HOW TO BUY CHEAP TICKETS FOR TRAIN ON TRAINLINE

Trainline is a company that provides a digital platform for booking train and bus tickets in Europe and other parts of the world. It was founded in 1997 as "thetrainline.com" in the United Kingdom and has since expanded its services to several countries across Europe. Trainline's platform allows travelers to search for and book tickets for various train and bus operators, providing a convenient way to plan and purchase tickets for public transportation. Trainline allows users to search for and book tickets for various train and bus services across Europe and beyond. Users can compare prices, view available routes, and make reservations through the platform. The platform provides a convenient way to compare ticket prices and choose the most cost-effective travel options. The platform offers real-time information about train and bus schedules, as well as live tracking of some services. Users can store their tickets and travel information within the Trainline app, making it easier to access and manage their bookings. 

You can download Trainline's Mobile App, to make it easy for you to both book and manage your tickets on the go. Trainline supports various payment methods, including credit cards, debit cards, and mobile payment options, to facilitate secure and convenient transactions. Trainline has partnerships with numerous train operators, enabling travelers to access a wide range of transportation options through a single platform. This makes it a convenient tool for planning and booking train travel across Europe and beyond. 

Airport Transfers to City Centers

Flying in? We’ve got airport transfers covered! Smash that boring transfer with the power of rail. With great prices on tickets to the heart of most European cities, booking with Trainline is a no-brainer. Trainline has Airport Transfers available in European hubs such as Barcelona, Frankfurt, London, Manchester, Munich, and Rome.

Cheap Train Tickets

Cheap train tickets can be a real benefit for those looking for a day out on a budget. If you’re after cheap train tickets to London, Edinburgh, or further into Europe, you can book online with Trainline and start saving money now. Generally, train fares go up in price, right up until the day you travel. So, one secret to finding cheap train tickets is booking Advance tickets. Trainline's Journey Planner tells you live train times, ticket costs, and route stops. Plus, they've got a few nifty features in our app, like SplitSave, which can make your journey cheaper by splitting it into separate tickets. Why not check out the train deals and discounts guide too, where you'll find all the latest offers from UK and European train companies that you can book. With digital Railcards stored handily in our app, SplitSave shaving off the cost of your journey and significantly cheaper fares when you book in advance, you can sit back, relax, and enjoy the start of a new adventure. A lot goes into finding you the best fares for your journey, and you can read about all the nifty ways we help you save below. Digital Railcards allow you to get 1/3 off train travel, with an average savings of £167 a year, you can always put your best foot forward with a Railcard on the Trainline app. With Advance tickets, you can save even more on top of your everyday savings. Book up to 12 weeks ahead and save an average of 61%** on your tickets. With SplitSave, our app will consciously uncouple your tickets and split your journey into two cheaper fares, and you don't need to lift a finger. 

See the Two Graphics Below to see step by step on how to get Cheap Train tickets and How to buy cheap train tickets online

Other ways to save money on train tickets

Looking for cheap business tickets? Why not register for a free business account? Trainline's handy business portal enables you to keep track of all trips, expenses, and tickets in one handy place. With their price prediction tool, Trainline can even tell you when to book before your business fare becomes too expensive. If you're traveling as a family and want to save money on train fares, we recommend you buy a Family & Friends Railcard – you'll save 1/3 off train travel all year round, and you'll get 60% off child fares too. Check out our guide to buying family train tickets. If you want to get cheap same-day train tickets, download our app to use our Advance purchase on the day tool and get the cheapest rail fares on the same day of travel. Visit our last-minute train tickets page for more information. Taking the train to get to school, college or university? Our dedicated student train tickets page has got you covered, from saving with a 16-25 Railcard to using GroupSave when traveling as a group. If you're a part-time commuter traveling to work during Peak times at least two days a week, Monday to Friday, you may find it cheaper to get a Flexi Season ticket. This new ticket type offers 8 days of unlimited travel in 28 days – you can travel any time between two named stations. Learn more about Flexi Season tickets. If you want to find great deals on train tickets, why not use our Best Fare Finder. Simply select one of our top routes, tell us when you’re thinking of traveling and Best Fare Finder will show you the cheapest train tickets our customers have found around these times. Find out more about Best Fare Finder.

