trains
What Is Ouigo? And Is This Budget Train Worthwhile for Crossing Spain, Catalonia, and France?
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 …
How to Get the Best Child and Youth Discounts on European Trains
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 …
How to Keep Comfy on Trains in Germany: Secrets Behind the Amenities of the Deutsche Bahn Fleet
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 …
Can I Take Fido? Top Tips for Riding European Trains With Dogs
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 …
The Cheaper Tricks for Booking Europe Train Tickets from Australia
If you’re Australian and looking to book train tickets for a jaunt through Europe, there’s a good chance you’ll wind up redirected to more expensive booking sites like Rail Europe (formerly Rail Plus). Or you’ll attempt to buy tickets from SNCF Connect but hit website errors, from Trenitalia but not understand the Italians’ quasi-English, from …
Solutions for Buying Train Tickets for France in Spite of Credit Card Rejections from Ouigo and SNCF Connect
The French train operator’s websites SNCF Connect and Ouigo are notorious for rejecting bank and credit cards from outside of France. Those from Brazil, Eastern Europe, the United States, Australia, and Canada in particular report problems with payments not going through or getting rejected. We’ve been carefully researching the best alternatives for foreigners looking to purchase …
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 …
How to Travel Europe by Train
We’ve been travelling all around Europe by train for two decades now, and we’ve got more than a few dos and don’ts to have a cheap, comfortable, and lovely time rolling across the continent. We’ll go through how to best book train tickets from outside (or inside) Europe, what to take on board, and how …
Here’s How We Solved the Problems with Booking On Trenitalia’s Website
I’ve been booking trains in Italy for many years, and oh, the problems. Trenitalia’s official website is buggy to say the least, and the ticket machines in train stations are as confusing as the humans at the ticket counters. Worse, using foreign (American, French, etc.) credit cards can cause even more headaches. Italians have these problems …
Our Best Schemes for Cheap Train Tickets in France
I’ve been whizzing around France on TGV and other trains as cheaply as possible for over a decade. Riding the French rails is nearly always a joy, and if you know when to book and how to work the discount cards, sales, and special offers, you can bop around the French train system without shedding …