The pass question, answered honestly

A rail pass is not automatically cheaper. For most families it is not. The marketing suggests freedom and the reality is that most fast European trains require a seat reservation on top of the pass, and those reservations cost money and sell out.

A pass makes sense when you are taking a lot of trains, in countries where reservations are not compulsory, and when you want flexibility more than you want the lowest price. Germany, Austria, Switzerland and the Netherlands suit passes well.

A pass makes much less sense in France, Spain and Italy, where the fast trains are reservation-compulsory, the reservation quotas for pass holders are limited, and advance point-to-point fares are often extremely cheap.

My general advice to families. If you know your dates, book point-to-point tickets in advance and you will almost always pay less. If your plans are genuinely unsettled, buy the pass and accept it as the price of flexibility.

Book early, because European rail pricing works like airlines

Fast trains release cheap advance fares roughly three to six months ahead depending on the operator, and the price climbs as the train fills.

The gap between an advance fare and a walk-up fare on a route like Paris to Marseille or Rome to Florence is enormous. Multiply that by five people and it is the single biggest saving available on a European trip.

Slower regional trains are usually a fixed price and do not need booking. That distinction, fast and reservable versus regional and turn-up, is the thing to learn. It explains almost everything about European rail ticketing.

Reservations, and the trap

On many high-speed and international routes the reservation is compulsory, meaning you cannot board without one even holding a valid pass.

Reservation quotas for pass holders are separate and smaller than the general allocation. In summer they run out weeks ahead on popular routes.

This is where families get caught. They buy a pass for flexibility, then find that the train they want has no pass-holder reservations left and they have to buy a full ticket anyway.

Travelling with children, practically

Children under a certain age travel free or heavily discounted on most European networks, and the thresholds vary by country. This is where a family does noticeably better than two adults travelling alone.

Many operators sell family fares or offer free child places when travelling with a paying adult, and these are not always presented prominently at booking. Ask, or have somebody ask for you.

Book seats together and book them early. On a busy train with unreserved seating, a family of five will be split up and it will ruin the journey.

Face-to-face seats with a table are worth seeking out specifically. Two hours with a table is a completely different experience from two hours without one.

Night trains

Night trains have come back properly in Europe and they are one of the best things available to a family. You board in the evening, sleep, and wake up in another country, having saved a hotel night and a travel day.

Book a private compartment. Do not book couchettes in a shared compartment with children unless you have thought about it hard. The private cabins sell out first and earliest.

Vienna to Venice, Brussels to Vienna, Paris to the Alps. These are real, they are comfortable, and children find the whole thing thrilling.

What I would watch out for

Strikes happen, particularly in France and Italy, and they are announced in advance. Have a fallback for any single connection your trip depends on.

Changing stations within a city, which happens in Paris and London, needs a proper allowance of time with luggage and children. Ninety minutes is not generous, it is realistic.

And luggage. There are no porters and there are stairs. Whatever you have packed, you carry. Pack for that.

Questions people actually ask