Traveling in Europe has its undeniable advantages. And the main one is the compactness of the region, which makes it possible, within the framework of even the shortest excursion, to visit several countries and cities. But for the implementation of a tourist program, you need to choose the right way to travel. The best in this regard can be safely called railway transport, on which you can rush to the most remote corners of the European part of the continent in a matter of hours or even minutes.
Of course, trains are somewhat inferior to planes and cars in terms of comfort. However, they benefit from the cost of tickets and a simpler customs control procedure, and from cars due to the fact that they allow the traveler to relax and arrive at the place of acquaintance with the next sights full of strength and energy.
Now let's talk about how to make train travel economical without sacrificing comfort or speed between points on your planned route.
Train types and which one to choose
It should be noted right away that all trains that run between European cities have a good level of comfort. And in many ways, even the cost of the ticket does not affect this.
All rail transport can be divided into four types: suburban, regional, express and superfast. From the name of the category, it is easy to guess how each species differs and how far and how quickly you can get to your destination on it.
So, suburban trains are mainly represented by electric trains that run within one administrative unit. Tourists will have to use the services of such transport if they want to go to the suburbs, where the main attractions are very often located (for example, from Paris to Versailles).
On regional trains, you can get anywhere in a particular country. The only "minus" of this way of travel is the slowness, which is caused by frequent stops. But tickets will cost an order of magnitude cheaper than travelers who have a spare time do not forget to use. Well, as a kind of bonus, an amazing landscape outside the window is attached.
If you don't have much time for sightseeing in Europe, feel free to buy a ticket for the IC or EC fast train. Unlike regional ones, it stops only in large cities, and the speed of movement is several times higher. For example, you can get by such a train from the capital of Germany to Amsterdam in just 6 hours.
But high-speed trains are a special type of transport that allows you to make the most large-scale movements in a short time. Travel speed reaches 300 km / h, while the level of passenger comfort remains high. Accordingly, you will have to pay extra for such "delights". This type of electric trains is actively gaining its popularity among travelers, displacing slower colleagues.
It is also possible to single out night trains, which allow you to save a "round" amount on travel. They run in the dark, when the load on the railway is lower and are in demand among those tourists who prefer not to waste time on trips during the day, preferring to get acquainted with some kind of attraction.
Do not forget that you can even save on the type of seat. If you are unpretentious, then a regular chair will suit you, which are located in six rows. Well, if the budget allows, then you are invited to enjoy the trip in one of the first-class coupes.
How to save money on your trip
When we got acquainted with the types of trains, it's time to move on to the question of saving on travel. So, the main way to reduce their travel costs, which is actively used by modern travelers, is to purchase a travel document in advance. If you do this in a few months, you can get a good discount. This can be done through the special website of the railway company, on the train of which you decided to go on a tour.
For example, you can use the website of the German railways - bahn.de. The resource has an intuitive menu in which you can easily find such data as the place and time of departure, arrival, through which points the train passes and the cost of travel. There are several language interfaces through which any visitor can order a ticket and choose a suitable route.
For those whose routes run through Austria, the local site oebb.at will be useful, where you can easily view the schedule, calculate the best route and even find out where the planned route can be continued from a particular settlement.
You can find out about discounts, train timetables within Spain, France and Italy on local sites - renfe.com, trenitalia.com and sncf.com. Leading companies from other European countries also have similar information resources.
It is also useful to visit the company's website because a special section contains information about discounts, promotions and other advantageous offers. In particular, there are several types of discounts - by age, by special coupons, and even depending on the season.
For those who travel often and a lot, the offer of buying a travel ticket will be beneficial. Although the cost is higher, the cost will pay off within a few trips. Among Russian tourists, the Interrail ticket is popular, which entitles its owner to travel both within one state and throughout Europe.
If you purposefully select a route within one country, the One Country Pass is more suitable.
But travel tickets have a significant drawback. Although its presence guarantees you the possibility of travel, it does not assign seats to the passenger. If you do not want to travel all the way in a standing position, you should take care of booking a seat in advance.
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