How early to book train tickets in Europe?

Train ticket advance booking opening times vary between train types, countries and rail or bus operators, but three months is a good estimate for most services. The advance booking times are called Booking horizons; the term for how far ahead you can book train tickets.



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The earlier you book your tickets, the more likely you are to get the lowest fare available for the dates you want on the routes along your journey. You may book your travel up to 11 months in advance.

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The earlier you book your tickets, the more likely you are to get the lowest fare available for the dates you want on the routes along your journey. You may book your travel up to 11 months in advance.

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Yes, but it does depend on how last minute you plan to travel. If you're buying very last minute, your best option is to order a mobile Pass, which you'll instantly receive in your inbox after purchase. If you don't plan on using trains that require seat reservations, you only need to order a few days before your trip.

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The earlier you book your tickets, the more likely you are to get the lowest fare available for the dates you want on the routes along your journey. You may book your travel up to 11 months in advance.

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In Italy, regional trains can be booked 2 months ahead, while national and international trains may be available 6 months in advance.

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Advance purchase tickets are cheaper rail fares which are sold prior to the day of travel, and, in some cases on the day of departure.

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Book train tickets in advance While many of us plan and book flights well before our trip, train travel is often left until the last minute. Like planes, train tickets are released in price sections—the cheapest fares are first, and the most expensive ones can be purchased up to an hour before the train time.

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Tickets open up for sale around 90 days before your travel date. In general, the longer your travel distance, the earlier you should book. But don't try to to book too far in advance, 90 days is the sweet spot. Definitely get reservations for TGV, Thalys and Eurostar, especially if you're choosing popular travel dates.

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Advance tickets are single (one-way) tickets for a specific train, only available to be bought in advance. If you don't mind being flexible about your travel times, Advance tickets can save you a lot.

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But if you're planning a longer journey with multiple stopovers and changes, the flexibility and convenience of a Eurail Pass is unrivalled – and for many popular routes it works out cheaper than point-to-point tickets, especially if you're traveling as a group or with children and you can take advantage of Eurail ...

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Italiarail shows a whole day's trains in the search results and can book up to 20 people at a time. Trenitalia's own website only shows a couple of hours-worth of trains at a time and can only book up to 5 people at a time.

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And Omio is certainly an honest booking site (it's not a scam, your e-tickets from Omio will work just fine), but it's definitely not the best way to find the trip tickets at the best prices in most cases. We've tested Omio and other booking sites for hundreds of voyages and followed the major players for years.

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Higher fares usually apply when purchasing tickets onboard the train. To secure the best available fare, passengers should purchase tickets prior to boarding the train.

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There's no sugarcoating it: Airfare is expensive. And while waiting until the last minute might sound like a good idea, it typically is cheaper to book your flights in advance. We are seeing fewer last-minute deals than in years past, especially when it comes to flights, a Kayak spokesperson tells Travel + Leisure.

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