Booking train tickets online can be done for many countries around the world and the following list of web sites are gathered over years of search. We do everything possible to make sure that these are current and of the best quality. We personally have used many of these web sites during extensive travels.
Rail:
There is one excellent web site I use is Seat 61, a wonderful resource, however it can be a bit over comprehensive therefore I suggest that you scroll down this post and see if there is a direct link for any specific country. This site is a little too comprehensive but has valuable information, However, try the links provided below as these can save you a lot of confusion and reading.
A second very good web site is a bit more difficult to navigate and takes some experience knowing what you are looking at but is also very helpful especially in Europe. It is Railfan Europe, another excellent resource which will include route maps. This web site also provides rail information about other countries and is an excellent resource for train travel around the world.
After the page loads, look to the upper right portion of the page and there will be a tab which says "links". Click this and it will take you to the page you will need.
European Rail Links:
The below links should open to the English language option for their respective web site. Some of these web sites are extremely easy to work with, some a bit more difficult, just be patient and it will come.
Germany - DB Bahn which is the German rail provider. Create an account and you can look, book and pay online.
Poland - PKP Intercity is the Polish rail provider. Create an account and you can look, book and pay online. This an excellent web site with very detailed information. There is a sister web site for Poland which is for train searches with routes & times but you can not make bookings online but this web site is extremely good for finding out what trains are available before you book one.
Czech Republic - CD is the Czech Republic rail provider. Create an account and you can look, book and pay online. This is sister site for Czech Rail.
Hungary - Mav-Start is the Hungarian rail provider. Create an account and you can look, book and pay online. Click here to check the timetable.
Romania - CFR Calatori is the Romanian rail provider. When the page opens, scroll down toward the bottom and you can select an English language version. Create an account and you can look, book and pay online. Click here for timetable and ticket information but you must create an account to purchase a ticket.
Slovakia - Ah, the Slovaks have finally decided to implement an online web site for their national trains, click here. There is an English language version but no all the pages work so I suggest you use a Chrome browser because it will translate the pages.
Bulgaria - They now have a workable web site for their national railway and an English version as well. Click here for the official Bulgarian railway web site.
Spain - Renfe is the Spanish rail system and has their own web site, however, if it is not working then there is an excellent alternative which I have recently used for booking called Petrabax. This company seems to be very efficient and works well and quickly. I am not sure how much difference there is in cost using this site compared to the Renfe site for trains or the full limitations but for online train booking, this works well and it is more user friendly than the Renfe web site.
How about the Middle East, places like Egypt, Israel, Iran, Turkey, Pakistan? Here are some helpful links:
European Rail Links:
The below links should open to the English language option for their respective web site. Some of these web sites are extremely easy to work with, some a bit more difficult, just be patient and it will come.
Germany - DB Bahn which is the German rail provider. Create an account and you can look, book and pay online.
Poland - PKP Intercity is the Polish rail provider. Create an account and you can look, book and pay online. This an excellent web site with very detailed information. There is a sister web site for Poland which is for train searches with routes & times but you can not make bookings online but this web site is extremely good for finding out what trains are available before you book one.
Czech Republic - CD is the Czech Republic rail provider. Create an account and you can look, book and pay online. This is sister site for Czech Rail.
Hungary - Mav-Start is the Hungarian rail provider. Create an account and you can look, book and pay online. Click here to check the timetable.
Romania - CFR Calatori is the Romanian rail provider. When the page opens, scroll down toward the bottom and you can select an English language version. Create an account and you can look, book and pay online. Click here for timetable and ticket information but you must create an account to purchase a ticket.
Slovakia - Ah, the Slovaks have finally decided to implement an online web site for their national trains, click here. There is an English language version but no all the pages work so I suggest you use a Chrome browser because it will translate the pages.
Bulgaria - They now have a workable web site for their national railway and an English version as well. Click here for the official Bulgarian railway web site.
Spain - Renfe is the Spanish rail system and has their own web site, however, if it is not working then there is an excellent alternative which I have recently used for booking called Petrabax. This company seems to be very efficient and works well and quickly. I am not sure how much difference there is in cost using this site compared to the Renfe site for trains or the full limitations but for online train booking, this works well and it is more user friendly than the Renfe web site.
