How to book trains and buses in Europe

By train and coach you can get almost anywhere in Europe – from one city centre to the next, without security checks and with a view out of the window. The journey itself is rarely the hard part; booking is: every country has its own railway, some routes are shared by several operators, and long-distance coaches run on a network of their own. This article shows where to buy which tickets, what to know about night trains and seat reservations, and when the bus beats the train.

If you want to travel through several countries on a rail pass, you will find concrete routes in our article Interrail route ideas: 3 classic routes. This one is about point-to-point tickets.

Railway website or booking platform?

There are two ways to a ticket: directly from the railway company, or through a platform that shows several operators together.

Rule of thumb: if you only travel within one country, book with that country's railway. For cross-border routes served by several railways or coaches, a search on a platform like Omio is often the quickest way to see all the train and bus options side by side^*.

1. Lisbon CP
2. Madrid Renfe, Iryo, Ouigo
3. Paris SNCF
4. London National Rail, Eurostar
5. Amsterdam NS
6. Brussels SNCB
7. Bern SBB
8. Rome Trenitalia, Italo
9. Berlin Deutsche Bahn
10. Copenhagen DSB
11. Stockholm SJ
12. Prague ČD, RegioJet
13. Vienna ÖBB
14. Warsaw PKP Intercity
15. Budapest MÁV

Base map: Natural Earth

One ticket or several?

This matters for journeys with a change: a through ticket for the whole route protects you if a delay makes you miss your connection – under EU rail passenger rights you may then continue on the next train. If you buy two separate tickets instead, those are two contracts. If you miss the second train, the second ticket may be lost. With separate tickets, plan generous connection times, especially at border stations.

Many national railways also sell journeys to neighbouring countries, for example Deutsche Bahn to Austria, Switzerland or the Czech Republic. For longer routes across Europe, Rail Europe sells tickets from several European railways^* in English.

Seat reservations: when required, when sensible

Europe has two kinds of long-distance trains: those you can board with any valid ticket, and those with assigned seats.

• Reservation included or required: high-speed trains in France (TGV inOui, Ouigo), Italy (Frecciarossa, Italo) and Spain (AVE and others), Eurostar between London, Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam, and all night trains. With a normal ticket the seat is usually included. Only with a rail pass do you have to reserve it separately.
• Reservation optional: ICE and Intercity in Germany, Railjet in Austria, most long-distance trains in Switzerland, the Czech Republic and the Netherlands. You can take any train with a valid ticket. On Fridays, Sundays and around public holidays a reserved seat is still worth it, otherwise you may end up standing.

Eurostar has one special feature: the UK is not part of the Schengen area, so there are passport checks before departure. Allow enough time before the train leaves – the minimum is printed on your ticket and stated by Eurostar.

Night trains: sleep instead of fly

Night trains are making a comeback in Europe. Austrian Railways (ÖBB) run a large network under the Nightjet brand, with connections from Austria to Germany, Italy, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Belgium and Poland, among others. There are also European Sleeper between Brussels, Amsterdam, Berlin and Prague, the French Intercités de Nuit, the Caledonian Sleeper from London to Scotland and night trains in Sweden and Italy. Routes change with every timetable change – check them on the operators' websites.

Night trains have three levels of comfort:

The new-generation Nightjet also has mini cabins: small cabins for one person, a middle ground between a couchette and a private compartment.

On popular routes night trains sell out early, especially sleepers at weekends and in school holidays. Book as soon as sales open. Nightjet and European Sleeper sell directly on their own websites; many routes also appear on comparison platforms.

Long-distance coaches: the second network

Alongside the railways, Europe has a dense network of long-distance coaches. The largest operator is FlixBus, which runs in almost every European country and also operates trains in Germany under the FlixTrain name. There are also national operators such as Alsa in Spain, RegioJet in the Czech Republic and Slovakia (coaches and trains) and BlaBlaCar Bus in France.

Good to know:

• Tickets are bought in the app or online; the ticket is a QR code on your phone. For international journeys you need ID.
• Luggage: one suitcase in the hold and one piece of hand luggage are usually included; more costs extra. The exact rules are on the operator's website.
• Stops are often at the central coach station, but sometimes on the edge of town or at the airport. Check the exact address.
• Journey time: coaches get stuck in traffic. Allow a buffer for tight connections.

Busbud shows coaches from many operators in one search^* – including routes run by smaller regional companies.

When the bus beats the train

The rule of thumb: where there is a fast, direct rail line, the train is usually the better choice. Where the train needs several changes or does not run at all, the bus is often faster and simpler. For cross-border journeys always compare both – a platform like Omio shows train and bus side by side.

Practical booking tips

• Book early: many railways release tickets several months before travel. Saver fares are limited, and night trains and high-speed trains in France, Italy and Spain fill up early on popular routes.
• Tickets on your phone: save every ticket as a PDF or in the operator's app, not just as a link in an email. On trains the signal is often weak.
• Carry ID: it is checked on personalised tickets and on international coaches.
• Check the station: large cities have several stations. In Paris, trains heading south leave from Gare de Lyon, trains to Belgium and the Netherlands from Gare du Nord. Look at the ticket, not just the city name.
• Know your rights: for rail delays in the EU, the passenger rights of Regulation (EU) 2021/782 apply. The conditions are on the railways' websites.

How YesTrip helps

In YesTrip you create your trip with all its stops. The day plan shows each day's stops with times and the way between them, on foot or by public transport; you plan the journey there through the "Getting there – Train, car or plane?" card right in the trip. Many cities on typical rail routes have ready-made city plans, plus the weather forecast for your travel days and a packing list. With the offline package you have the map with you even in a dead spot between two stations. Nothing is booked in YesTrip – you always book directly with the provider.

Which routes are confirmed for the 2027 timetable, and where Italy has closures, is in Night trains in Europe 2027.

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