous female bloggers who have first hand knowledge of this.

If you’re worried about scams, you can read about common travel scams to avoid here.

If you rent a vehicle, don’t leave any valuables in it overnight. Break-ins are rare, but it’s always better to be safe than sorry. Be aware that the UK drives on the left and that most rental cars in Europe will have manual transmissions unless you request otherwise.

When hiking, always bring water, sunscreen, and bandaids or foot plasters. There is nothing worse than being halfway up the mountain with a blister and nothing you can do about it!

Likewise, when at the coast, don’t forget not only to wear sunscreen! I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen people get burnt to a crisp the first day. Be sure to check the weather before you depart and dress accordingly.

If you do experience an emergency, dial 112 for assistance.

Always trust your gut instinct. Make copies of your personal documents, including your passport and ID. Forward your itinerary to loved ones so they know where you are.

The most important piece of advice I can offer is to purchase good travel insurance. Travel insurance will protect you against illness, injury, theft, and cancellations. It’s comprehensive protection in case anything goes wrong. I never go on a trip without it as I’ve had to use it many times in the past. You can use the widget below to find the policy right for you:

Europe Travel Guide: The Best Booking Resources

These are my favorite companies to use when I travel. They consistently have the best deals, offer world-class customer service and great value, and overall, are better than their competitors. They are the companies I use the most and are always the starting point in my search for travel deals.

• Skyscanner – Skyscanner is my favorite flight search engine. They search small websites and budget airlines that larger search sites tend to miss. They are hands down the number one place to start.
• Hostelworld – This is the best hostel accommodation site out there with the largest inventory, best search interface, and widest availability.
• Booking.com – The best all around booking site that constantly provides the cheapest and lowest rates. They have the widest selection of budget accommodation. In all my tests, they’ve always had the cheapest rates out of all the booking websites.
• HostelPass – This new card gives you up to 20% off hostels throughout Europe. It’s a great way to save money. They’re constantly adding new hostels too. I’ve always wanted something like this and glad it finallt exists.
• Get Your Guide – Get Your Guide is a huge online marketplace for tours and excursions. They have tons of tour options available in cities all around the world, including everything from cooking classes, walking tours, street art lessons, and more!
• The Man in Seat 61 – This website is the ultimate guide to train travel anywhere in the world. They have the most comprehensive information on routes, times, prices, and train conditions. If you are planning a long train journey or some epic train trip, consult this site.
• Rome2Rio – This website allows you to see how to get from point A to point B the best and cheapest way possible. It will give you all the bus, train, plane, or boat routes that can get you there as well as how much they cost.
• FlixBus – Flixbus has routes between 20 European countries with prices starting as low 5 EUR! Their buses include WiFi, electrical outlets, a free checked bag.
• SafetyWing – Safety Wing offers convenient and affordable plans tailored to digital nomads and long-term travelers. They have cheap monthly plans, great customer service, and an easy-to-use claims process that makes it perfect for those on the road.
• LifeStraw – My go-to company for reusable water bottles with built-in filters so you can ensure your drinking water is always clean and safe.
• Unbound Merino – They make lightweight, durable, easy-to-clean travel clothing.
• Top Travel Credit Cards – Points are the best way to cut down travel expenses. Here’s my favorite point earning credit cards so you can get free travel!

GO DEEPER: Nomadic Matt’s In-Depth Budget Guide to Europe!

While I have a lot of free tips on Europe, I also wrote an entire book that goes into great detail on everything you need to plan a trip here on a budget! You’ll get suggested itineraries, budgets, even more ways to save money, my favorite restaurants, prices, practical information (i.e. phone numbers, websites, prices, safety advice, etc etc), and cultural tips.

I’ll give the insider view of Europe that I got from years of traveling and living here! The downloadable guide can be used on your Kindle, iPad, phone, or computer so you can have it with you when you go. Click here to learn more about my book on Europe!

Europe Travel Guide: Related Articles

Want more tips for your trip? Check out all the articles I’ve written on Europe travel and continue planning your trip:

The 7 Best Hotels in London

10 Scotland Road Trip Tips You Need to Know Before You Go

The Perfect 7-Day Croatia Itinerary

The 6 Best Hotels in Copenhagen

The 6 Best Hotels in Florence

The 7 Best Hotels in Madrid

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How to plan a Europe road trip: Top lessons learned from a seasoned driver

June 5, 2024 // By Larissa Milne

By Larissa Milne June 5, 2024

There’s nothing like hitting the highway on a European road trip to get "in country," be it on a high-speed motorway or a narrow, winding country lane. My husband and I have explored Europe by car more than 20 times and experienced the joys and sometimes headaches of driving in foreign countries. Here, we share our tips on planning a Europe trip by car to help you make the most of your vacation.

Tips for renting a car for a European road trip

Do I need a driving permit when traveling Europe by car?

Some (but not all) European countries require you to have an International Driving Permit (IDP) when traveling around Europe by car. Check the International Travel Page of the U.S. Department of State's website, which provides information by country. You can obtain IDPs at your local AAA office (you needn’t be a member) or by mail.

We haven't always needed it, and some car rental agencies are stricter than others. Our policy is "better safe than sorry."

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Should I get a manual or automatic transmission?

Most rental vehicles in the U.K. and Europe are manual transmission. Cars with automatic transmission are more expensive to rent, adding to the cost of your European road trip. But this is not the time to learn if you don’t drive a stick shift at home. You don't want to be grinding gears and stalling out on the autobahn.

Do I need additional insurance?

