Trains
The Best & Cheapest Ways to Travel Between Paris and Barcelona: Train, Bus, and — If You Must — Plane
I’ve long lived in the lovely, romantic French capital Paris and the lively, sexy Catalan capital Barcelona — these are absolutely my favorite two cities in the world. But how to travel between them? There are lots of websites that promise to sell you tickets between the two cities. A lot of them are terrible, …
Cheap Eurostar Alternatives: Low Cost Tricks for London-Paris & More
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 …
All About How Wi-Fi Works on Renfe AVE Trains
A laptop connected to the Wi-FI on an AVE train Yes there is Wi-Fi on most of the Spanish high-speed trains known as AVE. For now, these are the only trains in Spain’s Renfe train network to have Wi-Fi internet. The Wi-Fi is free on these trains; it is included in the ticket price for …
The Experience Onboard Renfe AVE Trains
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 …
Luggage Restrictions On Trains in France — What to Know Before You Go
If you’re used to travelling by plane and thus conditioned to worry about the size, weight, and contents of your baggage, you’re in for a treat. Luggage restrictions for French trains are generally much more relaxed. The main rule is to not be taking so much that you can’t carry and stow it on your …
Senior Savings on European Train Travel: The Ultimate Guide to the Discounts
Savvy seniors over the age of 60 can get a range of discounts on the European railroads. The possibilities for discounted senior travel range from a minimal 10% discount in Sweden to free travel in Northern Ireland! Read on for our complete guide to discounts and other benefits on my favorite way to cross the …
What Is Ouigo? And Is France’s Budget Train Worth the Ride?
Do you wish your train rides could have the same cramped seating and nickel-and-diming for extras as a low-cost airline? French train operator SNCF supposes you do; and voilà, they give us Ouigo. Ouigo is actually nowhere near as bad as a budget airline, though the experience is a bit more trying than a standard …
The Total Guide to Train Strikes in France: Ride Out the Aggravations
The French railway company SNCF is particularly and infamously susceptible to strikes. Here’s a look at the probability of strikes affecting your travel in 2019, how to plan your trip, and what to do if there’s a strike on your travel dates. In general, we love travelling by train in France and don’t think you …
How to Book Swiss Train Tickets — and Avoid Problems with the SBB Website
Blocked by credit card rejections or website errors on the SBB official Swiss rail website? Or just looking for the best way to book train tickets in Switzerland? We’ve got some tricks for getting around all that, so that you can go enjoy the gorgeous train rides through Swiss mountains and villages. The Swiss’ official …
A Train Inspector Reveals: The Top Five Most Beautiful, Thrilling Rides in Switzerland
I can safely say I’ve gone everywhere on the Swiss rail network, and here’s the verdict: Most Swiss train rides are awe-inspiring. But some are merely great, a handful are overrated, and a few simply suck. For the past nine years I’ve been taking them all in as a ticket inspector with the national railway …