🚆 By Rail
By Rail
Everything about travelling by train: rail passes, night trains, high-speed networks and the world's great scenic lines – plus how to actually book it without overpaying.
Everything about travelling by train: rail passes, night trains, high-speed networks and the world's great scenic lines – plus how to actually book it without overpaying.
The two sleeper classes compared — space, price and what's included.
Are Eurail passes worth it?: what to know, how it works and how to do it well — clear, practical and up to date.
Where bikes go free, where you must book.
Trainline, Omio and the operator apps compared.
Do trains have wi-fi and plugs?: what to know, how it works and how to do it well — clear, practical and up to date.
Muzzles, tickets and the rules for travelling with your dog by rail.
Ready-made routes to get the most from your days.
Is the upgrade worth it on European trains?
What you actually get for the upgrade — and when it's worth it.
When cheap advance fares open — and when to just turn up.
The right sites, when to buy and how to avoid booking-fee traps.
How to book Indian Railways online: what to know, how it works and how to do it well — clear, practical and up to date.
Ticket machines, apps, the JR Pass and reserved vs non-reserved.
How to find cheap train tickets in Europe: what to know, how it works and how to do it well — clear, practical and up to date.
How to get a refund on a train ticket: what to know, how it works and how to do it well — clear, practical and up to date.
How to read a European train timetable: what to know, how it works and how to do it well — clear, practical and up to date.
How to upgrade a train ticket: what to know, how it works and how to do it well — clear, practical and up to date.
How train pricing works — clear, practical and honest.
Interrail planning tips for first-timers: what to know, how it works and how to do it well — clear, practical and up to date.
Same pass, different name – which one you need and how it works.
Where to drop your bags, what it costs and the security rules.
There's no weigh-in — but here's what the rules actually are.
When it's the railway's fault, when it isn't, and what to do next.
When a pass saves money and when point-to-point tickets win.
Engineering works, diversions and how to cope.
Accessible rail travel in Europe: what to know, how it works and how to do it well — clear, practical and up to date.
Railcards and discount cards in Europe — clear, practical and honest.
Slow, cheap local trains and how to use them.
Which trains require them, what they cost and how to get them.
Seat reservations on European trains: what to know, how it works and how to do it well — clear, practical and up to date.
The oversized-baggage reservation rule that catches tourists out.
How buying two tickets for one journey can slash the fare — legally.
Reservations, folding bikes and the country-by-country rules.
Your EU passenger rights and how to actually claim.
Train strikes: what are your rights?: what to know, how it works and how to do it well — clear, practical and up to date.
Prams, feeding, berths and making rail travel work with a little one.
UK train tickets explained: advance, off-peak, anytime — clear, practical and honest.
Which railcards tourists can use and whether they pay off.
What is a couchette?: what to know, how it works and how to do it well — clear, practical and up to date.
What is a rail replacement bus?: what to know, how it works and how to do it well — clear, practical and up to date.
Amsterdam Centraal station guide: platforms, luggage storage, food, connections and tips for changing trains.
Barcelona Sants station guide: platforms, luggage storage, food, connections and tips for changing trains.
Berlin Hbf station guide: platforms, luggage storage, food, connections and tips for changing trains.
Brussels-Midi station guide: platforms, luggage storage, food, connections and tips for changing trains.
Copenhagen Central station guide: platforms, luggage storage, food, connections and tips for changing trains.
Frankfurt Hbf station guide: platforms, luggage storage, food, connections and tips for changing trains.
London St Pancras station guide: platforms, luggage storage, food, connections and tips for changing trains.
Madrid Atocha station guide: platforms, luggage storage, food, connections and tips for changing trains.
Milano Centrale station guide: platforms, luggage storage, food, connections and tips for changing trains.
München Hbf station guide: platforms, luggage storage, food, connections and tips for changing trains.
New York Penn Station guide: platforms, luggage storage, food, connections and tips for changing trains.
Paris Gare du Nord station guide: platforms, luggage storage, food, connections and tips for changing trains.
Roma Termini station guide: platforms, luggage storage, food, connections and tips for changing trains.
Tokyo Station guide: platforms, luggage storage, food, connections and tips for changing trains.
Wien Hbf station guide: platforms, luggage storage, food, connections and tips for changing trains.
Zürich HB station guide: platforms, luggage storage, food, connections and tips for changing trains.
The Amtrak Acela guide: what to know, how it works and how to choose well — clear, practical and honest.
Europe's largest high-speed network and how to book it.
Brightline in Florida: a guide: what to know, how it works and how to choose well — clear, practical and honest.
China's high-speed rail explained: what to know, how it works and how to do it well — clear, practical and up to date.
Channel Tunnel trains: routes, classes, luggage and check-in.
Bag allowances, sizes and what happens if you're over.
Eurostar vs flying: London to Paris: what to know, how it works and how to do it well — clear, practical and up to date.
TGV, AVE, Frecciarossa, ICE and the rest – how the fast lines connect.
How much time you really need at St Pancras, Gare du Nord and beyond.
Korea's KTX high-speed trains: what to know, how it works and how to do it well — clear, practical and up to date.
Ouigo, Avlo, Iryo and friends — budget high-speed rail, and the catches.
How France's high-speed network works and how to ride it cheaply.
Italy's two high-speed rivals compared.
Compartments, security and how to travel safely on a sleeper.
European Sleeper and the night-train revival.
Berths, tips and what to pack for a good night on the rails.
Which overnight option to choose — cost, sleep quality and safety compared.
The full revival map: who runs what, and which routes are best.
Austria's ÖBB sleepers that now criss-cross half of Europe.
Couchette vs sleeper vs seat – what to book and what to expect.
Sleeper trains in India explained: what to know, how it works and how to do it well — clear, practical and up to date.
