Finnish trains

• Q. Are there discounts on train tickets ?

  A. Yes. Discounts are available for select train tickets. some rail carriers offer advance purchase discounts for those who like to book early. In addition, youth, child, and/or senior discounts are offered by some European rail carriers. When you begin your ticket search, be sure to enter in any applicable passenger data so that we can provide you with the best fares for your journey.

• Q. Can I open the train windows ?

  A. If you’re traveling on a slower train you may have the option to open a window, depending on the age and configuration of the car. However, most modern rail cars are air-conditioned and you won’t have the option of opening the windows.

  For safety reasons, high speed trains don’t offer the option of opening windows.

• Q. How far in advance can I buy my train ticket ?

  A. Train tickets can be purchased 60 to 180 days in advance, depending on your route of travel. Rail carrier policies vary, depending on when their schedules are available for sale.

  For the best deals, purchase your train tickets three months in advance, if possible. But always book as far in advance as you can to assure the best price and to avoid your class of service being sold out (especially during peak travel season on high speed trains).

• Q. Can I bring my bike on board ?

  A. In general, bicycles can be taken with you as carry-on luggage, free of charge on just about any national or international train- if you put it in a bike bag. In the bike bag, the wheels, pedals and handlebars must be removed.

  In addition, many European trains allow bikes in a special bike compartment for free or a small fee. If there is a fee, it’s typically about 5-15 Euros per journey. Bikes are typically permitted on local & regional trains in most countries, at least outside peak travel hours.

  Many inter-city trains also allow bikes, however not in Spain. And in France only a few French TGVs allow bikes that aren’t in a bike bag. Some TGV-Lyria trains between Paris & Switzerland also allow bikes. Paris-Madrid & Paris-Barcelona night trains only allow bikes if they’re in a bike bag and if you & your fellow travellers occupy the entire sleeper compartment. Overnight Thello sleeper trains & daytime TGV trains between Paris & Italy only allow bikes in a bike bag. Thalys trains between Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam & Cologne only allow bikes in bike bags. Long-distance trains into Eastern Europe such as Cologne-Moscow, Bucharest-Istanbul or Budapest-Sofia only allow bikes in bike bags, primarily because these trains don’t have luggage compartments.

  Lastly, some trains, primarily in the UK, will require advance reservations for bicycles. These reservations will need to be made locally at the station.

• Q. Can I print my rail pass at the station ?

  A. At this time, most rail passes are printed as a paper document and must be shipped to you prior to your departure to Europe. If a rail pass is offered as an e-pass this option will be offered at the time of booking. For rail passes offered as e-passes, you will need to print it out on paper prior to arriving at the train station..

• Q. Who is eligible to buy a rail pass ?

  A. Rail passes are available to anyone except residents of Europe, the United Kingdom, Morocco, Turkey or any of the countries of the former Soviet Union. If you’re a resident of these countries we can’t sell you our rail passes, but there are other similar options available to you such as the InterRail pass.

• Q. A rail strike in Europe prevented me from fully using my rail pass as intended. Can I get a refund on the unused days ?

  A. Passes that have been activated or partially used are not eligible for a refund. You may wish to have your pass cancelled and noted by a European railroad official that it was “not used due to a strike” and return it to our customer relations department. The claim will be reviewed to see if we are able to provide compensation depending on the European railroads’ policies. Please send us a message using the Contact Us page on our site.

• Q. If there’s been a strike, how do I request reimbursement through the Rail Protection Plan™ ?

  A. Only some train tickets are eligible for reimbursement due to strikes. Please send your tickets back to our Rail Europe office at the address included in the Rail Protection Plan™ documentation that accompanied your train tickets or rail pass, and include the traveller’s Request Form.

  A European railway official at the station must have stamped the train ticket indicating it was not used due to a rail strike. Requests for refunds of printed e-tickets in relation to a rail strikes must follow the procedure mentioned above. If the e-ticket has not been printed, requests for reimbursement can be e-mailed to customerrelations@raileurope.com, prior to the train departure date.

  Notice of any refund request in relation to a strike must be given within thirty 30 days of your return from Europe. Rail passes are generally not eligible for a refund in cases of a strike under the Rail Protection Plan™.

• Q. I want to refund my train ticket. How do I proceed ?

  A. If you have a paper ticket that you would like to submit for a refund, please visit our Contact Us page for further information.

  Please note that train tickets must be received at least 2 business days prior to the train departure date.

  It’s strongly suggested that you send these documents by some type of traceable mail for proof of delivery.

  If you have an e-ticket to submit for a refund, this can be initiated on our Cancellation and Refunds page.

• Q. How early should I arrive at the train station ?

  A. We advise travellers to arrive at least 30 minutes prior to departure. This allows you time to clear any security checks and locate the platform where your train will be departing. If you are departing from a larger train station (typically a city’s main station) and need to activate your rail pass prior to boarding, you will want to arrive even earlier to make sure you have enough time to get your rail pass activated and avoid doing a luggage-hauling sprint through the station.

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