Rail travel has seen a boom in popularity, particularly in Europe.
With new night train routes introduced across Europe and Asia and the ban on short-haul flights in France, more people than ever are turning to rail to navigate around new locations on their vacations.
To make international rail travel easier than ever for those living in the USA and Canada, the international rail ticketing platform Rail Online has expanded its services.
While it is still possible to purchase rail tickets directly from the provider in each of your chosen countries, Rail Online now offers access to rail booking in the U.S., Canada, UK, and Europe directly to U.S. and Canadian customers.
What makes Rail Online so attractive is that they offer carrier fare price matching and instant refunds on unwanted e-tickets.
But perhaps the most appealing aspect of their service is that bookings are not subjected to foreign currency transaction fees, meaning you can book in local U.S. or Canadian dollars and know exactly how much you’re spending without any hidden fees.
Here’s everything you need to know:
What Tickets Are Available?
Travelers in the U.S. and Canada can now use the Rail Online platform to book tickets with:
- Amtrak in the U.S.
- VIA Rail in Canada
- National Rail in the UK
- SCNF in France, including tickets for the Eurostar
- Eurail, which provides passes for travel itineraries across Europe
Trenitalia in Italy will also be added to the platform in the coming weeks. According to the website founder, the company plans to add new rail network connections to the site as regularly as possible.
When you book your train tickets with Rail Online, you will be issued an e-ticket within minutes of making your booking.
Not only is this convenient for last-minute travelers and environmentally beneficial as paper waste is eliminated, but it also reduces the risk of losing your ticket while you’re traveling. Something that can be time-consuming and costly to rectify in the middle of your trip.
Why Travel By Train?
If you’re new to train travel, then you may be wondering why you should take to the rails instead of taking to the skies.
For shorter journeys, traveling by train is often quicker and easier than hiring a car and more affordable than using a taxi.
You don’t need to worry about getting stuck in traffic or taking a wrong turn and getting lost in an unfamiliar country or city.
For longer intercity or even intercountry journeys, traveling by train is faster, more reliable, and more environmentally friendly than flying.
What’s more, because most travel stations tend to be in city centers while airports are on the outskirts of cities, you won’t need to worry about costly and time-consuming transfers when you travel by train.
In many cases, train travel is also cheaper than flying when the cost of airport transfers and taking luggage onto a flight is taken into account.
Encouraging Train Travel
Making train tickets easy to access, both domestically and overseas, may encourage more Americans to consider traveling by train for their next vacation.
America may be known as the land of the motorcar, but the country also boasts the largest rail network in the world.
The U.S. has twice as many rail tracks as China, for example, but the number of American passengers using trains is significantly lower than in other first-world countries.
The sheer size of the U.S. and the distance between many of its cities is a good reason for this, but trains remain a fun and affordable way to travel, particularly in Europe.
In many parts of Europe, train tickets can be purchased for under $10, provided you plan your journey ahead of time and book your tickets in advance.
Most European train companies tend to release their cheapest fares 3-6 months in advance, so the earlier you book, the more money you can save. And if you utilize Rail Online to make your booking, you can save on transaction fees and foreign currency exchange fees too.
