How far in advance can I buy train tickets in Europe?

On-sale dates vary by country, route, and time of year, with most starting two to four months in advance of travel, and six months ahead for Germany and the Eurostar Chunnel train. In some areas (such as Switzerland and most eastern countries), advance-purchase deals either don't exist or aren't worth the hassle.



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On-sale dates vary by country, route, and time of year, with most starting two to four months in advance of travel, and six months ahead for Germany and the Eurostar Chunnel train. In some areas (such as Switzerland and most eastern countries), advance-purchase deals either don't exist or aren't worth the hassle.

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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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Fortunately, there are several strategies you can use to save money on train tickets. One of the easiest ways to save money on train tickets is to book in advance. This not only guarantees you a seat on the train, but it can also save you up to 50% on the cost of your ticket.

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In most cases, the best way to purchase European train tickets is through a third-party booking website like Omio or Trainline. These services are much more user-friendly than booking directly through each country's national rail service.

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In most places, tickets for slower regional or medium-speed trains cost the same whether they're bought two months or two minutes before the train leaves. Round-trip tickets can be cheaper than two one-way tickets in some countries (Britain, Ireland, and Spain; sometimes in combination with advance purchase).

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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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Is it okay if we book 30 days ahead ? In general it is cheaper to book long distance trains ahead of time - 10 to 12 weeks is when cheap (but inflexible) tickets are released for sale. At 30 days on most routes there would be a reasonable selection still on sale if you are not too choosy about times.

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Advance purchase (a week to several months in advance) can save you significant money in many countries (most notably Austria, Britain, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and Sweden), especially for faster or longer rides.

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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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We advice against purchasing your tickets once in Spain. Not only you will pay the most expensive fares, there is a surcharge for tickets purchased at the ticket office, and the risk of finding sold out trains is very real.

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While it's not global, Omio does already let you buy tickets in most of Europe and North America, which is a wider reach than Trainline or Rail Europe, and they're expanding. For the route variety and prices it finds, I've found Omio does the best job with trains and busses (vs. planes and ferries).

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Follow the 21-day rule for last-minute travel Keyes suggests booking your ticket at least 21 days before departure (if possible), since airlines have policies that will substantially raise the price of airfare for trips taking place after that deadline.

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