How about the Middle East, places like Egypt, Israel, Iran, Turkey, Pakistan? Here are some helpful links:
One note, some of these web sites allow online booking, some are just time tables, some web sites require that you open an account and in my experience, opening an account on these web sites is safe and secure as I have many accounts around the world.
Egypt: Egyptian Rail. These will be the standard Egyptian trains and not the tourist trains and unless things have change recently it should be possible to book and pay online. In reviewing this web site, it is not optimized for Google Chrome browser and has it issues with Internet Explorer web browser as well. The Chrome browser will not load the date viewer, IE browser will and I am not sure about Firefox browser but can only believe that there are issues using Firefox will have problems.
Egypt: Tourist Sleeper Trains are excellent though a bit expensive. The cost is not determined by distance therefore from Cairo to Aswan costs the same as Cairo to Luxor and in reverse. Watania Sleeper Train is the official web site but you can not book or make reservations online but it will give you detailed information about the trains, schedules, costs, etc and their web site is in English. For booking these trains you need to visit the train station in each city. The main station in Cairo is Ramses Station which is not too far north of the Egyptian Museum There is a separate ticket area which is on the outside portion of the rail station on the left side of the building facing the main entrance doors. Payment is only in Egyptian currency (cash), no credit cards and some web sites say that you can only pay with foreign currency but that has never been my experience however, things always change.. At other cities such as Aswan or Luxor you must find the window that is marked "Tourist Train or Sleeper Train" as the regular ticket windows do not sell these type of tickets.
The Egyptian government has their web site up and running which you can also use to book and pay online for tickets on regular trains but I have not used it and with things unsettled, the site may not function all the time but give it a try.
Israel: Israel Railways. I have not used this personally but it is at least a resource if you wish to try the trains.
Egypt: Tourist Sleeper Trains are excellent though a bit expensive. The cost is not determined by distance therefore from Cairo to Aswan costs the same as Cairo to Luxor and in reverse. Watania Sleeper Train is the official web site but you can not book or make reservations online but it will give you detailed information about the trains, schedules, costs, etc and their web site is in English. For booking these trains you need to visit the train station in each city. The main station in Cairo is Ramses Station which is not too far north of the Egyptian Museum There is a separate ticket area which is on the outside portion of the rail station on the left side of the building facing the main entrance doors. Payment is only in Egyptian currency (cash), no credit cards and some web sites say that you can only pay with foreign currency but that has never been my experience however, things always change.. At other cities such as Aswan or Luxor you must find the window that is marked "Tourist Train or Sleeper Train" as the regular ticket windows do not sell these type of tickets.
The Egyptian government has their web site up and running which you can also use to book and pay online for tickets on regular trains but I have not used it and with things unsettled, the site may not function all the time but give it a try.
Israel: Israel Railways. I have not used this personally but it is at least a resource if you wish to try the trains.
Turkey: Turkish State Railways. Same as above. After the main page displays, click the word Tıklayınız which I believe is Turkish for "Enter" and you will be where you can start working.
Iran: MSEDV. This is a German web site and the link is a clickable interactive map which provides information.
Morocco: ONCF. This is the government railway web site which is in French. To date you can only view train schedules and pricing but it will provide you with some useful information before you attempt to book at the railway station.
Australia: Rail Australia. The is the main railway link for Australia as a whole and is an excellent and easy to use. There are some tricks about bookings especially if you made a booking and need make any changes. Also, the trains in Australia are extremely slow and expensive unless you have a concession card. It has now become a better option to fly in a lot of cases so check the air transportation before you book a train for any long distances.
Additionally, there are links for the rail networks in Queensland, Queensland Rail & Country Link. Along with these there is the network for the Gold Coast to Sunshine Coast regions including Brisbane and it is called TransLink. Each of these are excellent for arranging and purchasing tickets and Translink also includes a lot of resources such as bus connections in their system.
SE Asia:
Additionally, there are links for the rail networks in Queensland, Queensland Rail & Country Link. Along with these there is the network for the Gold Coast to Sunshine Coast regions including Brisbane and it is called TransLink. Each of these are excellent for arranging and purchasing tickets and Translink also includes a lot of resources such as bus connections in their system.
SE Asia:
Thailand: You can go to the "Official" Thai Railway web site called ThaiRailTicket which is very simple and easy to use for online booking of trains.
