2024-09-05 05:10:04
There are a few reasons why you should go on vacation by train. But even for long trips, for example to other European countries, many people are afraid of complicated planning and booking as well as high ticket prices. But that doesn’t have to be the case.
Traveling by train has its advantages: it is comparatively friendly, you see a lot of the country during the journey and you always arrive in the center of a city. Besides the fact that not everyone likes to fly. However, many are afraid of high ticket prices and difficulties when planning connections abroad when traveling by train for long periods of time.
But: traveling by train doesn’t have to be expensive or stressful. We spoke to railway expert Sebastian Wilken. Editor of a railway travel magazine Zugpost
1. Book the trip as early as possible
Not only Deutsche Bahn (DB), but almost all European railway companies use energy pricing systems with certain ticket allocations, Wilken said. It’s about managing demand and using the train as efficiently as possible.
This usually means: the first tickets for a connection are the cheapest. If these are out of stock, a more expensive contingency is employed and the cost often increases closer to the departure.
According to the expert, the Australian Federal Railways (ÖBB) has adopted a dynamic pricing system to scale for their Nightjet night trains. With price limits within which the price of tickets can be high or low. “It goes a bit in the direction of: making the maximum amount of money for each customer that they are willing to pay,” is how Wilken describes it. This promises more profit in the end.
What does all this mean for the right signing period? “The chances of getting a good price if you book early are really high,” says Wilken. But it may well be that the ticket price is cheaper just before departure. “Of course you have to have the courage to bet on it.”
This has recently been shown, for example, in a sample of Stiftung Warentest
Advertising:
Travel cheaper with WELT: Deutsche Bahn certificate
2. Are the tickets cheaper on other state railways?
If you travel from Hamburg to Prague in Eurocity, you can book your ticket not only with Deutsche Bahn, but also with Czech Railways
If you want to travel from a city in Germany to Austria, it is worth looking at the ÖBB website for a comparison. “If I want to go to Italy, I can look not only at Trenitalia, but funnily enough also at ÖBB, as these lines part from Germany cross to Austria and always work through the ÖBB,” explained Wilken. If you are going to France, it is best to look at SNCF, the state railway there. This applies to all countries that want to travel by train.
3. Splitting up can be worth it – with a catch
Instead of a continuous ticket, it can also be cheaper to split the route. Wilken points to the “Chiasso trick” as an example. Background: All Eurocity trains from Zurich to Milan stop at this Swiss-Italian border station. Until then, the Deutsche Bahn savings rate applies. Sometimes it can be cheaper to buy one ticket to Chiasso from Deutsche Bahn and a second ticket from Chiasso from Trenitalia instead of buying a ticket for the whole route.
The catch: It becomes a problem when one train is late and you can’t catch another. In the event of such a loss of connection, you can assert your passenger rights only if you have a ticket through – ie if you bought tickets in the booking process on a platform. Then, for example, you can take another train instead of the one you missed to get to your destination.
However, this is not valid if you buy ticket 1 on the Deutsche Bahn website and ticket 2 on the website of another train company, for example Trenitalia. In such a case, passengers are not well off if train 1 is so late that train 2 has already left. Then they may have to buy a new ticket for the second route.
If you want to find information about your rights in the event of train delays and cancellations as well as on the subject of tickets, you can find information on European Customer Center website
4. Consider waiting times when changing trains
Wilken said sometimes it takes short transit times. But you cannot advise that to the general public. Especially those who travel with a lot of luggage or with children want to plan more and save enough time if the train has to change at a station.
At Deutsche Bahn, for example, you can adjust the transfer times when you leave so that only the connections that offer enough savings are shown.
In countries like Germany, where a train runs every hour on major long-distance routes, it might not be too bad if you miss a train, Wilken said. But if you look at other countries where certain connections are made once a day, it is a different thing.
Your advice: The more alternatives there are if you lose the connection, the more savings you should plan for the change. Especially for trains that take you to the night train. “I wouldn’t consider a transfer time of 20 minutes, but rather two hours.” Because when the night train leaves, all that’s left is to spend the night at a local hotel and hope you can catch another night train the following evening. .
5. Check the booking platforms
Anyone planning cross-border train journeys, from Germany to Spain, for example, can find offers on platforms such as The train
According to the law, the tickets purchased through the tickets also come with the corresponding benefits in terms of passenger rights (see point 3). However: “Sometimes they can give you two separate tickets,” Wilken said. Then individual train journeys may not count as a through ticket.
Not all major train companies have integrated the platforms. “We’re still a long way from having a Europe-wide booking portal where you can do everything easily,” says Wilken. But they are steps in the right direction. For example, individual seat reservations for trains can be purchased on portals – for example for Interrail users who want to travel on long-distance trains that require reservations.
Save with an Interrail ticket
interrail
⇨ By train through Europe:
Traveling by train in Europe can be fun or stressful – depending on the country. Them Switzerland is a “model country” where there is a fast pace and high energy. Sebastian Wilken said: “In Switzerland, no one would think about buying a seat because you will find a seat, otherwise the next train will leave in 20 minutes.
Inside France On the other hand, state railways operate with a seat reservation system – for example, you cannot travel on the TGV express train without a reservation. And while TGV connections between major cities work well, according to Wilken, it can be a problem if you want to continue with a local train.
The TGV stops at its own train stations, which are often outside the city and sometimes not well connected to the local rail network. “In the worst case scenario, you have to quickly take a taxi from the TGV to the local train station in order to get your train there,” says Wilken. In conclusion, France does not have the best railway system. Inside Spain is that kind.
Train travel is convenient and often surprisingly cheap Scandinavia. There are few connections here, but they work – especially with connecting trains. You can always rely on this, especially when shipping times are appropriate. Great Britain is also good for traveling by train – at least for tourists. With an Interrail ticket you can travel there comfortably and comfortably.
Them The Balkans is the biggest problem in Europe when it comes to rail travel, says Wilken. In countries like Serbia, Croatia or Bosnia-Herzegovina Train travel does not work well. Things don’t look particularly rosy in the Baltic countries, either Latvia, Lithuania we had Estonia. “There is a lot of investment now, so the situation here has improved. Wilken said: “It’s a little desperate in the Balkans.
Wer Train travel in Europe system, can next to Sebastian Wilken’s portal Zugpost.org
stop
#Tips #traveling #train #travel #linearly #Europe #train