- 1). Plan out some kind of itinerary before you depart for Europe. This can be as detailed or specific as you like, depending on what sort of trip you are planning, but it is a good idea to have at least a rough sketch so you can begin planning ahead of time. Tickets will be much more expensive if you wait until the day before or the day of your departure from one city in Europe to the next than if you buy the tickets in advance. Make a list of the cities you would most like to visit. Then, using a map, chart which cities are closest together and plan approximate dates of when you will arrive in and leave each city.
- 2). Purchase tickets in advance to save money. RailEurope, InterRail and Voyages-SNCF are all great websites to begin your search for tickets. Using the itinerary you have created, begin researching the cost of tickets on these websites to compare prices and to also see what you can fit into your budget. After seeing the actual cost of the tickets, decide which train company will be best for your needs and also if you need to edit your itinerary to better fit your budget.
- 3). Save even more money by purchasing a rail pass. Rail passes come in various forms, so it will be easy to find one that fits what you need. For example, if you only want to travel in France, buy a rail pass for that country only. Rail passes work especially well if you plan on traveling to a lot of places in a short amount of time, as many passes are for one or two weeks of unlimited travel.
- 4). Register for an International Student Identity Card (ISIC) to get even more discounts on rail travel if you are a full-time student. This card will give you discounts on trains, food, accommodation and lodging during your trip. When applying for the card, you will need a passport-sized photo. Similar discount cards are available for full-time teachers (International Teach Identity Card) and anyone under age 26 (International Youth Travel Card).
- 5). Arrive early for all of your trains. Sometimes a train may run late, but this is usually out of the ordinary. Most trains arrive on time and they will leave without you if you are not there at the time of departure. You will need time to collect your tickets from the ticketing office and to find the correct platform for your train.
- 6). Look for luggage racks for your luggage when boarding the train. You probably will not have room at your seat for the luggage, and you will not be allowed to keep it in the aisle. Luggage racks are usually located at the end of each train car.
- 7). Check your ticket to see whether you have been assigned a specific seat number. If so, sit in your specified seat to avoid confusion with other passengers. Do not lose your ticket once you have boarded, as you may need it for validation by one of the employees on the train.
- 8). Know when each of your trains arrives and departs when switching trains during a journey. Never try to connect between trains that are arriving and leaving within 15 minutes of each other -- this is just too much of a risk. Always give yourself plenty of time to move from one platform to another and to board the train.
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