How to avoid paying too much to travel by train in Europe

2 hours ago 3

Brian Johnston

September 15, 2025 — 5:00am

If you’re paying top euro for your train tickets, you aren’t doing it the right way.

Train-ticket pricing in Europe has become very competitive thanks to stiff competition from budget airlines. However, you’ll need research to snag the best prices, which might depend on anything (and everything) from your age, to the time of booking, time of travel, and type of train.

You should absolutely pre-book seats on faster trains and for longer journeys. Discounts on advance purchases can be substantial, though this doesn’t apply to slower and regional trains.

Advance purchase tickets are a particularly good deal in Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and Sweden. For example, Super Economy fares in Italy get you 40 per cent off and a Prem fares ticket booked four months in advance on France’s high-speed TGV might cost as little as €15 ($27).

Don’t select flexible ticket options. Booking a specific date and time is usually cheaper. Also, as a tourist, you have few reasons to be travelling during peak times, which cost the most.

Europe once priced train travel only by distance, but dynamic pricing is now much more common. Early morning, midday and mid-week are cheaper for long-distance trains, especially in France and Britain, while local trains may be cheaper outside commuting hours.

Regional trains, like this one in Switzerland, often follow the tourist routes but are cheaper.

Ask yourself whether you need to use high-speed or inter-city trains. Fares on regional trains are cheaper, plus you’ll never pay extra for a seat reservation. Your journey might take 20 minutes more, but train travel is often a scenic experience in Europe, so relax and enjoy the ride.

How old are you? Do your research. Children travel for free on some passes, and those in their 20s often get discounts, as do retirees.

Investigation will reveal other quirks in the system. Four people travelling together might qualify for a group- discount on some rail systems. And while most return tickets in Europe are double the single fare, that’s not so in Spain, Britain and Ireland, nor on Eurostar services, where a return saves you money.

Don’t book single or even return tickets if you’re likely to be on trains a lot, as rail passes might be better value, such as the Eurail pass from $485 for any 10 days within a two-month period.

You’ll have to be good at maths, though, to work out the deal. For example, the one-year BahnCard 50 in Germany costs €244 ($435) but gets you and a travel companion a 50 per cent discount on flexible fares and 25 per cent on saver fares.

Switzerland has a similar Swiss Half Fare Card, valid for a month for CHF 120 ($229) which gets you a 50 per cent discount on rail, boat, bus and mountain lift fares, as well as free entry to many museums.

There are ways to save beyond merely navigating ticket prices. For example, consider booking an overnight train instead of a hotel room, which is particularly good value on Spain’s budget-friendly OUIGO service.

Look for alternatives to expensive tourist trains in places such as Switzerland: much cheaper but less-hyped regular services often follow the same routes and are just as scenic.

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Brian Johnston seemed destined to become a travel writer: he is an Irishman born in Nigeria and raised in Switzerland, who has lived in Britain and China and now calls Australia home.