Rental car insurance is expensive. Check what your home policies cover in advance (some credit cards may offer full or partial coverage) and adjust your rental coverage accordingly.

Inspect your rental car before you hit the road

It's often tempting to jump in the rental car and zoom off on your grand adventure. But inspecting your rental (and documenting any scratches and dings) before you depart protects you from getting charged for them later. You don't want to end your vacation on a sour note — or have this conversation in a language not native to you!

Additionally, take a moment to learn the location of headlights, wipers, hazard lights, and other safety features on your rental before starting your trip, so you won't have to fumble for them while driving unfamiliar roads.

Rent a car in a remote location

For our road trip in Norway, we started in Oslo. However, instead of picking up our car in that crowded city, we took the train to a suburban location and picked up our car there to explore the fjords. With fewer cars on the road, it was a less frenzied start to our journey.

Use a combination of printed maps and apps

Nothing ruins a European road trip like getting hopelessly lost. Depending on your destination, a GPS device in your rental car may be worth the price. We rely on a combination of GPS, apps, and paper maps for navigation. Old-school printed maps provide an overview of the area that a tiny screen can't manage and often highlight landmarks or scenic roads worth a detour.

Data connections can be spotty (and expensive) in remote areas, so download maps and directions before starting out for the day. Also, note that apps such as Google Maps might not be as accurate in Europe as in the U.S. — as we learned the hard way when it routed our car down a steep hiking trail in a German national park. Yikes!

Anticipate the costs of driving in Europe

Many European highways charge tolls. Sometimes, you can pay cash or credit as you go; other times, it's automated. Your rental car company can advise you on the best payment method. Also, fuel costs in Europe are approximately double that of the U.S., an important calculation to include in your Europe road trip planner. (Gas prices are listed per liter; multiply by 4 to approximate a per-gallon price.)

Other than avoiding toll roads, you can’t escape these costs. Consider it a necessary trip expense and enjoy your journey. Upon returning home, you’ll have a newfound appreciation for "low" gas prices in the United States.

Plan a general route in advance

Think about the sights you want to see and the type of road trip that makes the most sense for you. Making a large loop, going from point A to point B, or taking a series of day trips from a "home base" are all viable options. This may impact your rental car costs, lodging choices, and onward journey.

Be realistic about distances

American road trips conjure images of zipping through wide open spaces along the interstate. When exploring Europe by car, it's important to adjust your mindset to more densely populated countries with shorter distances (and those winding country lanes). You may not rack up thousands of miles, but you'll likely find charming towns and interesting sights more frequently.

Don't be caught "hangry"

Restaurants (even simple cafes) in many European small towns still observe traditional mealtime hours; don't count on finding something open at any random time of day. If you don't want to be tied to a rigid food schedule, pack a picnic lunch and a few nibbles to stave off grumbling stomachs and grumpy conversations.

The exception to this rule is rest stops on major motorways. These restaurants usually have flexible hours and serve up good food. When did you last see fresh salads and desserts served with china at a highway rest stop back home?

Know where you'll sleep

Whether you’re staying in a hotel, an RV, or a tent, make sure you've arranged for accommodations as part of your European road trip planning. Travelers are visiting Europe in record numbers post-COVID; you don't want to be stuck camping by a busy road or getting the last motel room next to a dumpster.

What is the best European road trip?

The best European road trip depends on what interests you. If you're unsure where to start, here are some trips we've taken and loved.

Experience the Black Forest on a road trip through Germany

Enjoy a mixture of old and new with postcard scenery of the Black Forest's quaint half-timbered villages (and famous Black Forest cake!), while cruising the high-speed thrills of the autobahn. Make pitstops at the headquarters of Porsche and Mercedes-Benz . Vroom!

Best route : Start in Stuttgart or Munich outskirts.

Explore Sicily on a road trip through Italy

Take a week or two to circumnavigate the island, visiting ancient Roman and Greek (!) ruins, the stunning Mount Etna volcano, and gorgeous beaches. Pizza, pasta, gelato, repeat.

Best route : Start and finish at Palermo Airport.

Tour Brittany on a road trip through France

Explore amazing Mont Saint-Michel, see dramatic coastlines with quaint harbor towns, and marvel at the prehistoric monoliths at Carnac, all while eating crepes and sipping cider.

Best route : Take the train from Paris to Rennes, then loop through the region.)

No matter where you choose to go on your Europe road trip, remember that the journey is the destination; indulge your curiosity. It’s the little detours and unscheduled stops that make the trip fun.

About Larissa Milne

Larissa Milne has been traveling the world full-time with her husband Michael since 2011 in search of historic and quirky spots around the world and to date has visited nearly 80 countries and all 50 states. She's passionate about food and can often be found seeking out local flavors at a destination--whether it's a fancy restaurant, local market or the best hot dog stand. Learn more about the Milnes' global adventures on their award-winning travel blog, Changes In Longitude  and their recommendations on Arizona at Arizona Journey . 

Read more about Larissa Milne here.

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New BYD Hybrid Can Drive Non-Stop for More Than 2,000 Kilometers

• Dual-mode plug-in electric hybrid can manage New York to Miami
• Range anxiety still plays on consumers’ minds in making switch

BYD Co. unveiled a new hybrid powertrain capable of traveling more than 2,000 kilometers (1,250 miles) without recharging or refueling, intensifying the EV transition competition with the likes of Toyota Motor Corp. and Volkswagen AG .

The upgraded tech, which aims to put more distance between BYD and its rivals, will be launched in two sedans immediately that cost under 100,000 yuan ($13,800), the automaker said at an event live-streamed Tuesday evening from China.