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Planes, Trains and Automobiles - How to Travel Across Europe on the Cheap

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We now have a return ticket for our destination and a roof on our head there. The next step is getting from one city to another.

These options are available for inter-city travel :-

  • By Train using the Eurail Pass
  • By Train buying individual tickets
  • By Bus
  • By Car
  • By Air

Let us consider the pros and cons of each of these modes of transport to decide what would best suit our requirement. In this post, we will consider Train travel.

By Train


This is an excellent option while in Europe. They have an extensive network, seamlessly running across countries. The trains are clean and comfortable. And they are always on time. Since Europe is not a very large continent, most journeys wouldn't be more than 5-6 hours. Even the longer legs can be gainfully utilised by taking overnighters.

You have two options for using the European Rail network - the Eurail Pass or individual ticketing.

Eurail Pass

The Eurail Pass permits you to use any train on any day, within the terms and conditions of your particular pass. There are many types of Eurail passes, customised for individual travel requirements.

  • Single Country Passes - Almost all countries have their own single country pass. A pass for  8 days of travel in France or Italy will cost you around Rs.25K ($400) per person while a Britrail pass would be around Rs.45K ($700).
  • Two Country Passes - There are various combinations available. A France-Germany pass for 8 days will cost Rs.35K ($550).
  • Multicountry Passes - Most of these passes are for East European countries.
  • Eurail Select Pass - This pass allows you travel within any four adjoining countries. For example Italy, Austria, Switzerland and Germany would cost Rs.25K ($400) for 5 days or Rs.35K ($550) for 8 days.
  • Eurail Global Pass - However, if you plan to travel to more than 4 countries, you will need the Global pass. This allows unrestricted travel within 28 countries in Europe.Cost, Rs.50K ($785) per person for 10 days.


Pass Validity.   Most Eurail passes give you the option of 'Consecutive Travel Days' or 'Travel days within Given Period'. Any travel, even an hours journey using the pass, would count as a travel day. Overnight journeys are counted as one or two days depending on the time of start and end of journey. For our kind of holiday, the second option will be preferable. 


Who Should Buy the Eurail Pass

The Eurail pass is an excellent option for those who are on a long backpacking holiday, with a rough plan. You can spend more time in a place if you like it, or just catch the next train if you don't. Train tickets in Europe follow a dynamic pricing model similar to airlines. Thus a ticket would be economical if bought in advance, but exorbitantly expensive if bought in the last moment. The pass thus gives you flexibility in your travel plans. It is economical if your plans are not fixed.

However, for travelers who have a firm schedule, individual tickets may be a much more economical option. For instance, during my 23 day itinerary, I traveled on 8 days.  A Eurail pass for two would have cost me over Rs.100,000 ($1600). The individual tickets bought in advance cost me just Rs.30,000 ($470), a saving of over 70%.

Eurail pass is no longer as convenient as before either. Be sure to check the rules regarding use of the pass in every country beforehand. For example, the number of seats allotted to the Eurail Pass holders on trains in France are fixed. Thus, you may have to reserve your tickets in advance. Similarly, there are many trains which require you to pay for reserving a seat.


Pros and Cons in a Nutshell

Pros -
  • Gives you the flexibility and convenience of getting into a train without worrying about buying tickets, etc.
  • You do not have to follow a fixed schedule. If you like a place, stay longer or move on if you don't.
  • You don't have to worry about cancellation charges in case of change of plans.
  • The pass is valid for 1 year and you can use it any time.


Cons -
  • It is expensive. You pay a premium for the convenience.
  • It is no longer as convenient as it once was. You need to do your research as you may still have to reserve your seats in some trains, some on payment.
  • In some countries, like France, they have a quota for Eurail passes. Beyond the quota, you have to buy tickets, irrespective of whether the train is full or empty. So it is important that you do advance bookings.

Individual Ticket Bookings

Buying individual tickets for specific journey dates has its own advantages. Here are the pros and cons :-

Pros -
  • Much more economical.
  • Hassle free in the sense that you know exactly what you have paid for.


Cons -
  • The cheaper tickets may have no refunds in case of cancellation.
  • You cannot change your schedule. The ticket is valid for that specific train on the given date only.


