Posts in category

Trains

Trains remain the finest way to travel, and we particularly love the fast, scenic train travel of Western Europe. We’ve got tips for booking the cheapest tickets, and for how to make travelling the rails more comfortable and fun. Knowing which sites to book on can save more than money; national European train operators’ websites in particular can cause a lot of other hassles, especially if you don’t speak the language or are using a non-European credit card. We continuously test the best booking systems for each country.

A Train Inspector Reveals: The Top Five Most Beautiful, Thrilling Rides in Switzerland

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Our Best Schemes for Cheap Train Tickets in France

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How to Keep Comfy on Trains in Germany: Secrets Behind the Amenities of the Deutsche Bahn Fleet

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Our Test Results: The Best Train Booking Platform for Europe

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What You Never Knew about European Trains — Secrets from a Ticket Inspector

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How to Travel Europe by Train

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We ran dozens of pan-European searches on our two favorite train booking platforms, Rail Europe and Trainline, and compared the results. The goal: determine which booking experience is smoother and results in better and cheaper routes. We have found that both of these platforms are better than booking directly from mainland Europe’s national train companies. They …

Ouigo, put simply, is a French railway answer to the budget airline. The tickets are cheap, and there are no frills, but you get to where you’re going on lovely high-speed trains while enjoying the beautiful countryside. In terms of comfort, Ouigo is nowhere near as bad as a budget (or any) airline, though the …

When it works, Eurostar can be lovely experience, but of late it’s been awful. With the French train strikes earlier this year and the heat wave shutting down trains this summer, even the Eurostar itself has advised against using their own service at several points. Here then is a quick guide to the alternatives for …

Spain’s national operator Renfe offers high-speed trains named AVE on routes between a number of major cities. They offer an excellent, comfortable, low-carbon alternative to flying. For example, the Barcelona-Madrid trip on AVE is just 2.5 hours, which makes it faster than flying when you figure in the time for getting to the airport and …

Savvy seniors over the age of 60 can get a range of discounts on the European railroads. For frequent travel in a specific country, you can purchase a country-specific senior discount pass. There are also Interrail and Eurail discounts that work out OK for heavy travel in a short period. However, most countries offer no …

In our search for the cheapest tickets and easiest booking, we’ve reviewed all of the options for buying train tickets for Spain. We looked at the official Renfe site and compared it to a number of private portals. While Spanish trains in general are a pleasure to ride, Renfe’s own official website is full of …

The value proposition for travelling by train in Europe grows by multiples when it comes to travelling with children. Compared to flying, train operators are quite generous in the age brackets for free travel with babies and toddlers and they offer significant discounts for youth. Also, trains are quite a bit more comfortable, often have …

For years I’ve ridden everything from the local S-Bahn to the bougie ICE trains that whisk you around Germany, so I know what to expect in terms of amenities.  With that in mind, I hereby present you with my guide as to what you can expect on their fleet as well. The Deutsche Bahn ferries …

For over two years I’ve been crisscrossing Europe by train with a dog. I am a digital nomad and the dog in question is actually my daughter’s, but is with me while my daughter finishes her degree. So where I go, the dog goes. Traveling around Europe may seem like a carefree life, but it …

We performed hundreds of searches for train tickets on the websites of national European train companies as well as private portals. The goal: determine the cheapest and best way to buy tickets for riding the rails in Europe. We’ve been riding around Europe ourselves for a few combined decades and plan to continue to do so …