The European train network consists of a loosely organized group of national rail companies, making planning and booking international travel a bit confusing for the foreign visitor. While the RailEurope booking site can make this process easier, you’ll typically pay more and you won’t be presented with electronic ticketing options. While there are developments on the horizon that may improve the situation as soon as next year, if you wish to plan and book international European rail travel on your own today, each travel segment in a trip must be booked separately with the appropriate ticket seller for that segment.
The general rule to know is that each segment must be purchased from the national rail website which corresponds to the departure city for that segment. Typically there are multiple possible routings (unique combinations of connection points/cities) for multi-segment train journeys. So how does one know where to start and who the appropriate ticket sellers are? That’s where Passport Junkie can help. When you search for travel between two cities on the site, you’ll be presented with information about the various itinerary options applicable to your departure and arrival cities:
- For direct or nonstop train travel options (1 travel segment), a link to the appropriate ticket seller for that train is provided
- For itinerary options requiring 1-2 train changes en route (2 or 3 travel segments), the site describes each travel segment and provides a link to the appropriate ticket seller for that segment
- For travel itinerary options requiring 3 or more train changes en route (more than 3 travel segments), the site provides guidance on potential methods for booking and links to the described booking resources
Example – booking rail travel between Amsterdam and Roma (Rome)
A search on Passport Junkie for Amsterdam to Roma results in 3 options being displayed within the rail travel section:
- 2 Segments – Amsterdam to Paris to Roma
- 2 Segments – Amsterdam to Milano to Roma
- 3 or more Segments
After reviewing the information presented about each, you decide that option #2 is preferred. Passport Junkie explains that by booking each of these segments separately, electronic tickets can be issued, which can be picked up at the station from a ticket window or from a machine (by using the credit card with which the tickets were purchased). The site further explains that in order to book this option, the following steps should be taken:
- Book a ticket for segment #1 – Amsterdam to Milano – as this segment departs from Amsterdam, tickets can be booked on NS Hispeed, the Netherlands’ national rail website
- Book a ticket for segment #2 – Milano to Roma – as this segment departs from Milano, tickets can be booked on Trenitalia, the Italian national rail website
Looking forward – why international rail travel in Europe should get easier!
By 2010, several of the larger European rail companies are expected to be on an integrated computer reservation system, which should make the booking process simpler. In addition, international train travel in Europe will begin to be liberalized (de-regulated) – new competitors may emerge to challenge the national rail companies (and maybe result in lower fares – think Ryanair for train travel!), and some national rail companies may be privitized. Whatever happens, Passport Junkie will stay abreast of the latest changes and continue to make the planning process less painful for budget travelers.
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