Rail travel in Europe including the UK, France, Italy, Germany, Spain and beyond
Europe's rail network is extensive, well connected and modern. No matter what country you travel in, rest assured that you'll get reliable services, comfortable seats and plenty of storage space for your suitcases full of souvenirs.
In Europe, each country has its own rail network, they are all interconnected and it is possible to travel cross-country as well as on national routes. However, it is not possible to book one train ticket for several countries from one train operator - that's where Trainline comes in!
Trainline combines offers, ticket information and timetables for most European rail companies. This makes booking a train ticket for your whole journey as easy as pie. You don't even have to worry about what train operator you're travelling with - simply book, turn up at the station and go.
Discover Europe
Traveling by train in Europe for the first time? Check out our trains in Europe page with all the information you need to easily navigate European rail, or our guide to the best items to bring on a train trip.
We've compiled travel tips, information on trains in Germany, France, Spain, Italy and the UK as well as answers to the most frequently asked questions.
European rail passes
Planning to travel to more than one country? An Interrail or Eurail Pass might be the right choice for you. Check out the different options available.
Both Interrail and Eurail passes allow travelers to explore Europe by train whilst staying flexible and visiting several countries or exploring a single country of their choice.
Europe's most scenic train journeys
From a train window, you can enjoy a whole different view of the world. From a train, you can sit back, relax and soak up the beautiful scenery as a train weaves its way through the countryside.
Check out our top 10 scenic train journeys here.
Train operating companies and train types
In many European countries, the national rail network is owned by the state, which usually means that one corporation controls and runs the whole network. This can be an advantage if you're traveling around a country by train because you'll quickly become familiar with the ins and outs of that operator. However, some railway systems have been privatized and as a consequence, the rail routes are owned by many different companies - such is the case in the UK with 30 different operators.
The types of trains you can get in Europe can generally be divided into three categories: high-speed trains, medium-distance or medium-speed trains and regional trains. High-speed trains connect big cities within a country and cross-border (e.g. London to Cologne, London to Amsterdam and London to Paris), medium-distance trains operate on long and medium-length routes within specific countries and regional trains are used for short distances, connecting smaller cities and towns.
European train tickets
You can buy train or bus tickets for over 40 countries and 200+ operators with Trainline - everything you need on one single platform.
We recommend booking your tickets for high-speed and medium-distance trains online in advance to get the best deals and to guarantee a relaxed, hassle-free journey. In most cases, regional train tickets don't have to be bought in advance because they have a fixed price and seat reservations are usually not possible. Please check individual country pages for further information.
Train times
Check out the most popular train routes in Europe for travel inspiration or search for train times for a specific train journey here.