European Rail Tickets: Availability, deals and age limits

A comparatively odd aspect of European rail travel is that there isn't a universal booking window for how far ahead of travel that tickets and reservations can be purchased.

Tickets and reservations for Interrail users can't be made available until schedules have been confirmed, but the usual timetables can be impacted by maintenance and construction work - the details of which are typically confirmed around 6 months in advance.

Hence many European rail operators have a usual booking window of up to 6 months ahead of travel for express train services - Though the German rail operator, DB, offers tickets for travel by its ICE trains up to a year in advance.

However, these usual booking periods are universally shortened by the impact of the annual pan-European timetable update, which occurs on the second Sunday in December.

This is because tickets can't be placed on sale for travel after the second Sunday in December until every aspect of the timetable has been confirmed - which usually occurs around mid-Autumn.

The second Sunday in December: Why it matters | Conductor Sam

The second Sunday in December is the key date on the European rail calendar, so in 2026 that's Dec 13th. Discover why it matters and how it may affect your travel plans.

Current booking windows by country

The table below focuses on the booking periods for long-distance express trains.

Train Services Click for more details on routes taken by each train etc	Tickets available for travel...
Austria: Nightjet	until a year ahead
Austria: Railjet (national and international) / ICE to Germany / EC to Croatia and Slovenia	until 6 months ahead
Austria: EC to Poland	until Dec 12th
Austria: Regiojet	until Nov 30th
Belgium: National trains	until 1 month ahead
Belgium: ICE trains to Germany	until 12 months ahead
Belgium: EC and ECD to Netherlands / Eurostar to London	until a year ahead
Belgium: Eurostar to Paris / Germany / Netherlands	until Sept 2027
Czechia: National trains	until Dec 12th
Czechia: International trains to Hungary / Slovakia / Poland	until Dec 12th
Czechia: International trains to Austria / Germany	until 6 months ahead
Czechia: Leo Express	until Dec 12th
Czechia: Regiojet	until Dec 12th
Denmark: National trains	until 2 months ahead
Denmark: Oresundstag trains	until Dec 12th
Denmark: Snalltaget trains	until 3 months ahead
Denmark: to Germany	until 4 months ahead
European Sleeper trains	until 11 months ahead
France: national TGV InOui trains / Intercités trains	until Jan 7th (see note below)
France: Ouigo trains	until July 1st
France: Eurostar to London / Brussels / Germany / Netherlands	until Sept 2027
France: Lyria to Switzerland: booked on SNCF Connect	until March 30th
France: Lyria to Switzerland: booked on SBB	until Jan 31st
France: TGV to Italy: booked on SNCF Connect	until March 30th
France: Frecce trains to Italy	until Jan 10th
France: TGV to Spain; booked on SNCF Connect	until March 30th
France: TGV to Spain; booked on Renfe	until 100 days ahead
Germany: ICE trains national and ICE trains to Belgium / Netherlands / Switzerland and ECE trains to Switzerland	until 12 months ahead
Germany: Eurostar to Brussels / Paris	until Sept 2027
Germany: ICE trains to Austria / Denmark / France and TGV trains to France and Railjet trains to Austria / Czechia / Denmark / Hungary and ECE trains to Denmark and EC trains to Poland	until 6 months ahead
Germany: Nightjet trains	until 12 months ahead
Great Britain: Avant West Coast / Chiltern / EMR / Greater Anglia / Lumo / Scotrail / SWR / TFW	until 12 weeks ahead
Great Britain: Southeastern hi-speed	until Dec 31st for Advance tickets
Great Britain: CrossCountry / Grand Central	until 5 months ahead for Advance tickets
Great Britain: TPE	until March 31st
Great Britain: GWR inc the Night Riviera	until 24 weeks ahead for weekday travel; until 12 weeks ahead for weekend travel
Great Britain: LNER	up to 24 weeks ahead
Great Britain: Eurostar	until Sept 2027
Great Britain: Caledonian Sleeper	until a year ahead
Hungary: national trains / international trains to Czechia / Slovakia / Croatia / Romania	until Dec 12th
Hungary: international trains to Austria	until 6 months ahead
Italy: Frecce trains (national journeys): Super Economy tickets	until 7 months ahead
Italy: Frecce trains (national journeys): Base / Economy tickets	until 8 months ahead
Italy: Intercity trains / Treno Notte trains Frecce trains to France	until Jan 10th
Italy: TGV to France: booked on SNCF Connect	until March 31st
Italy: EC trains to Switzerland: booked on Trenitalia	until Feb 28th
Italy: EC trains to Switzerland: booked on SBB	until Jan 31st
Italy: Railjet to Austria (booking on Trenitalia)	until Dec 12th
Italy: Railjet to Austria (booking on OBB)	until 6 months ahead
Italy: Nightjet to Austria	until 12 months ahead
Netherlands: national trains	until Jan 12th
Netherlands: ICE trains to Germany	until 12 months ahead
Netherlands: Eurostar to Brussels / London / Paris	until Sept 2027
Netherlands: EC trains and ECD trains to Belgium /	until 12 months ahead
Netherlands: Nightjet trains	until 12 months ahead
Norway: national trains	until 15 weeks ahead
Norway: Snalltaget trains to Sweden;	until 3 months ahead
Norway: Snabbtag trains to Sweden; booking with SJ	until March 31st
Poland: national trains	until 1 month ahead
Poland: all international trains from Poland	until 1 month ahead
Portugal: AP trains and IC trains	until Dec 12th
Spain: national trains operated by Renfe	until 100 days ahead
Spain: trains to France (booking on Renfe)	until 100 days ahead
Spain: Ougio Espagna trains	until July 31st
Spain: iryo trains	until 12 months ahead
Sweden: national trains operated by SJ	until 12 months ahead
Sweden: Oresundstag trains	until Jan 10th
Sweden: Snalltaget trains	until 3 months ahead
Sweden: Snabbtag trains to Norway;	until March 31st
Switzerland: national trains	until 6 months ahead
Switzerland: EC trains to Italy: booking with SBB	until Jan 31st
Switzerland: EC trains to Italy: booking with Trenitalia	until Feb 28th
Switzerland: ICE trains to Germany: booking with SBB	until Dec 12th
Switzerland: ICE trains to Germany: booking with DB	until 12 months ahead
Switzerland: ECE trains to Germany: booking with SBB	until March 31st
Switzerland: ECE trains to Germany: booking with DB	until 12 months ahead
Switzerland: Railjet trains to Austria	until 6 months ahead
Switzerland: Lyria trains to Paris: booking with SBB	until 6 months ahead
Switzerland: Lyria trains to Paris: booking with SNCF Connect	until March 30th
Switzerland: Nightjet trains	until 12 months ahead

