Train Travel in Europe

The Travelerโs Handbook to European Railroads
(or: How to Cross a Continent Without Losing Your Sanity)
Why Trains and Not Planes?
Airports are fineโฆ if you enjoy early wake-ups, removing your shoes in public, and arguing with security about whether your toothpaste is โdangerous.โ But in Europe, trains often beat planes hands down: stations are downtown, thereโs no security theater, and you get to watch castles, vineyards, and cows roll by instead of clouds. Plus, you can bring wine on board without hiding it in your sock.
Meet the Rail Royalty
Every country has its own train overlords, each with their quirks:
- Germany โ Deutsche Bahn (DB): Legendary for speed and delays. If your train is on time, buy a lottery ticket. โ www.bahn.com
- France โ SNCF/TGV: Fast, sleek, and strikes often enough to keep life exciting. โ www.sncf-connect.com
- Italy โ Trenitalia & Italo: Stylish, affordable, and sometimes more dramatic than a soap opera (platform changes at the last second are an Olympic sport). โ www.trenitalia.com | www.italotreno.it
- Spain โ Renfe (AVE): The trains are as fast as the tapas are tasty. โ www.renfe.com
- Switzerland โ SBB: Punctual to the minute. If they say 12:07, they mean 12:07. Germans look at Swiss trains and whisper, โWow.โ โ www.sbb.ch
- Austria โ รBB: Comfortable, cheap-ish, and home of the excellent Nightjet sleeper trains. โ https://www.oebb.at
For cross-border bragging rights, youโve also got:
- Eurostar (London โ Paris/Brussels/Amsterdam in a tunnel under the sea) โ www.eurostar.com
- Thalys (Paris โ Amsterdam โ Cologne, merging into Eurostar soon) โ www.thalys.com
- Railjet (connecting Austriaโs heart to neighboring gems) โ www.oebb.at
High-Speed or Slow and Scenic?
- High-Speed Trains: These are your continent-hopping bullets, zooming at 300 km/h. Paris to Lyon in two hours? Easy. Madrid to Barcelona in three? Done. Just book earlyโprices rise faster than the trains move.
- Regional Trains: Slower, cheaper, and perfect for spontaneous adventures. Want to hop off in a random village because you spotted a castle? Regional trains are your best bet. They rarely require reservations, and sometimes theyโre free entertainment (imagine Italian grandmas gossiping louder than the trainโs engine).
Tickets, Passes, and Other Ways to Confuse Yourself
- Point-to-Point Tickets
Buy for a specific journey. Great if youโre only going A โ B. Just donโt expect last-minute bargains on high-speed routesโParis to Zurich bought on the day can cost more than a small car. - Eurail/Interrail Passes
- Eurail = for non-Europeans
- Interrail = for Europeans
Think of them as all-you-can-eat buffets for trains. You choose how many โtravel daysโ you want in a month. Perfect if your travel style is โLetโs see where the next train goes!โ
Warning: Some trains still demand seat reservations, which can feel like being invited to an exclusive clubโexcept you pay a few euros instead of wearing fancy shoes.
- Seat Reservations
On French TGVs, Spanish AVEs, or Italian Frecciarossas, theyโre mandatory. On regional German trains, no one caresโyou can sit next to the bathroom door if you want.
Border Crossings: So Easy, Itโs Suspicious
Thanks to the Schengen Agreement, traveling between most European countries is as simple as crossing the street. No passport checks, no visa stampsโjust a gentle shift in the train announcements. Youโre in Belgium, then suddenly the announcements are in Dutch, then French, then both at once, and then you give up and look at the icons on the signs.
Night Trains: Beds on Wheels
Europe is reviving the romance of the night train. With รBB Nightjet and other services, you can go to bed in Vienna and wake up in Venice, all while avoiding hotel costs. Cabins range from โcozy couchette with snoring strangersโ to โprivate sleeper with chocolate on the pillow.โ Pro tip: if you want the latter, book earlyโeveryone else has the same idea.
Scenic Routes Worth Missing a Flight For
- Glacier Express (Switzerland): Slow, pricey, but jaw-droppingly beautiful. Itโs basically Instagram on rails.
- Bergen Line (Norway): Fjords, mountains, and probably snow, even in July.
- West Highland Line (Scotland): Hogwarts Express vibes. Donโt forget your butterbeer.
- Cinque Terre Local Train (Italy): Not โscenicโ in the Swiss sense, but youโll hop between seaside villages while tourists battle for gelato.
Tips for Surviving European Train Life
- Pack Light: Youโll thank yourself when youโre sprinting to platform 14 with 3 minutes to spare.
- Validate Tickets: In Italy, France, and elsewhere, unstamped paper tickets are as useful as Monopoly money.
- Snacks: Bring your own. Dining cars exist, but a โฌ7 sandwich tastes better when you bought it for โฌ2 at the station bakery.
- Mind the Strikes: France and Italy, in particular, enjoy a good transport strike. Always have a Plan B (or C).
- Donโt Panic About Delays: Trains run late sometimes. But heyโif youโre stuck in Cologne, thereโs always beer.
A Sample Interrail Itinerary
Want to feel like a seasoned rail traveler in two weeks? Try this:
- Day 1โ3: Paris (croissants, Eiffel Tower, obligatory TGV ride)
- Day 4โ5: Amsterdam (take Thalys/Eurostar, eat fries with mayo)
- Day 6โ7: Berlin (night train or ICE, history and hipster cafes)
- Day 8โ10: Prague & Vienna (cheap beer, classical music, palaces galore)
- Day 11โ13: Venice & Florence (yes, Trenitalia is late, but the pizza forgives everything)
- Day 14: Zurich (end with Swiss punctuality, chocolate, and mountains).
Final Thought
European rail travel is equal parts practical and poetic. You get from A to B, yesโbut you also watch landscapes shift, languages change, and cultures unfold, all without ever removing your belt at a metal detector. If you travel smart, pack light, and embrace a little unpredictability, the European train network will deliver more than just transport: itโs the journey itself that becomes the story.
๐ Train Tickets and Passes (with Links)
Point-to-Point Tickets
- Trainline: www.thetrainline.com
- Deutsche Bahn (Germany): www.bahn.com
- SNCF (France): www.sncf-connect.com
- Trenitalia (Italy): www.trenitalia.com
Rail Passes
- Eurail Pass (for non-Europeans): www.eurail.com
- Interrail Pass (for Europeans): www.interrail.eu
Seat Reservations & Specialty Booking
- Rail Europe: www.raileurope.com
- รBB (Austria, Nightjet sleeper trains): www.oebb.at