The Caledonian Sleeper guide: what to know, how it works and how to do it well — clear, practical and up to date.
The Buenos Aires lines, the Tren a las Nubes and the long-distance revival.
The Ghan, the Indian Pacific and the east-coast lines.
ÖBB, the Klimaticket and Austria's scenic lines.
SNCB across a compact, well-connected country.
The Serra Verde, the Vitoria-Minas line and the tourist trains.
BDZ from Sofia to the Black Sea and the mountains.
VIA Rail and the great transcontinental Canadian.
EFE's suburban and regional lines, the long thin network.
The vast high-speed network, classes and how to book.
HZ, the Zagreb hub and the lines to the coast.
CD, RegioJet and Leo Express compared.
DSB across the bridges and islands.
Trains across Poland, Czechia and beyond.
The Cairo–Aswan main line, sleeper trains and classes.
VR, the Pendolino and the sleeper north.
SNCF's TGV network, TER regional trains and OUIGO fares.
ICE, the Deutschland-Ticket and how DB works.
Hellenic Train on the Athens-Thessaloniki spine.
MAV from Budapest across the Hungarian plain.
The vast Indian Railways network, classes and IRCTC booking.
Java's KAI network, the Whoosh high-speed line and scenic routes.
RAI, the Tehran hubs and the desert and Caspian lines.
Irish Rail from Dublin across the island.
Frecce, Italo and regionali across the boot.
Is it still worth it, and how to use it.
The SGR Madaraka Express and the old Nairobi-Mombasa line.
KTM's ETS, the Jungle Railway and the sleeper to Thailand.
El Chepe, the Tequila Express, the Maya Train and the tourist lines.
ONCF, the Al Boraq high-speed line and the network.
Myanmar Railways, the Gokteik viaduct and the classes.
NS intercity, the OV-chipkaart and dense connections.
The Northern Explorer, TranzAlpine and Coastal Pacific.
Vy, the great scenic lines and minipris booking.
PeruRail and Inca Rail to Machu Picchu, the Andean Explorer.
PNR, the Manila commuter lines and the revival plans.
PKP, the EIP Pendolino and cheap fares.
CP, the Alfa Pendular and regional lines.
CFR, the scenic Carpathian lines and night trains.
Norway, Sweden and Denmark by rail, and the scenic lines.
ScotRail and the great Highland scenic lines.
SZ and HZ across two scenic neighbours.
Shosholoza Meyl, the Gautrain and the luxury Blue Train.
KTX and SRT high-speed trains and the Korail network.
Singapore to Bangkok and beyond by rail.
AVE, Avlo and the new low-cost high-speed rivals.
The hill-country line, the coast railway and the classes.
SJ, night trains and the long run to the Arctic.
The pass that opens up Swiss trains, boats and buses.
The world's best rail network, and how to ride it.
The high-speed HSR, the TRA loop line and the scenic east coast.
The State Railway network, sleepers and scenic lines.
What rail reaches in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.
TCDD high-speed, the east, and the Bosphorus link.
Operators, fares and the railcards worth buying.
Amtrak's Northeast Corridor, the long-distance routes and passes.
The Reunification Express from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City.
Oslo to Bergen across Norway's roof – and the Flåm branch.
Switzerland's famous slow train across the Alps.
From the Glacier Express to the Bergen Line – the rides worth the ticket.
The world's first mountain railway, a UNESCO line in Austria.
The UNESCO Alpine crossing to Italy by red train.
The Bernina Express guide: what to know, how it works and how to do it well — clear, practical and up to date.
The Blue Train, South Africa: what to know, how it works and how to do it well — clear, practical and up to date.
Steam to the Harz mountain summit in Germany.
The California Zephyr guide: what to know, how it works and how to do it well — clear, practical and up to date.
The Canadian: Toronto to Vancouver by rail: what to know, how it works and how to do it well.
The little train through a hundred valleys to Italy.
The Cinque Terre Express guide: what to know, how it works and how to do it well — clear, practical and up to date.
Hopping the five villages by frequent coastal train.
Amtrak's Seattle–LA coastal classic: rooms, seats and the best views.
Porto to Pocinho along the river — Portugal's most scenic railway.
Norway's steep, spectacular branch line to the fjord.
The Flam Railway guide: what to know, how it works and how to do it well — clear, practical and up to date.
Adelaide to Darwin through the Red Centre — cabins, stops and booking.
The Glacier Express guide: what to know, how it works and how to do it well — clear, practical and up to date.
Montreux to Lucerne across the Swiss heart.
The GoldenPass Express, Switzerland: what to know, how it works and how to do it well.
The Gornergrat Railway guide: what to know, how it works and how to do it well — clear, practical and up to date.
Scotland's steam train over the Glenfinnan Viaduct.
The Jacobite steam train guide: what to know, how it works and how to do it well — clear, practical and up to date.
The Jungfrau Railway guide: what to know, how it works and how to do it well — clear, practical and up to date.
The little train from Chamonix into Switzerland.
Norway's dramatic line down to Andalsnes.
The Reunification Express, Vietnam: what to know, how it works and how to do it well — clear, practical and up to date.
Castles and vineyards along the Rhine by rail.
The Rocky Mountaineer guide: what to know, how it works and how to do it well — clear, practical and up to date.
The Settle-Carlisle Line guide: what to know, how it works and how to do it well — clear, practical and up to date.
The Trans-Mongolian Railway: what to know, how it works and how to choose well — clear, practical and honest.
Christchurch to Greymouth across the Southern Alps — booking and best seats.
The Venice Simplon-Orient-Express: what to know, how it works and how to do it well.
The West Highland Line guide: what to know, how it works and how to do it well — clear, practical and up to date.
Scotland's great railway to Mallaig, past the Harry Potter viaduct.