#Euro rail route map how to
#Euro rail route map windows

All routes are run by SNCF unless otherwise noted. But assuming labor and the government are getting along, then train travel in France is one of the most enjoyable experiences you can have in Europe.īelow are some popular direct routes you can consider from Paris. In this case, whether you book with Rail Europe or not, you’ll definitely want to keep an eye on SNCF’s website because France is notorious for their rail strikes, which can throw more than a wrench into any itinerary. Plus, France’s SNCF runs some of the fastest trains in the world, hitting speeds up to nearly 200 mph with their TGV line. SNCF ( Thalys ( From Paris, you’re firmly on the continent and have no shortage of direct routes to major European destinations.

READ MORE: Riding The Ronde: Belgium’s Tour Of Flanders Cycling Sportive Brussels to Düsseldorf: 2h 12m (Thalys).(I rode it from Munich to Verona, which does the journey in about six hours.)īelgian Rail ( Like the Netherlands, Belgium is another easy country for international rail travel with more than manageable connections from all its bordering countries - France, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, and Germany. While not high-speed, they run one of my favorite lines, RailJet, which travels through the Alps between Munich and Bologna with stops in between. In fact, you can take an overnight train from as far as my home of Düsseldorf to Vienna. So that means the ÖBB is the Österreich Bundesbahn (isn’t German fun?) and they are the primary carrier in Austria with night train services that extend throughout Central Europe. ÖBB ( You might wonder why Austrian trains are run by ÖBB with the funny dots over the “O.” Austria auf Deutsch is Österreich. A one country pass with unlimited travel in one of Eurail’s 28 countries runs from €49. The select pass, covering two, three, or four bordering countries, start from 106. (As of publication, they have a 37 percent off summer deal.) Global passes that allow you to visit up to 28 countries in Europe start at €247.

To start, have a look at their various passes. Eurail PassĮurail ( Booking with Eurail is an excellent option if you’re looking for an all-in-one train ticket for one trip overseas. Note: Some carriers, like Germany’s Deutsche Bahn, will show train times for different rail operators and will sometimes even allow you to purchase tickets with them (yay for Switzerland’s SBB, nay for Belgium’s Thalys), but Rail Europe ensures you’re seeing every possibility. But if you’re sticking with the major cities. On the downside, Rail Europe isn’t very useful for small town travel in Europe. If you try to make what Rail Europe deems to be an odd connection, you’ll get an error noting that “it is possible the journey that you are searching is made up of more than 2 connections or includes other modes of transportation.” In that case, you will need to research with the national rail operators. The listings on the results page will display everything you need to know, including duration of the journey, whether it’s a direct train or if there’s a connection, and what carrier you’ll be riding.

#Euro rail route map windows

Rail Europe makes things easier by allowing you to simply plug in your destinations, dates, and preferred departure windows right on their homepage.

It can be a bit confusing, not to mention overwhelming when you’re planning a train trip across international borders. Rail Europe ( Most every country in Europe has their own rail system, and ipso facto, their own rail website for booking tickets.

#Euro rail route map how to

But by the time you’re done with the first couple sections, you’ll know how to search and plan your own train trip through Europe. Obviously, there are some omissions, but we’d be here all day if I typed out every route, especially once we get into central Europe. In reality, train travel is often much faster, shedding as much as a few hours off your travel time when compared to automobiles, especially when looking at long distance routes covered by high-speed rail.īelow is everything you need to know about traveling Europe by train including information about the various high-speed train lines and how long it takes to travel between some of the most popular routes on the continent. Despite the ease and affordability (with planning) of train travel in Europe, I’m still surprised to meet people from overseas who treat the continent like they’re flying into Phoenix, renting a car as soon as they land. Over the years I’ve been fortunate to ride routes in Ireland, the United Kingdom, France, Spain, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, and plenty more. Europe is a continent of rails with some of the best opportunities for train travel in the world.