During high season it is recommended that you book your train as far in advance as possible as these trains can be very full, especially if you desire a lower berth or specific train. Train booking is available for 60 days advance purchase. You must also create an account to complete any online bookings.
You can also go to the Thai Railway web site and can check schedules and fares. This particular web site does not allow for specific dates as the routes and fares are all the same regardless of date, however, there is no visibility to available seating on the Thai web site, but good information before going to the railway station.
During high season it is recommended that you book your train as far in advance as possible as these trains can be very full, especially if you desire a lower berth or specific train. Train booking is available for 60 days advance purchase. You must also create an account to complete any online bookings.
You can also go to the Thai Railway web site and can check schedules and fares. This particular web site does not allow for specific dates as the routes and fares are all the same regardless of date, however, there is no visibility to available seating on the Thai web site, but good information before going to the railway station.
Malaysia: KTMB or Malaysia Railways. In English and can book/pay online. Not the easiest site to navigate since they recently made changes.
Vietnam: Vietnam Railways. This link is to the "official" web site for Vietnam Railways. The website has been improved somewhat and there is now an English language view for the initial page and other pages on the website. You can also use a travel agent such as Vietnam Railway Systems to book online. Please be advised that Vietnam Railway Systems is NOT the official web site for the Vietnamese Railway. In addition, I am not sure about how much additional premium is added to the tickets purchased on the Vietnam Railways Systems web site but there will be some additional charges above the actual ticket cost.
Indonesia: Indonesia Railways. English option for timetables, prices and ???
Going to China and want to ride the rails there, I again suggest Seat 61 above but here is an excellent list of resource for time tables for cities in China. These are Travel China Guide, which also has some excellent information, China Highlights and CNVOL. I give these three as one may be easier than the other but the Travel China Guide also has excellent information for other items than the train.
South Asia:
Vietnam: Vietnam Railways. This link is to the "official" web site for Vietnam Railways. The website has been improved somewhat and there is now an English language view for the initial page and other pages on the website. You can also use a travel agent such as Vietnam Railway Systems to book online. Please be advised that Vietnam Railway Systems is NOT the official web site for the Vietnamese Railway. In addition, I am not sure about how much additional premium is added to the tickets purchased on the Vietnam Railways Systems web site but there will be some additional charges above the actual ticket cost.
Indonesia: Indonesia Railways. English option for timetables, prices and ???
Going to China and want to ride the rails there, I again suggest Seat 61 above but here is an excellent list of resource for time tables for cities in China. These are Travel China Guide, which also has some excellent information, China Highlights and CNVOL. I give these three as one may be easier than the other but the Travel China Guide also has excellent information for other items than the train.
South Asia:
India: Indian Railway. Excellent web site.
Understanding how the rail system booking in India works is very important, look for post later. An additional link resource provides a clickable map of routes for the India trains. Indian Railways Route Map. One recommendation is if you plan to travel by train in India for an extended period of time, purchase a train schedule and carry this as a guide. It is a valuable resource to have. It may be a bit tricky learning how to read and understand it, but once you do it will be very helpful.
Pakistan: Pakistan Railways. I have not used this personally but it is at least a resource if you wish to try the trains and online booking.
The web site for booking is called IRCTC and if you have an account you can book and pay online with a credit card. If you click the IRCTC link above you will go to the official web site for India Rail and once there you will have two ways to look for or book trains.
If you are going to be traveling in India for a lengthy period of time I suggest you open an account.
*** In the past you were required to have a local Indian phone number to become a registered user or use the web site, however you can now create an account without an Indian phone number***
Here are the steps required to register for an account.
You can now open an account as a foreigner through two methods. One method is through their web site, the other method is via direct email communications with the Indian Railways. This second method requires you to submit a copy of your passport (1-2) pages and is not recommended and is a lengthy process.
Unfortunately the Indian Rail website has changed and there is no direct link for registration, here are the steps needed.
One thing of note when paying for railway bookings. It has been my experience that even though you can select your payment method (type if credit card), I have found that American Express cards work better than does Visa or Master Card. that said, they are always making improvements and this might not be the case now.If you are going to be traveling in India for a lengthy period of time I suggest you open an account.
*** In the past you were required to have a local Indian phone number to become a registered user or use the web site, however you can now create an account without an Indian phone number***
Here are the steps required to register for an account.
