Travelling by train in Europe: everything you need to know

The train emits on average 8 to 10 times less CO₂ than the plane on equivalent journeys, and up to 5 times less than the car. It serves the heart of cities, requires no airport shuttle and can be booked from home in seconds.

At comparable price and duration, the train almost always wins between Paris–Lyon, Paris–Brussels, Paris–London, Madrid–Barcelona or Milan–Rome. It becomes more cost-effective than the plane as soon as the door-to-door journey takes less than 4 to 5 hours.

• France: SNCF (TGV INOUI, OUIGO, Intercités, TER), Trenitalia France — see the Train France page.
• International: Eurostar (Paris–London, Amsterdam, Brussels — see Eurostar), TGV Lyria (France–Switzerland), DB (Germany), Trenitalia and Italo (Italy), Renfe (Spain), ÖBB Nightjet (night trains), SBB (Switzerland), SNCB (Belgium).
• Low-cost: OUIGO, OUIGO Vitesse Classique, Renfe AVLO, Italo Smart.

Train tickets are on average 30% to 60% cheaper when bought several weeks in advance. SNCF opens its TGV INOUI and OUIGO sales 3 to 4 months before departure: see the SNCF timetables page for the detailed opening dates.

With Gopaxo, you compare the prices of every operator, schedules, duration and number of connections in a single search. You are then redirected to the partner's site to finalise the booking with no extra cost.

Many discounts exist depending on the traveller's profile: SNCF Avantage Jeune / Adulte / Senior cards (−30% on TGV INOUI and Intercités), Interrail / Eurail Pass for Europe, Trenitalia Carta Verde / Carta Argento, regional TER season tickets, and more.

For detailed use of discount cards on Gopaxo, see the travellers & reduced fares section of our FAQ.

On certain journeys (distances > 800 km, rural destinations with no station, overnight trips with no sleeper train), the long-distance bus, carpooling or flying may be cheaper or faster. Have a look at our bus, carpooling and plane pages to compare the alternatives.