The ticket booking references on international journeys refer to the national ticket agents at each end of the route.

Tickets for national journeys in France until March 31st will be placed on sale on November 12th.
Also available on November 12th will be tickets travel until July 2nd for Lyria (France - Switzerland) trains and TGV trains to Turin, Milan and Barcelona.

Current booking windows on major routes

from Paris

	Tickets available for travel...
to Amsterdam / Brussels / Cologne	until Sept 2027
to London	until Sept 2027
to other cities in France	until Jan 7th
to Basel / Geneva / Zurich	until March 30th
to Frankfurt / Stuttgart / Munich	until 12 months ahead
to Barcelona	until March 30th
to Turin > Milan	until March 30th
to Hamburg / Berlin by European Sleeper	until 11 months ahead

from London

	Tickets available for travel...
to Amsterdam / Brussels / Paris	until Sept 2027
to Birmingham / Glasgow / Liverpool, Manchester / Norwich	until 12 weeks ahead
to Nottingham / Sheffield	until 12 weeks ahead
to Bristol / Cardiff / Cornwall / Cheltenham/ The Cotswolds / Plymouth / Hereford / Worcester	until 24 weeks ahead for weekday travel; until 12 weeks ahead for weekend travel
to Aberdeen / Edinburgh / Leeds / Newcastle / Inverness / Perth / York	up to 24 weeks ahead

from Brussels

	Tickets available for travel...
to Amsterdam / London / Rotterdam	until Sept 2027
to Cologne (by Eurostar trains) / Paris	until Sept 2027
to Cologne (by ICE trains) / Frankfurt	until 12 months ahead
to Avignon / Lyon / Marseille / Montpellier / Strasbourg	until Jan 7th
to Salzburg / Linz / Vienna	until 12 months ahead
to Berlin / Hamburg / Dresden / Prague / Milan by European Sleeper	until 11 months ahead
to other cities in Belgium	until 1 month ahead