You can now open an account as a foreigner through two methods. One method is through their web site, the other method is via direct email communications with the Indian Railways. This second method requires you to submit a copy of your passport (1-2) pages and is not recommended and is a lengthy process.
Unfortunately the Indian Rail website has changed and there is no direct link for registration, here are the steps needed.
- Access this web link and do a train search from NDLS to JP, which is from Delhi to Jaipur select a date about 10 days out.
- After you input the above train search you will click the tab "find train" and will see a number of train options.
- Select the option for "ac chair car" and click "check availability tab".
- You will see a number of options, select any option that shows "available" in green lettering.
- Click the "book now" tab and this will display a new message, just click OK and you will now have a new page.
- On this new page, you will see the "register" tab. Click that tab and from there you can register for a railway account.
Understanding how the rail system booking in India works is very important, look for post later. An additional link resource provides a clickable map of routes for the India trains. Indian Railways Route Map. One recommendation is if you plan to travel by train in India for an extended period of time, purchase a train schedule and carry this as a guide. It is a valuable resource to have. It may be a bit tricky learning how to read and understand it, but once you do it will be very helpful.
Pakistan: Pakistan Railways. I have not used this personally but it is at least a resource if you wish to try the trains and online booking.
South America:
There are a few trains in South America. Most of the continent is serviced by an excellent and extensive bus system, however, Argentina does have a few trains running. Go to the post on this blog titled, Argentina Train Travel. Also visit the post for the train to Machu Picchu on this blog.
However, there are some other trains which for one reason or another had been operational years ago, shut down and now revitalized as tourist trains. We will continue to add links as they are discovered.
One such railway is a tourist train located in Ecuador which recently reopened for operations. It basically runs from Quito to Guayaquil on the coast and traverses what is known as the Volcano Way. This first link is to the web site of World Train Travel. It gives all the details of the route, coaches, stops and costs.
This second link is to the Tren Ecuador and if you visit this web site you will discover the routes, costs, where to purchase tickets and other useful information.
This third link is to the official Ecuadorian railway web site called Ferrocarriles del Ecuador. This site provides additional information and points back to the Tren Ecuador web site for information. However, it is of interest to visit this web site as well.
In Bolivia there is a relatively interesting train system which has its main route called The Expresso del Sur from Oruro running south to the border with Argentina. The web site route map also indicates additional destinations but the Oruro to Villazon seems to be the best route with a stop in Uyuni. Click here for the official web site of Empresa Ferroviaria Andina SA, however, the web site loads slowly sometimes. Hopefully you are able to read Spanish because there is no English language version but navigating the web site is fairly straight forward and there are data points for routes, types of seating and costs along with departure days and hours. Click this link and you will enter the online booking portal for the Bolivian Railway. Both trains and buses can be booked online through this secure site. This is run by the Bolivian National Railway, loads quickly, has an English language version and therefore it is easy to navigate with accurate and best fares.
North America:
North America really does not have very good rail service and is limited in scope, however, there are a few beautiful tourist trains and in Canada the rail journeys via the non-tourist trains are just as good as the expensive tourist trains. See below for the Canada section.
For the United States, there is basically one rail system which is limited and mostly covers the eastern states from Miami, Florida north to Maine. It is called Amtrak, click here for the official web site.
You can also travel from the east coast to the west coast but these options are limited from where you can depart or arrive. If you are interested in taking this form of transportation, then I suggest that when you go to their web site, click the tab for "schedules", then click and download the PDF route map. The route map gives you a better overview of where these trains go. These trains are not fast and they can be expensive. An example is from Miami, Florida to Washington, DC. Travel time is 26+ hours, costs range between $120-$358 depending on type of seating.
I never suggest this train unless you are going short distances which is possible and through more scenic landscapes.
Amtrak is a government subsidized railway system.
Alaska: The Alaska area with its spectacular mountains and vistas is a beautiful part of the world and the web site for looking and booking online is called Alaska Railroad Travel and you can find out about their trains, times, costs and routes on this site. Click here and it will open the web page for you to see what they have.
Canada: There are some interesting tourist trains which go through some of the extremely beautiful regions of Canada. One is called Rocky Mountaineer and if you will click here, you will be taken to their web page to view the travel options and different routes. These trains are not inexpensive but when a person pays thousand of dollars to visit Antarctica, then the costs for these rail journeys are not so bad.
