the rail network is very developed in Europe. It is a privileged means of transport on a continent where human activities are particularly dense. Thus, despite several regressions that have made the matter less true, we can still say that trains make it possible to travel through Europe.
Railway companies
The companies are generally public. The most notable example of rail liberalization is British, but it seems that the authorities of this country are gradually reversing their decision. National companies therefore respond in principle to the legal imperatives of public service: equality (of prices and service), continuity of service, etc.
Germany
- DB
French timetable search form. – The Hafas form provides timetables for all trains in Europe. After that, you will have to go and buy the tickets but you will already know the feasibility of the route. Be careful, however, these are only the planned hours. The site does not take into account work and other last minute changes.
Belgium
- SNCB French timetable search form. – The Hafas form, of course, provides the timetables for all Belgian trains, as well as for certain connections outside this state. Tickets are also available online.
- SNCB International French timetable search form. – Tickets are also available online.
France
- SNCF Timetable search form.
Grand Duchy of Luxembourg
- CFL French timetable search form. – Tickets are also available online.
Swiss
- CFF French timetable search form. – The Hafas form provides timetables for all trains in Europe. It is possible to edit a timetable according to the search, as well as the departure or arrival tables for any station. After that, you will have to go and buy the tickets but you will already know the feasibility of the route. Be careful, however, of two points of vigilance: these are only the planned schedules (the site does not take into account work and other last minute changes) and, in the same vein, the arrival and departure tables by station do not take into account the exact date requested, but only theoretical timetables for the corresponding day of the week!
Types of relationships
There are several ways to travel long distances by train in Europe.
- Night trains
- fast trains: Eurostar, Thalys, ...
- Auto train
Packages
Interrail
There are two types of tickets. The One Country Pass whose price varies according to the country of 42 € To 156 €. the Benelux is considered as one country and the Greece is divided into Greece, Greece more also including ferries to Italy and Greek islands including ferries between the Greek Islands.
The Interrail Global Pass are valid in 30 countries for 5 days over 15 days, 7 days over 1 month, 10 days over 1 month, 15 days over 1 month, 15 days continuously, 22 days continuously or 1 month continuously.
the Interrail card is not valid in your country of residence except for two journeys of one Interrail Global Pass. The price of reservations is not included in the Interrail pass: thus, for trains requiring reservations, the ticket is free, but you still have to pay for the reservation.
- Interrail
Hours
Every year, in December and June, European train timetables are changed. There are rarely major changes on important lines, but the changes allow for changes in international services and seasonal variations. Currently, the dates for train schedule changes in Europe are usually the Sunday of the second weekend in June (Sunday June 13, 2021) and December (Sunday December 12, 2021). Reservations are sometimes not possible for a train leaving after these dates up to a few weeks or sometimes a few days before the schedule change.
However, in some countries such as Swiss or in Germany schedule changes only occur once a year in December. In Switzerland, major changes only happen every two years, in odd-numbered years.
In continental Europe, you will have to go through each national company. But to go from one point to another with all the possible refinements of routes, the sites of each are more or less useful and complete (see the list above). Please note, most of the time, these classify the results by departure time, which may be less relevant than by other criteria such as arrival time, travel time or number of connections. It is up to the traveler to be careful not to stop at the first suggested result!
Tickets
In general, it is possible to buy tickets online at the operator's website, at stations or on trains if the train stopping point does not have an open ticket counter. A supplement is sometimes requested for tickets purchased on trains.
- It is preferable to take all the sections in a single ticket to benefit from the reduction in kilometers: the more kilometers you take, the less expensive the kilometer, that is to say that the price still continues to increase with the distance, but slower.
- It is possible, on the same ticket, to have a cut to spend the night on the way and then take the train back.