from Amsterdam

	Tickets available for travel...
to Brussels / London	until Sept 2027
to Paris	until Sept 2027
to Berlin / Cologne / Frankfurt / Munich	until 12 months ahead
to Basel / Zurich / Linz / Vienna	until 12 months ahead
to other cities in The Netherlands	until Jan 12th

from Cologne

	Tickets available for travel...
to Brussels (by Eurostar train) / Paris	until 11 months ahead
to Milan by European Sleeper	until 11 months ahead
to Brussels (by ICE train)	until 12 months ahead
to Amsterdam / Basel / Zurich / Bern / Linz / Vienna / Salzburg / Graz / Klagenfurt by Nightjet	until 12 months ahead
to other cities in Germany	until 12 months ahead

from Frankfurt

	Tickets available for travel...
to Amsterdam / Brussels / Basel / Zurich / Bern / Vienna / Salzburg / Graz / Klagenfurt	until 12 months ahead
to / Paris / Lyon / Marseille /	until 12 months ahead
to Milan	until Feb 28th
to other cities in Germany	until 12 months ahead

from Hamburg

	Tickets available for travel...
to Basel / Vienna / Zurich by ICE train	until 12 months ahead
to Basel / Vienna / Zurich by Nightjet train	until 12 months ahead
to Copenhagen	until 12 months ahead
to Malmo / Stockholm	until 3 months ahead
to Prague / Bratislava / Budapest	until 6 months ahead
to other cities in Germany	until 12 months ahead
to Paris by European Sleeper	until 11 months ahead

from Berlin

	Tickets available for travel...
to Basel / Vienna / Zurich by ICE train	until 12 months ahead
to Basel / Vienna / Zurich by Nightjet train	until 12 months ahead
to Copenhagen / Prague / Bratislava / Budapest	until 6 months ahead
to Krakow / Warsaw / Wroclaw: booked with DB	until 6 months ahead
to other cities in Germany	until 12 months ahead
to Paris by European Sleeper	until 11 months ahead

from Munich

	Tickets available for travel...
to Budapest / Vienna / Innsbruck / Graz / Linz / Vienna / Bolzano / Verona / Bologna / Venice by Railjet train	until 6 months ahead
to Amsterdam / Bologna / Brussels / Hamburg / Venice / Florence / Rome by Nightjet train	until 12 months ahead
to Klagenfurt / Graz by ICE and Railjet trains	until 6 months ahead
to Vienna / Budapest / Ljubljana / Zagreb by Euronight trains	until 6 months ahead
to Ljubljana / Zagreb by EC trains	until 6 months ahead
to Paris / Zurich / Strasbourg	until 6 months ahead
to Amsterdam by ICE train	until 12 months ahead
to Prague	until Dec 12th
to other cities in Germany	until 12 months ahead

from Zurich

	Tickets available for travel...
to Cologne / Berlin / Frankfurt / Munich by day trains	until 12 months ahead
to Salzburg / Vienna / Graz / Innsbruck by day trains	until 6 months ahead
to Amsterdam / Vienna / Graz / Cologne / Hamburg by Nightjet train	until 12 months ahead
to Paris	until 6 months ahead
to Prague / Berlin by CD Night train	until Dec 12th
to Ljubljana / Zagreb	until Apr 30th
to Milan / Verona / Venice / Bologna / Florence / Genoa / La Spezia	until Jan 31st: booking with SBB
to other cities in Switzerland	until 6 months ahead

from Vienna

	Tickets available for travel...
to Budapest / Zurich / Berlin / Hamburg / Frankfurt / Munich / Cologne / Ljubljana / Zagreb / Venice / Trieste by day trains	until 6 months ahead
to Amsterdam / Brussels / Zurich / Berlin / Hamburg / Florence / Rome / Bologna by Nightjet train	until 12 months ahead
to Prague by Railjet trains	until 6 months ahead
to Prague by Regiojet trains	until Nov 30th
to Warsaw / Krakow	until Dec 12th
to other cities in Austria	until 6 months ahead

from Milan

	Tickets available for travel...
to Venice / Bologna / Bari / Lecce / Florence / Rome / Naples / Trieste / Turin (Frecce trains)	until 7 months ahead
to Bari / Genoa / Ventimiglia / La Spezia / Pisa / Livorno / Perugia (Inter City trains)	until Jan 10th
to Lecce / Palermo / Syracuse (Treno Notte trains)	until Jan 10th
to Lyon / Paris: by Frecce train	until Jan 10th
to Paris: by TGV train	until March 30th
to Basel / Geneva / Zurich / Frankfurt	until Feb 28th
to Cologne / Brussels by European Sleeper	until 11 months ahead

