Sebastian Hoffman, from the Mobility Information Point touring artists, offers some useful tips for traveling by train in Europe. This article is thanks to the collaboration with and by two On the Move members: Arts and Theatre Institute (Czech Republic) and Motovila (Slovenia) and it is available in Slovenian here and Czech here.
- When it comes to researching travel options and buying tickets, don’t rely on your national rail operator or large internet platforms. Instead, head to Seat 61, a website run by ‘The Man in Seat 61,’ which contains meticulously researched and up-to-date information on almost every country in the world. To check possible connections Deutsche Bahn has the most comprehensive database in Europe (although it won’t be able to sell you a ticket for most of them).
- In the case of direct cross-border trains operated as a cooperation by two rail (or more) railway companies, you should compare prices: you can also book a ticket using another company’s booking system, even if you don’t live in that country. For example, direct trains from Germany to Hungary are often cheaper if you book them on the Hungarian railway operator’s website.
- For longer multi-stop journeys, check if buying an Interrail pass makes sense. Interrail often has sales on Global Passes. Once you have bought it in a sale, you still have several months to activate the pass. Note, however, that you will still need to buy reservations for many high-speed trains. In some countries (especially France), these can sell out weeks in advance, so plan well ahead.
- To buy tickets for international journeys with connections, you will usually need to buy individual tickets from different national train operators. If you’re on a multi-ticket journey with tickets bought from two different train companies, you should be able to ‘hop on the next available train’ (HOTNAT) if you miss a connection and if both train companies are part of Railteam (České dráhy, for example, is not). However, instead of making a tight connection, it may be wise to plan for a generous buffer or even an overnight stop. If you’re travelling by train from Prague to London, for example, why not spend a few hours in Paris for an extended lunch or a night? Economic factors may be a barrier to longer stopovers – but thinking creatively about how to structure stopover trips can also create opportunities to fit in a business meeting or visit friends and family along the way.
- Although the last few years have seen something of a renaissance for night trains in Europe, there are still many gaps in the network and many countries are completely cut off (the Baltic States, Portugal, Greece). The lobby group Back on Track provides an up-to-date map of connections in Europe to help you research your options.
- To stay up to date on new routes, sales, and regulations, follow lobby groups, experts, platforms and train influencers on social media. Suggestions include The Man in Seat 61, Jon Worth, Back on Track,Europe by Rail, and European Rail Timetable.