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Train fares don’t have to be expensive: Rail Europe’s CEO reveals the secrets to cheap tickets
14.03.2024 - 00:07 / euronews.com
Bjorn Bender, CEO of Rail Europe, is a man who knows trains. In the last year alone he travelled roughly 75,000 kilometres across Europe.
For him, train travel is “not about going from A to B, it's actually a second home. It's my office, where I can really do my work.”
Since COVID, there has been a renewed interest in rail services, as travellers seek to stay closer to home and many try to mitigate the negative impact of air travel on the environment. Demand has risen across the globe, and it’s something Bjorn has seen reflected in ticket sales.
“Mobility demand is huge and is increasing globally,” he says. “The railway industry is growing - throughout Europe and cross-border services, it’s up perhaps 20 per cent.”
For Rail Europe, 2023 was, “an amazing year”. Bender shared that the company experienced a 66 per cent year-on-year growth in sales compared to 2022 and about 75-80 per cent growth compared to 2019.
Despite demand, there’s still a perception by many that train tickets are expensive, something Bender believes is misplaced.
He shares his insider knowledge with Euronews Travel on how to make the best savings when booking train travel.
Bender’s first tip is not to book directly with rail providers. He compares the experience to booking flights: “Usually you don't book directly on an airline website - at least I wouldn’t do it. I compare prices on Skyscanner or Kayak for example.”
Comparison sites, or sites that provide ticket prices from multiple providers, give travellers the most options, and the ability to choose between various routes and fares.
“When I want to travel from Frankfurt to New York, I don't care if I sit in Delta, United or Lufthansa at the end of the day,” Bender expands.
This attitude to booking train travel is something he thinks is only just settling in Europe now. “We’re getting more and more into this environment in Europe - having mutually agnostic platforms, players like us, comparing prices, tariffs and giving suggestions based on the traveller’s individual needs.”
It’s widely agreed that when it comes to travel, the earlier you book, the cheaper it is. But, just like air travel, there’s usually a window of golden opportunity where train ticket prices are at their lowest.
“I would say booking between seven to 12 weeks in advance is quite a good range,” advises Bender. Valuable insight, but for how long? After all, things, he says, are changing.
“In the past, you only had a very limited number of saver fares on high speed trains. Now I can book a saver fare 30 minutes prior to departure for every carrier.”
Saving money on tickets is also dependent on where and when you want to travel. It’s no surprise that hopping on a train on a Monday morning is more expensive than on a Tuesday, so
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