Canada: For those travelers who are not 5 Star spenders, Canada does have its national railways which can be just as fun, interesting and will travel some of the same routes as the extremely expensive tourist trains. Click here to visit the web site where you can see the routes, timetables, prices and make online bookings. This is a relatively easy web site to navigate and well worth the time as the prices are within reason for most travelers. Additionally, there are other routes and one such route is a north-south route in the eastern provinces. This train is operated by Algoma Central Railway. Click here to visit their web site for information on trains, routes, packages and costs. Having reviewed their routes and packages, this can be a wonderful train to ride, especially during the fall season.
Travel Safe, Travel Happy
However, there are some other trains which for one reason or another had been operational years ago, shut down and now revitalized as tourist trains. We will continue to add links as they are discovered.
One such railway is a tourist train located in Ecuador which recently reopened for operations. It basically runs from Quito to Guayaquil on the coast and traverses what is known as the Volcano Way. This first link is to the web site of World Train Travel. It gives all the details of the route, coaches, stops and costs.
This second link is to the Tren Ecuador and if you visit this web site you will discover the routes, costs, where to purchase tickets and other useful information.
This third link is to the official Ecuadorian railway web site called Ferrocarriles del Ecuador. This site provides additional information and points back to the Tren Ecuador web site for information. However, it is of interest to visit this web site as well.
In Bolivia there is a relatively interesting train system which has its main route called The Expresso del Sur from Oruro running south to the border with Argentina. The web site route map also indicates additional destinations but the Oruro to Villazon seems to be the best route with a stop in Uyuni. Click here for the official web site of Empresa Ferroviaria Andina SA, however, the web site loads slowly sometimes. Hopefully you are able to read Spanish because there is no English language version but navigating the web site is fairly straight forward and there are data points for routes, types of seating and costs along with departure days and hours. Click this link and you will enter the online booking portal for the Bolivian Railway. Both trains and buses can be booked online through this secure site. This is run by the Bolivian National Railway, loads quickly, has an English language version and therefore it is easy to navigate with accurate and best fares.
North America:
North America really does not have very good rail service and is limited in scope, however, there are a few beautiful tourist trains and in Canada the rail journeys via the non-tourist trains are just as good as the expensive tourist trains. See below for the Canada section.
For the United States, there is basically one rail system which is limited and mostly covers the eastern states from Miami, Florida north to Maine. It is called Amtrak, click here for the official web site.
You can also travel from the east coast to the west coast but these options are limited from where you can depart or arrive. If you are interested in taking this form of transportation, then I suggest that when you go to their web site, click the tab for "schedules", then click and download the PDF route map. The route map gives you a better overview of where these trains go. These trains are not fast and they can be expensive. An example is from Miami, Florida to Washington, DC. Travel time is 26+ hours, costs range between $120-$358 depending on type of seating.
I never suggest this train unless you are going short distances which is possible and through more scenic landscapes.
Amtrak is a government subsidized railway system.
Alaska: The Alaska area with its spectacular mountains and vistas is a beautiful part of the world and the web site for looking and booking online is called Alaska Railroad Travel and you can find out about their trains, times, costs and routes on this site. Click here and it will open the web page for you to see what they have.
Canada: There are some interesting tourist trains which go through some of the extremely beautiful regions of Canada. One is called Rocky Mountaineer and if you will click here, you will be taken to their web page to view the travel options and different routes. These trains are not inexpensive but when a person pays thousand of dollars to visit Antarctica, then the costs for these rail journeys are not so bad.
Canada: For those travelers who are not 5 Star spenders, Canada does have its national railways which can be just as fun, interesting and will travel some of the same routes as the extremely expensive tourist trains. Click here to visit the web site where you can see the routes, timetables, prices and make online bookings. This is a relatively easy web site to navigate and well worth the time as the prices are within reason for most travelers. Additionally, there are other routes and one such route is a north-south route in the eastern provinces. This train is operated by Algoma Central Railway. Click here to visit their web site for information on trains, routes, packages and costs. Having reviewed their routes and packages, this can be a wonderful train to ride, especially during the fall season.
Travel Safe, Travel Happy