Journey Planner

Plan a rail journey in the UK or Europe with Trainline's Journey Planner! Trainline's Journey Planner will show you all the available options to get you from A to B. Enter your departure and arrival stations and our clever tool will show you all the relevant info, including:

Train times

Direct and indirect services

Changes

Calling points

Ticket prices

Their timetable data is sourced directly from National Rail, so our Journey Planner only shows up-to-date, trustworthy information.

Trainline's experts help you to make planning rail journeys simple, quick, and efficient. That’s why you can check live train departures, arrival times, and fare details ahead of time – so you get where you need to be cheaply and smoothly. By combining the train times journey planner with Trainline's extensive UK trains map, you’ll see exactly where you'll pass, what kind of train you'll take, and what you might see along the way. Use our search tool above to identify which trains run during peak, off-peak or super off-peak times so you can get the best deal. Did you know you can use this Journey Planner to check for European train times too? That’s right, in just a few clicks you could be heading to the continent to explore entirely new places by rail. If you’re travelling in France, we’ll even show you how much CO2 you could save by choosing the train over air travel – meaning you can feel better about yourself while on your journey! To try it out for yourself, simply enter your origin and destination locations into the tool as you usually would, then choose a time and ticket type that suits you.

How to plan a journey

The Graphic below will instruct you on how to use the Journey Planner tool at the Top of the Page.

Rail Planner on-the-go

Need to plan your train journeys while you’re out and about? Then download our mobile app to plan your Rail Journey on the GO!

Popular journeys by train

Whether you’re planning a trip to one of the UK’s major cities, trying to get to the airport or simply looking for inspiration, you can check out some of the most popular UK train journeys below.

London to Paris ~from $62.29

It takes an average of 2h 27m to travel from London to Paris by train, over a distance of around 212 miles (342 km). There are normally 15 trains per day traveling from London to Paris and tickets for this journey start from $65.23 when you book in advance. Check out the next trains departing from London to Paris for Tuesday, Nov 7th 2023. Eurostar is the exclusive high-speed train service that links London to Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam, and the rest of Europe at speeds of up to 186 mph (300 km/h). All Eurostar trains have modern, comfortable facilities, plenty of room for baggage, and on-board food and beverage carts. There are three comfort classes on offer – Standard, Standard Premier (equivalent to Premium Economy, with light refreshments served), and Business Premier (equivalent to First or Business Class, with flexible travel options, priority boarding, lounge access, and delicious food and drink included). For the full train timetable/schedule, or to search for a later time or date, click here. 

Paris to Amsterdam~from $28.14

It takes an average of 4h 29m to travel from Paris to Amsterdam by train, over a distance of around 268 miles (431 km). There are normally 15 trains per day traveling from Paris to Amsterdam and tickets for this journey start from $39.36 when you book in advance. You’ll be traveling directly on this route with Eurostar's high-speed trains. All services depart from Paris Gare du Nord station and arrive at Amsterdam Centraal station. Whichever class you travel in, you’ll enjoy comfortable seating, free WiFi, and power outlets. Taking the train is by far the quickest option when planning city-to-city journeys. Not only will it take less time, but traveling by train is an environmentally friendly option too. Check out the next trains departing from Paris to Amsterdam for Tuesday, Nov 7th 2023. For the full train timetable/schedule, or to search for a later time or date, click here.

Barcelona to Madrid ~ from $7.88 

It takes an average of 2h 43m to travel from Barcelona to Madrid by train, over a distance of around 314 miles (506 km). There are normally 28 trains per day traveling from Barcelona to Madrid and tickets for this journey start from $7.84 when you book in advance. Covering a distance of just over 500km, the first train departs Barcelona Sants station at 5:50 and the last at 21:15 before arriving at Madrid’s main railway station, Madrid Atocha. On this route, you’ll be traveling on a service provided by either Renfe or OUIGO. Traveling from Barcelona to Madrid by train is one of the easiest ways to get to the Spanish capital. Popular with locals and tourists, traveling by train is quicker than flying and puts you right in the heart of the city at Madrid Atocha station.  

