A guide to Europe's complex rail systems. How to book tickets, bring your bike on board, and new train routes. Plus some train journeys from my archive.
Thank you for that summary, Marloes! I'm based in Zambia now, but still travel to the Netherlands (and elsewhere in Europe) more or less regularly. On our honeymoon (decades ago) we travelled 3 weeks through Europe on a Eurail Pass. (Great memories resulted, as you can imagine! Sadly, before the days when we could take thousands of digital pictures at almost no cost.) I'd love to take another journey through Europe again, and trains are my favourite if we can travel light. Will save your article as a great reference doc!
We try to use trains as much as possible and don't own a car. But despite our best efforts, flights are often cheaper and faster. Changes are afoot, though.
It’s amazing we still don’t have a seamless, coordinated system across train companies and nations like you mention is being developed. Airlines have had that for travel agents since the 80s, and available to the general public on travel websites since the late 90s. I do like old-school Poland though, you can walk into any station or directly on the train and buy a ticket with cash and no penalty. They’ve phased that out here in Austria, everything is digital or if you can buy a paper ticket at the station you must pay more.
Totally! I hope that new system will be there soon! In the Netherlands a public transport chip card is common or digital. When you get train tickets at the station - from the machine or the service counter - you'll pay €1,50 extra. But irregular train travellers can use a debit card to travel by train now.
I would take a Nightjet from Amsterdam to Zurich, then a day train from Trenitalia from Zurich to Rome with a transfer in Milan.
Or the Nightjet from Amsterdam to Innsbruck and then a train to Rome with one transfer in Bologna or Verona (you probably have to book separate tickets for this at ÖBB and Trenitalia)
Thank you for that summary, Marloes! I'm based in Zambia now, but still travel to the Netherlands (and elsewhere in Europe) more or less regularly. On our honeymoon (decades ago) we travelled 3 weeks through Europe on a Eurail Pass. (Great memories resulted, as you can imagine! Sadly, before the days when we could take thousands of digital pictures at almost no cost.) I'd love to take another journey through Europe again, and trains are my favourite if we can travel light. Will save your article as a great reference doc!
That honeymoon sounds amazing! Good to know this post of help for you, feel free to contact me for questions.
We try to use trains as much as possible and don't own a car. But despite our best efforts, flights are often cheaper and faster. Changes are afoot, though.
Yes they are, we have to be patient for that as well ✌️
It’s amazing we still don’t have a seamless, coordinated system across train companies and nations like you mention is being developed. Airlines have had that for travel agents since the 80s, and available to the general public on travel websites since the late 90s. I do like old-school Poland though, you can walk into any station or directly on the train and buy a ticket with cash and no penalty. They’ve phased that out here in Austria, everything is digital or if you can buy a paper ticket at the station you must pay more.
Totally! I hope that new system will be there soon! In the Netherlands a public transport chip card is common or digital. When you get train tickets at the station - from the machine or the service counter - you'll pay €1,50 extra. But irregular train travellers can use a debit card to travel by train now.
Thanks for all these tips! If you wanted to travel Amsterdam to Rome, how would you structure a train trip?
I would take a Nightjet from Amsterdam to Zurich, then a day train from Trenitalia from Zurich to Rome with a transfer in Milan.
Or the Nightjet from Amsterdam to Innsbruck and then a train to Rome with one transfer in Bologna or Verona (you probably have to book separate tickets for this at ÖBB and Trenitalia)
Thank you!