Europe’s on track to deliver single-ticket train travel

The complexity of train travel across Europe’s borders could soon be made easier with plans for a single ticket.

Have you ever travelled by train to visit several European destinations in one interrailing adventure and wished there was a simpler way to cross borders?
Right now, you probably have to have your wits about you as you navigate through a myriad of booking platforms and work out the different ways in which rail providers sell their seats and arrange their schedules.
But it’s not only the inconvenience of booking that’s the issue with the current system.
If you’re committed to more sustainable travel options or simply enjoy the more leisurely experience offered by train travel, then you tend to pay a lot more money than opting to fly between destinations on a budget airline.
The good news is that this could change in the next two years, with the launch of a single European booking system for train tickets.
What this means is that you could travel to multiple destinations on just one ticket with your full travel schedule clearly mapped out.
This new hassle-free experience probably won’t interest you if you have an adventurous spirit and like to regale your friends with stories of missing departures and negotiating cultural differences at the railway station.
But if you’re on a budget or have a time limit on your trip, and you can’t afford to miss connections or pay for new tickets out of pocket, then the new single-ticket system will definitely appeal to you.
Right now, most travellers rely on experts such as Mark Smith, the brains behind Seat61.com, one of the earliest websites offering tips and solutions to the frustrations of travelling across Europe by train.
While it’s early days, a few platforms are already in place that could inspire this new booking system.
For example, Rail Europe and Omio already offer train trips across international borders, yet they still sell each part of the journey on separate tickets.
This new single-ticket proposal is just one of several made by the new EU transport commissioner, Apostolos Tzitzikostas, who is focused on promoting sustainable transport and decarbonisation solutions.
“It is unbelievable that we do not have this in 2024,” says Tzitzikostas, who adds that it would make booking trains as easy as booking a flight.
Tzitzikostas has also proposed ambitious plans for a European high-speed rail network that will better connect Europe’s capitals, including using night trains.
His goal is that by coupling green and digital innovations, travelling through Europe will “remain safe, accessible and affordable”.
As Euronews Travel has previously reported, European sleeper trains are undergoing a renaissance.
More exciting routes are being added, including one that allows you to have dinner in Brussels and wake up in Venice early enough to still catch the bustling morning ‘Mercati di Rialto’ (Rialto market).
The Community of European Railway and Infrastructure Companies (CER), which represents over 70 railway companies and national associations across Europe, was one of the first supporters of the proposed scheme. It says, “This recognition that digitalisation is essential to help modernise the transport system is vital.”
The new pan-European train booking system is due to launch at some point in 2025.