London to Liverpool ~ from $18.14

Usually, the train from London to Liverpool takes around 3h 2m. But, if you’re traveling on the fastest services, the journey to Liverpool can take just 2h 1m. With around 62 direct trains running on this popular route per day, you don’t need to worry about changing along the way. On this route, you’ll be traveling with Avanti West Coast. All Avanti trains come with free WiFi, power sockets and luggage racks, as well as a bar carriage where you can buy drinks and snacks. Once you’ve arrived in the heart of Liverpool, you can make your way to the Royal Albert Dock to explore the city’s fascinating dockyard history. You can find out more about this at the nearby Museum of Liverpool.

Want to snap up the cheapest fares? You can do one more of the following:

Get a Railcard: Save up to 1/3 on eligible journeys for a whole year

Book in advance: Most train companies in the UK usually release tickets 12 weeks in advance

Travel Off-Peak: Tickets are usually cheaper during quieter times on weekdays and weekends compared to Peak times

Use GroupSave: If you're travelling in a group of 3-9 people, you can save up to 34% on eligible journeys at Off-Peak and Super Off-Peak times

Ticket-Spliting: Split your train tickets with SplitSave, our new split-ticketing app feature.

London to Manchester ~ $23.85

The train from London to Manchester usually takes around 2h 29m but can take just 2h 3m on the fastest services, with around 50 trains running on this popular route per day. As soon as you board the train, you'll be able to make yourself comfortable and enjoy the journey as direct services are available. You'll be traveling with Avanti West Coast on this route. Just sit back, relax and enjoy Avanti’s onboard services, including free WiFi and a bar carriage offering snacks and drinks. 

London to Edinburgh ~ from $38.75

The train from London to Edinburgh usually takes around 5h 36m but can take just 4h 10m on the fastest services, with around 42 trains running on this popular route per day. As soon as you board the train, you'll be able to make yourself comfortable and enjoy the journey as there are direct services available. You'll be traveling with Avanti West Coast, London North Eastern Railway (LNER) or Lumo on this route depending on the railway station you'll be leaving from. LNER and Lumo trains depart from London Kings Cross, while Avanti West Coast services depart from London Euston station.

Trains in Italy

Train Travel is super common in Italy; this is a brief guide for those considering traveling by train in Italy with a solid understanding of rail travel in the country. Trainline has all the basics covered including the types of Italian train tickets available and how to book them online, so that anyone who reads this page from beginning to end can travel by train in Italy with confidence.

Buying Italian train tickets in advance

You can buy your train tickets in advance if you’re travelling on an Intercity or high-speed train in Italy (e.g. Frecciarossa, Italo, Frecciargento) for routes like Rome to Florence, Milan to Rome or Milan to Venice and want to save money. In general, the earlier you book, the more you’ll save – the cheapest ticket fares tend to sell out much faster than the more expensive ones, plus these trains require seat reservation, so make sure you book in advance before all seats are filled up.

You can book in advance one of the tickets below, depending on the train you’ll be boarding:

Super Economy – it’s the cheapest fare to travel on all Trenitalia trains except for the regional ones and can’t be exchanged nor refunded

Economy (Trenitalia) – still quite cheap and is valid to travel on all Frecce and Intercity trains. You can modify your booking only once

Low Cost – this is the cheapest option to travel on all Italo trains. It allows you to change your travel date or time but at the cost of half of your ticket price plus the difference of the new ticket

Economy (Italo) – still a cheap option, but it allows you to change or cancel your ticket at a lower price than the Low-Cost fare.

Buying Italian train tickets on the day

You can buy tickets on the day for the regional trains operated by Trenitalia. The ticket price is fixed so there’s no price advantage when you book them in advance. The ticket fare is called Ordinaria and its price is based on the distance between the departure and arrival points and the class you travel on, when available. For example, a one-way ticket to travel on the Leonardo Express – the regional train which connects Roma Termini to Rome Fiumicino Airport – always costs €14. For this reason, you don’t need to book your Ordinaria ticket too far in advance. 

