Buying your tickets before you set off gives you the peace of mind that you have the right ticket and all you have to do when you get to the station is concentrate on finding the right platform, not queuing to get a ticket!
However, due to the fact that European rail travel covers journeys across different countries using multiple rail companies who all have different ticketing systems and travel options you can begin to understand why buying tickets isn't simply a case of using one website which will always find you the cheapest price for any journey.
There are lots of cheap train tickets and deals out there it just takes a bit of work to find them sometimes. We'll try to guide you in the right direction so that you'll be able to search the main websites and find the best deals.
Use our trip planner to put together your list of destinations to visit on your trip.
Compare rail passes and point to point tickets.
Find inspiration in our travel articles and journey suggestions.