A guide to train travel in Europe

Train travel is one of the best ways of getting around Europe. For the most part, Europe has clean, efficient and relatively cheap railway networks that allow travellers and in particular, backpackers to get from A to B quickly and easily. Riding the rails in Europe can be achieved by buying domestic rail passes when travelling in countries with an InterRail Europass when making several journeys. Read this guide to know about train travel in Europe.

Intra-country travel

Domestic rail services Travelling within single countries, such as on trains in France, can be achieved by searching out local timetables from that particular country's railway administration website. A useful guide for any rail traveller looking to travel within European countries on the railways is Seat61.com. Here, travellers will find guides written by other travellers who have already made the journeys that they wish to make. Helping make sense of it all Travelling in obscure or faraway European countries on trains can be particularly confusing. So, read the advice offered by Seat61.com. You should also consider to visit the website of travel agents, as there are many websites that specialise in European rail transport.

Using travel agents

Making bookings Tickets for some of Europe's leading inter-country railways, such as the Mammoth Trans-Siberian Express train are sold first to travel agents. Visit websites such as Cleartrip.com and Raileurope.com to enter the dates, times and cities that you wish to travel so as to see a clear and succinct list of trains and prices. If you are confused about the classes and types of seats offered, which is particularly prevalent when travelling on sleeper trains, visit Seat61.com and source out your specific journey to see photographs and read advice from experienced railway travellers. Shopping around Don't just commit to the first travel agent that you find selling tickets for a particular journey. Contact several different agencies to see if one agent is willing to offer you a special deal for your European railway travel.

Eurail passes

Going inter-railing Eurail passes, formerly known as European InterRail tickets, allow you to make an unlimited number of journeys between designated countries, although there are limitations on taking high-speed bullet trains, such as the German HGV service. So, make sure that you are aware of the restrictions before boarding. Eurail passes cost upwards of £200 (as of 01.08.11), but they give you the freedom to make as many journeys as you can within the countries that you have specified. Eurail passes are ideal for backpackers, people visiting several different European cities and countries and travellers with no strict itinerary. More details can be found at Raileurope.com or Eurail.com.