Whether you’re going on an Amtrak train in the US, a small regional commuter train, or even the Eurostar to Lille, France, the train is one of the best ways to get around.  Alternatively, the GO train in Canada.  It’s comfortable, it’s sustainable, and if you think about it, it’s less stressful than by car or plane.  With train travel becoming more popular, it does mean more crowds getting on trains.  But is that necessarily a bad thing? Absolutely not! Whether you have a long train ride that’s six or more hours, or just a quick one-hour ride, here is everything you need to know about making the most of your train travel for your upcoming trip!

Plan Ahead in Advance

Generally speaking, similar to flights, you can book a ticket in advance or last minute, depending on the train company, of course.  If you want to book a seat so you’re guaranteed a spot, such as the German ICE trains, then it’s strongly encouraged to book everything in advance.  The last thing you want is to be separated from your party during the entire duration of the train ride or, worst, not have a place to sit at! Having to stand the entire train ride is something far from desirable, so it’s best to avoid it.

On top of that, while you’re planning out your train travel in advance, you should look into transfers you may need to have and how long you have a transfer at a train station.  This should also include how often that transfer train comes, so you won’t miss it.  Ideally, in case you miss your transfer, or something goes haywire during your ride, it’s best to also get travel insurance.  In the end, just make sure you plan ahead of all of this. When it comes to traveling, whether by land or by foot, you’re not always guaranteed an easy time.  So putting everything into consideration and planning out is going to massively help out.

Book Your Seats

This was briefly mentioned when it comes to planning ahead, but overall, you should book seats if you’re able to do so.  Some kinds of trains require all passengers to have reservations (which guarantees you a seat), and the spots can sell out, especially during peak times, weekends, and holidays.  Even on routes that don’t require them, it can be a good idea to reserve seats ahead of time on popular routes or for busy departure times if you want your own space.

Buying tickets in advance can save you money, too, as prices tend to rise the closer you get to your journey date.  If possible, purchase a ticket 120 days in advance to get the best deals.  Commuter and regional trains don’t usually offer this, but most high-speed trains, especially those going to other countries, will require this.

Luxury train travel.

Consider Arriving Early to the Train

Trains don’t have ticket barriers like airports, so if you see your train waiting on the platform, just stroll up to it, glance at its departure board, and step on.  You don’t need to go through any check-in process or queue at a departure gate, and your luggage is always with you.  Many European high-speed trains run very reliably and on time – far better than competing airlines.  Trains don’t wait for people, airlines might, but trains certainly won’t.
Bring Your Own Food

Unless you have a meal as a part of your ticket, such as with Thalys or Eurostar, you shouldn’t just instantly expect that there will be a bar or restaurants on the train.  Plus, sometimes, there isn’t any staff, or something goes wrong on the train where they’re not serving or preparing food.  If you’re on a long trip, can you really handle having no food for long hours?

Not even just food, but drinks too.  You can’t drink the water from the bathroom faucet, which is why you need to plan ahead.  Ideally, you should bring your own food and water.  There’s always that chance that there won’t be food on the train or the food just won’t taste good.  So it’s better to go with the safer route and just pack something just in case.

Just Unplug

You don’t need to unplug the entire duration of your trip, but you should at least give yourself a chance to enjoy your surroundings.  Unlike planes, you get to see such an amazing variety of landscapes when it comes to train travel.  Whether it’s cities, rural villages, or even mountains, you get to see it all, and it’s just a delight.  So just give yourself a chance to unplug from the world and just enjoy the views that are passing you by.