from Venice

	Tickets available for travel...
to Innsbruck / Munich / Graz / Vienna / Klagenfurt by day trains	until 6 months ahead
to Innsbruck / Munich / Vienna / Stuttgart by Nightjet trains	until 12 months ahead
to Geneva / Zurich	until Feb 28th
to Milan / Bologna / Bari / Florence / Rome / Naples / Trieste / Turin (Frecce trains)	until 7 months ahead
to Bari (Inter City trains)	until Jan 10th

from Rome

	Tickets available for travel...
to Innsbruck / Munich / Graz / Vienna by Nightjet train	until 12 months ahead
to Milan / Bologna / Bari / Lecce / Florence / Rome / Naples / Trieste / Turin / Verona / Bolzano / Genoa (Frecce trains)	until 7 months ahead
to Bari / Genoa / Ventimiglia / La Spezia / Pisa / Livorno / Perugia / Palermo / Syracuse (Inter City trains)	until Jan 10th
to Palermo / Syracuse / Trieste (Trenno Notte trains)	until Jan 10th

from Barcelona

	Tickets available for travel...
to Paris / Lyon / Marseille	until 100 days ahead
to Madrid / Malaga / Seville	until 100 days ahead
to Alicante / Valencia	until Jan 24th
to Pamplona / San Sebastian / Leon	until Jan 24th

from Prague

	Tickets available for travel...
to Berlin / Copenhagen / Hamburg / Budapest / Vienna / Graz	until 6 months ahead
to Basel / Zurich	until Dec 12th
to Amsterdam / Brussels by European Sleeper	until 11 months ahead
to Bratislava / Vienna / Budapest / Kosice	until Dec 12th
to Warsaw / Krakow	until Dec 12th
to other cities in Czechia	until Dec 12th

Current Promo Offers and Deals

(1) DB is offering a 20% discount to all travellers aged 15 to 26 who will be travelling in Germany before December 12th.

(2) ScotRail is offering a Family Pass - a week of unlimited travel in Scotland for two adults and up to four children for a flat rate of £60.

Child Ticket Conditions

Another quirky aspect of European rail ticket booking is that there is no universal standard at which child ticket terms apply.

Children typically* save 50% on the Adult ticket prices at the ages shown below when travelling on European trains.
Above these ages the adult rates apply to tickets, but below these ages, children travel for free.

*= exceptions can apply between different train operators, including when cities manage local rail network.

Austria	aged 6 to 14 (see below)
Belgium	11 and under (free travel)
Czechia	aged 6 to 14
Denmark	11 and under (free travel)
Denmark	aged 12 to 15 (50%)
France	aged 4 to 11
Finland	aged 4 to 17
Germany	aged 6 to 14 (see below)
Great Britain	aged 5 to15
Hungary	aged 6 to 14
Italy ( Trenitalia express trains)	aged 4 to 14
Italy (Trenitalia regional trains)	aged 4 to 11
Netherlands	aged 4 to 11
Norway	aged 4 to 15
Poland	n/a - dependent on national ID cards
Portugal	aged 4 to 12
Spain	aged 4 to 13
Sweden	15 and under (special rates apply)
Switzerland	aged 6 to 15

When an adult (a person aged 15 and over) books the cheapest type of ticket for long-distance journeys, both within or from / to Austria and Germany, up to four children aged 14 and under travel for free with the 'Adult'.
It doesn't matter if the Adult books 1st or 2nd class tickets.

In other countries including Czechia, Great Britain, France, Italy, Netherlands, Sweden, and Switzerland, railcards or passes are available which enable further savings when adults travel with kids.

Planning Tips when Travelling with Children on European Trains | Conductor Sam

The practical info that is good to know about tickets and reservations when travelling with kids on European trains.

Senior Ticket Conditions

These are that are the ages at which discounts can be accessed by senior travellers.

Though in Austria, France, Great Britain, Italy, The Netherlands, Slovenia, Spain and Switzerland, the discounts can only be applied when using associated railcards or passes.

Austria	65
Belgium	65
Czechia	65
Denmark	67
France	60
Finland	65
Germany	65
Great Britain	60
Hungary	65
Italy	60
Netherlands	60
Norway	67
Poland	60
Portugal	65
Spain	60
Sweden	65
Switzerland	64 (women) / 65 (men)