How to Book Tickets Online

The process of booking online tickets for trains in Europe is quite simple. The various resources I found useful for the bookings are :-
  • RailEurope - The RailEurope site is the authorised worldwide booking agent for many European Carriers. They have country specific sites, including for India. All national carriers are covered here and it is a convenient one stop shop. You pay in rupees (or your local currency) and the paper tickets are delivered at your doorsteps. Many discounted fares and deals are available on it, but some discounts are available only on the carriers own website. So, again, it is a trade-off between convenience and saving money.

  • Trenitalia - The national carrier of Italy. They have created an extremely convenient and user friendly website. You can easily search and browse the results. Just remember to use local city names. For example, it is Firenze, not Florence. Once you have chosen your tickets, you can pay online by credit card. The e-tickets are immediately mailed to you. You just need to carry a copy of it, along with your passport, on the train. Bookings on Trenitalia start 4 months in advance. They have fabulous discounts when booked well in advance, including 9 Euro tickets between most destinations. It is a non-refundable, non-transferable ticket. But at Rs.500 ($10) per ticket, it is hardly a loss. The cost of tickets closer to the date are as much as 4-5 times this amount. So for travel within Italy, I would recommend using this site. Trenitalia runs three kinds of trains - standard, Frecciarosa and Frecciargenta. The Freccias are the superfast trains and cost accordingly higher. But again, 9 Euro tickets are available for them too. However, most trips within Italy are just a few hours and thus the fast trains may not be worth an extra expense. Finally, it is best to buy Second class. The trains are clean and spacious and again, First class may not be worth the extra expense.


  • OEBB (or ÖBB) - The Austrian National Carrier. A decent website with an english version. Fares are much higher compared to Trenitalia and Bahn. You can pay online and get an eticket. However, ensure that you choose the option which does not require validation at an Austrian Railway station prior to your travel. Booking opens 6 months in advance.


  • Bahn - The German National Carrier. Again a convenient and well designed website. You can book both trains and buses. Allows you to pay online and buy etickets. You can get good discounts if you buy the tickets early. And end up paying exorbitant fares if you buy late. Bookings open 3 months in advance. Their timetable, considered the best, covers entire europe. However you can only buy tickets for trains originating or terminating in Germany.

  • SBB (or Schweizerische Bundesbahnen)  - The Swiss Federal Railways. I found the fares to be high compared to other carriers. To be avoided, unless traveling within Switzerland, in which case a Swiss Pass is a better option. You can book only 30 days in advance.

  • SNCF (Société Nationale des Chemins de fer Français) - The National Society of French Railways. The website is colorful and can be a little confusing. Though you can buy etickets, this option is not available for all fares. So please confirm the type of ticket before making the payment. Again, you can get excellent fares if you book early. Bookings generally starts three months in advance - though it is a little more complicated. They have limited TGV(High Speed Trains) fares from Germany, Switzerland, etc starting at as low as 29 euros ($31). But these tickets sell out within minutes. On opening the site, it gives you an option to stay or go to the RailEurope website. I preferred buying SNCF tickets on the RailEurope site.


Apart from these National Carriers, there are two other websites which you should check out.

  • Loco2 - It is an extremely minimalist and user-friendly website for booking trains all over Europe. I found the ticket prices to be extremely competitive. Certainly worth checking.

  • Capitaine Trains -This is an even more minimalist and simple interface.It provides tickets for many European countries. However, I didn't find the coverage as good as Loco2. Still worth checking out for good deals.

I will end this post on train travel within Europe with a website recommendation.
  • The Man in Seat Sixty-One.   This is an award-winning travel website focused exclusively on train travel. It covers every aspect of train travel within Europe and around the world. You can check on country specific booking tips, types of trains, the various classes of travel, seat numbering, train timings, left luggage facilities in stations, special requirements like wheelchairs or travelling with pets, etc. It you want to know any train related info, you can be sure to find it here. BTW I have no affiliation with the site. Just found it incredibly useful.

In the next post, we will discuss the other options for travel within Europe - Planes and Automobiles. 

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