How to Travel Europe by Train: Basic Guide (P4)

How to Get Tickets for Traveling in Europe by Train​

After you purchase your tickets, the next step is to actually receive them!

Here are the three main options.

Online​

Most European train tickets today can be received online and downloaded to your phone.

When available, this is the easiest and fastest way to receive your tickets.

At the Station​

You can also choose to pick up the (paper) tickets at the station where you are departing, either by purchasing tickets there as mentioned above or by collecting tickets you have bought online.

In most cases, there is really no reason to pick up the paper tickets you purchased online instead of just downloading them, but most countries still offer this option.

At Home​

If you book train tickets for your trip to Europe ahead of time, many countries also have a home delivery option where they can send tickets to you before you travel.
We took advantage of this for our first multi-country trip to Europe and had train tickets for the overnight route from Krakow to Budapest sent to our then home in San Antonio.

To be honest, that was completely unnecessary, even though we were novice travelers at the time and we don’t necessarily recommend doing this – but some places have this option available.

How to Travel in Europe by Train: A Step-by-Step Travel Guide​

If you’re feeling confused, anxious, or just a bit nervous about traveling by train in Europe but are ready to book your first trip, this section is for you!

Follow these step-by-step instructions, and you’ll travel in Europe by train with ease.

Book Your Tickets.​

Generally, for long or international journeys, booking tickets online is the easiest option as we highlighted above.

We use and recommend Omio to book train tickets in Europe.

Make Sure You Have Your Tickets in Hand.​

This may mean downloading them to your phone or printing them on a piece of paper in hand.

This option works at most locations, but wherever you choose, make sure you have your tickets ready when boarding.

Go to the Train Station (Correctly).​

Most major cities in Europe have multiple train stations, so be sure to check carefully whether you are headed to the right station before departing.

Find Your Platform.​

Just like at the airport, the first step in finding your platform is to check the destination and time boards (often large, sometimes confusing).

It’s best to search for your train based on a combination of the train number, carrier, and departure time rather than the destination.

For example, if your train continues beyond your stop, searching by destination can become very confusing, very quickly.

Trains in Europe (and Europe in general) also use the 24-hour clock (so 3 PM will display as 15:00, etc.), so keep that in mind when searching for your train on the departure board.

Validate Your Ticket.​

If you have a paper ticket, you will need to validate it before boarding.

Ticket validation kiosks are usually located just before you reach the platform, but sometimes you can easily miss them if you’re not looking for them.

(As far as we’re concerned, this hassle is another advantage of online/downloadable tickets.)

If Possible, Find Your Car and Seat Number.​

If your train has reserved seating, you need to find the exact car and seat number to sit.

This is most common on long-distance, high-speed trains.

… Or Just Find the Right Class.​

If your train has open seating, the only concern about seating will be whether you sit in first or second class.

The numbers “1” or “2” indicate whether it is first or second class and are usually clearly marked on the side of the train, near or above the door, so it’s fairly easy to ensure you’re in the right place.

Store Your Luggage.​

On some trains, this means stowing your luggage in the racks provided at the end of each car, on other trains, it means above the seats, and in some places, there are even spots to store bags between seats.

Keep an eye on what others are doing, but remember that as long as your luggage is not within arm's reach of someone else, the process will generally be quite flexible.

Settle In and Enjoy the Views.​

Once you've found your seat and stored your luggage, it's finally time to experience the best part of traveling by train in Europe: relaxing and enjoying watching the world go by.

No matter how many times you take a train across Europe, we never cease to feel excited during this part of the journey!

Keep Your Ticket Handy When the Ticket Inspector Comes Through.​

At some point, when traveling in Europe by train – and whether it’s a 5-minute journey, a 5-hour trip, or both – the ticket inspector will come to check your ticket.

Be sure to keep your ticket in a convenient place so you’re ready when this happens!

Listen Carefully as You Approach Your Destination.​

As you start to get closer to your destination, it’s time to pay extra attention to the announcements.

Many cities in Europe have train stations that sound very similar, especially when it comes to unfamiliar stops (for example: Roma Tiburtina and Roma Termini), and you’ll want to be sure to get off the train at the right stop.

Otherwise, you may inadvertently find yourself deep in the suburbs instead of in the city center!

In many places, especially along routes popular with tourists, announcements for each stop will be repeated in English, but that’s not a guarantee.

Exit the Train Quickly and Smoothly.​

When you reach your stop, be ready to get off the train immediately – which means having your luggage in hand and waiting at the end of the car to disembark.

In general, you will see people starting to line up a few minutes before arrival.

Trains stop long enough for everyone to comfortably get off, so you don’t need to push through others or even rush if you are prepared.

However, if you wait until the train stops before arranging your luggage, then – if your stop isn’t the final stop, you may see the train start moving again before you have a chance to get off.