Buying flexible train tickets in Italy

If you’re not 100% sure about your travel date and time and don’t mind spending a little more, you can buy one of the following train tickets:

Base – this Trenitalia ticket allows you to delay your day of departure for one or more days – perfect if you're enjoying the city you're in and you decide last-minute to extend your stay. Indeed, you can change this ticket as much as you want to travel on Le Frecce and Intercity trains

Flex – it’s Italo’s most flexible and expensive ticket fare, you can make changes to your booking as many times as you want at no extra cost.

How to Book Italy Train Tickets Online

The Graphic below will show a step-by-step guide on how to book Italian train tickets online

Italy train passes

There are two types of rail passes you can use to travel around Italy: the Interrail Pass, which is only available for European citizens, and the Eurail Pass, which is for everyone else. Both passes allow unlimited travel within one country (One Country Pass) or multiple countries (Global Pass). You can travel with an Interrail or Eurail on Trenitalia, Trenord, and Leonardo express (only if you have a First Class Pass). You can also get discounted fares on different ferries, including Grimaldi Lines, Superfast Ferries, Blue Star Ferries, and Minoan Lines. Trains in Italy are cheap compared with other countries in Europe. Therefore, a Eurail or Interrail Pass might be worth only if you plan to visit several cities and are going to travel on many more expensive high-speed trains. You may also save money if you’re under 27 as these rail passes offer discounts of up to 25% on unlimited train travel in both First and Second Class.

Italy train map

Just a glance at our Italy train map will show you how easy it is to get around by rail. You could wake up in Milan and enjoy a traditional pastry for breakfast, and, before you know it, be in Rome in time for lunch and some sightseeing. No planes are needed! The Italian train network is so extensive and modern that it connects all the major cities, so you can easily travel to and around the country. The main trains in Italy are operated by Trenitalia, Italo, and Trenord, which provide high-speed and regional trains. Choose any route in the map above and follow the links to see ticket prices and journey times, you’ll also be able to see which routes have high-speed trains (they're in red). Staying in France, Switzerland, or Germany and want to continue your train journey in Italy? Trainline has got you covered. This map also shows you the most popular routes between Italy and the neighboring countries (they're in blue).

Train companies in Italy

Train travel in Italy involves travelling on one of the most extensive and sophisticated high-speed networks in the world. For journeys within Italy, there are three main train operating companies – Trenitalia, Italo and Trenord. For cross-border trips into France, you’ll find yourself on TGV trains. This section will give you an overview of each company, including which routes they operate on and the train types they use. The Graphics below show the different Train companies and the different type of tickets they sell.

Trains in Germany

Traveling by Train in Germany is super common as well; this is a brief guide for those considering traveling by train in Germany with a solid understanding of rail travel in the country. Trainline has all the basics covered including the types of Italian train tickets available and how to book them online so that anyone who reads this page from beginning to end can travel by train in Germany with confidence.

Trains in German companies

Types of Trains in Germany

 

Train in France

Traveling by Train in France is super common as well; this is a brief guide for those considering traveling by train in France a solid understanding of rail travel in the country. Trainline has all the basics covered including the types of Italian train tickets available and how to book them online so that anyone who reads this page from beginning to end can travel by train in France with confidence.

Train companies in France

Why should you use Trainline?

Trainline provides a convenient way to search, compare, and book train tickets online or through their mobile app. This saves travelers the hassle of visiting train stations or multiple websites to find the best fares and schedules. Trainline aggregates information from multiple train operators, allowing users to compare prices, routes, and schedules from different companies all in one place. This can make it easier to find the most suitable train for your journey. Many train operators and routes support mobile ticketing through Trainline, so you can have your tickets on your smartphone rather than needing physical paper tickets. Trainline offers price alerts that notify users when ticket prices for specific routes drop, helping you secure the best deals.  Trainline provides real-time information on train delays, cancellations, and platform changes, so travelers can stay informed about their journey and make necessary adjustments. Trainline is not limited to just one country and can assist with booking train tickets for travel across various countries in Europe and other regions. So if you are planning on traveling across Europe, consider using Trainline to book your train tickets.