Traveling Across Europe by Train

Traveling between EU countries is more convenient, cheaper, and more efficient by train — seasoned tourists recommend choosing Europe’s railways. In this article, we’ll outline the pros and cons of train travel and offer some tips for beginners.

We previously wrote about car tourism in the EU.

A train journey from point A to point B is an exciting event. The EU has plenty of high-speed trains, but there are also slower ones that turn the trip into a sightseeing tour through the picturesque landscapes of the country you are crossing: mountains, rivers, villages, castles, and vineyards.

The variety of schedules and the large number of available trains support spontaneity. When traveling by plane, you need to consider the exact flight date and plan your trips in advance. Train travel is simpler — if you like a city, you can stay longer and explore it, choosing a later departing train. With timely purchase of Eurail or Interrail Passes, you don’t have to worry about booking or train tickets — most routes are free with the pass.

Most railway stations in Europe are located in the city center, unlike airports, which are often situated outside the city. This makes tourist attractions easily accessible. For example, in Cologne, the famous cathedral is very close to the station. In Milan, Antwerp, and Lyon, the train stations themselves are tourist attractions.

Another advantage is the lack of restrictions on luggage and carry-on. There’s no need to worry about your bag meeting specific size and weight requirements, and you can carry almost anything (within the law), including sports equipment.

Moreover, many find train travel much more comfortable: less hassle, comfortable seats, and more freedom to move around. For those who are afraid of flying, it’s a lifesaver.

However, train travel has its drawbacks. Let’s start with the price. Sometimes it’s cheaper to take a flight with a budget airline than to travel by train.

For long distances, travel time can be quite long. For example, a trip from Paris to Venice takes about 10 hours, while flying takes only 2 hours (not including the time spent getting to and from the airport, check-in, and security checks).

Railway lines don’t cover all destinations. As you move deeper into Eastern Europe and the Balkans, available routes become fewer and fewer. Trains lose comfort. It might be easier to take a bus or fly.

The biggest drawback is rail strikes, which make train travel unavailable on certain routes. Such events are usually planned in advance, but having to account for a strike is an inconvenience.

Traveling by train can be problematic for people with reduced mobility and those who don’t speak English or the local language.

Suburban/Regional These are low-speed trains used to connect small towns or villages with major ones (e.g., from Versailles to Paris) or operate within a country/region (e.g., from Siena to Florence).

High-speed/Long-distance These trains cover large distances within a country (Florence → Venice) or cross borders (Paris → Amsterdam). Well-known high-speed trains include France’s TGV and Germany’s Intercity and Eurocity.

Each country has its own railway system — when crossing borders, travelers should be prepared to switch to another company’s train. This won’t be a surprise — such transfers are taken into account when booking a ticket.

Tourist TrainsThese trains are not only public transport but also used by travelers for sightseeing (thus, tickets are more expensive).

Examples of such routes: Glacier Express in Switzerland, the Harry Potter train in Scotland.

Sleeping (Night) Trains Technically, these are long-distance trains with sleeping cars. A good way to save on hotel costs while traveling to your next destination.

Traveling in Europe, one typically chooses between these tickets.

First class usually means slightly more spacious seats, additional luggage space, the possibility to reserve a specific seat (depending on the company), and sometimes a light snack.

Variable-price tickets tend to increase in cost as the departure date approaches. They are usually used for high-speed trains and long-distance trips. This is the most common form of rail tickets in Europe.

A seat in a regional train is sold at a fixed price and can be booked at any time. To illustrate the difference: a trip from Florence to Bologna on a high-speed train takes 30 minutes, but the price will increase each day. If you choose a regional train, the journey takes about an hour, but the ticket price will always be the same.

The Eurail pass is available to non-European citizens and allows travel through 27 EU countries. There are two types of Eurail Pass:

With a Eurail Pass, there is no need to book local or regional trains, only if you plan to travel on high-speed, international, or night trains.

European citizens and residents can use the Interrail Pass with similar functionality.

If a pass is not suitable for your travel needs, you can buy train tickets in several familiar ways:

You can use apps to track trains in Italy, Germany, and other EU countries.

Even on the road, tourists might need to send money to their family or friends. Or perhaps travelers themselves might need financial assistance.

The Korona app helps transfer money to more than 50 countries, including European countries and beyond.

Transfers are easy to arrange and convenient to receive. The interface is simple and understandable and translated into 13 languages — you can choose any.

But the most pleasant thing is that money transfers are commission-free when converting currencies (for example, euro to zloty), which is a valuable advantage of the service. For euro-to-euro transfers, a 0.9% commission is charged.

Download the Korona app via the link right now or find it yourself in the App Store or Google Play.

We write a lot about life and travel in Europe on our blog. Follow the link and read more if you are interested in the topic.