trains
We Tested the Legitimate Train Booking Platforms for France—Here’s What Works Best for Cheap Tickets
I’ve been booking train tickets online for French trains for two decades, both with the SNCF’s official websites and the various good competing private booking platforms. There is now a healthy variety of alternatives for booking French train tickets that can get you e-tickets with the same dynamic pricing as you’d get purchasing directly from …
How to Travel Europe by Train
Our full guide to the charms of taking trains, including how best to buy tickets and what to pack; photo copyright Charley Aimée. 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 …
Schemes for Cheap Train Tickets in France
The minimalist cheapskate writer of this article on a Ouigo train I’ve been whizzing around France on TGV and other trains as cheaply as possible for over two decades. And here, my dear penny-pinching minimalists, is an insider’s guide to the best current strategies, booking platforms, discount cards, sales, and future insights for bopping around …
How to Book French Train Tickets: A Guide to Painless Trip Prep
On another train. My butt’s been in all kinds of European train seats for 21 years. Trains are hands-down the best way to get around France. If you’re not used to France and/or to European train travel, the ticketing options can seem a bit overwhelming. But I’ve been traveling the French rails for the past …
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, …
Ouigo, Iryo, Avlo, and Ave: The Key Differences in High-Speed Train Options in Spain—at a Glance
Renfe’s two high-speed train services: Ave and Avlo. Photo credit: Smiley.toerist CC 4.0. We’re spoiled for options for crossing Spain and Catalonia by train. There are four operators running daily high-speed trains here and all of them are comfortable, fast, and often pretty cheap. The standard-bearer from the national operator is Renfe’s Ave service; Renfe …
What Is Iryo? And Are These High-Speed Trains Worthwhile in Spain?
Iryo is one of Spain’s very affordable train services and offers a comfortable, quick connections between key cities. This site’s editor updating this review while on an Iryo train from Barcelona to Zaragoza. Iryo currently runs trains between Madrid and Barcelona more than a dozen times per day in each direction and also runs South …
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 …
What Is Ouigo? And Is This Budget Train Worthwhile for Crossing Spain, Catalonia, and France?
Ouigo, put simply, is a railway answer to the budget airline. Here I am riding a Ouigo train in Spain with the distinctive (gaudy?) color scheme of the seats behind me; I’ve taken these budget trains in France for years as well The tickets are cheap, and there are no frills, but you get to …
Late Trains in France: What to Know
This is a look at your chances of having issues due to delays on rail lines with the national operator SNCF in France and what to do if they occur. We have separately covered how to book French train tickets and what to know about French train strikes. Determining if a Scheduled Train Will Be …