Cheap Train Travel

Cheap train travel, once a dream, is not so anymore but a reality and it is possible to travel to many destinations by train.  Train travel has many advantages some of which are:

  • It is comfortable as you are able to walk around and stretch your leg.  You can also make new friends.
  • It is a very fast means of travelling.  With train travel you get to bypass long traffic and long security lines at airports.
  • Travelling by train is very adventurous.  You get to enjoy the scenery from suburbs to cities, from forests to lakes and mountains to valleys.
  • It is often cheaper to travel by train than buying gasoline to drive long distances or buying airplane tickets
  • Trains pollutes less than aircrafts as they emit less carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

Many countries still make use of train travel.  Some are outlined below:

Europe

The home of cheap train travel.  Europe has many rail passes to different countries in the continent.  It is most accessible to travelers outside of Europe.  If you plan a broad trip of Europe, you may opt to buy a Eurail which is a first class pass valid for one or several weeks.  If you just want to visit parts of the continent, it is cheap to get Scanrail or the Balkan Flexipass.

Britain

Cheap train travel is the best way to see the country and improvements are being made to upgrade the tracks.

USA

Trains travel major routes between cities and offer some of the world’s most superb scenery.  Trains range from luxurious to broken seats and graffiti.  Amtrak US rail passes are  cheap, and are available in 15 or 8 days options.  Children get ½ price passes.  Tickets are sold for segmented travel, which means that it might take 2 0r 3 segments provided by Amtrak to travel one city to another.  Tickets are sold online at their website and international travelers and students are offered discounted prices.

India

Rail travel is dirt cheap in India.  Travel by rail is your best bet once you can tolerate crowds.  Large numbers of people travel by train in India and the railway industry has been improving.

Australia

Austrail Flexipass is great for long term exploring.  This pass is suitable for travel over 15 or 22 days.  Whenever you travel, those days are deducted from the pass.  The only drawback is that children pay the same as adults and they are available overseas visitors with valid passport.

TIPS

  • Travel during off-peak seasons when trains offer cheap tickets.
  • Make your reservations as far in advance as possible to make use of cheap tickets.
  • Check for holidays in your destinations as this tend to hike train ticket prices.
  • If you are travelling to Europe, check online for tickets at Rail Europe.  If you are travelling in groups the tickets are cheaper.
  • Consider using a travel agent.