Map of railways of the countries of the world. European railways

The European rail network is well developed. Traveling on any route is comfortable. There are public and private railways in Europe. Regional regular and high-speed trains move along them. The English interface of many sites makes it easy and quick to purchase train tickets.

Features of European railways

European railways connect both large and small cities. If in locality Not there is a train, then you can get there using a combined message: bus - train - ferry. Distances in Europe are not very large, so many trips can be made with a minimum of time. In one day, a passenger can cross several states. Short trips makes 80% of passengers. long trips interested in 20% of tourists. The lion's share of transportation is carried out by a state-owned company - this rule applies in many European countries. In addition to the national carrier railways local importance divided among themselves and several private companies.

Railways in Europe began to be built about 150 years ago. In the 19th century, the network was already quite extensive and dense. In the 20th century, European railways connected to the UK network through a tunnel under the English Channel. The rail track of this tunnel runs at a depth of 127 m below sea level. On certain railway lines, high-speed trains run - express trains that resemble a rocket in shape and reach speeds of up to 300 km / h.

Where to buy tickets

In Europe, there are not only state-owned, but also private railway companies. On the site high-speed trains Eurostar - www.eurostar.com, you can get acquainted with the tariffs for transportation. The schedule of high-speed trains running between Belgium and France can be seen on the website www.thalys.com.

The European rail system is different from the Russian one. The reason lies in the small distances. Many trips fit within a few hours. Therefore, Europeans perceive trains as everyday vehicle. Almost all compositions are daily. In them, the cars are equipped with seats and resemble the cabin of an aircraft. In European trains, there are first and second class cars. There is also a section for non-smokers and smokers. When buying a ticket, the passenger usually does not reserve a seat. He occupies it after boarding the train. To be guaranteed to sit in a certain place, you should reserve it in advance by paying 2-3 euros additionally. Reservation of seats is a mandatory procedure on some routes.

In France, the train is a practical, punctual and comfortable means of transport. Rail Europe is represented by SNCF (National Company of French Railways). SNCF provides inter-city connections with a very dense network of express trains and TGVs (bullet trains). Trains in France combine comfort and quality. At your service bar and restaurant, telephone and Internet connection - everything for a successful trip.

From Paris you can travel to other European countries using the trains:

EUROSTAR (Great Britain, France, Belgium)
TGV (France, Belgium, Switzerland)
THALYS (France, Belgium, Holland, Germany and Switzerland)
TGV Liria (connects Paris with many cities in Switzerland)
ARTESIA (Italy and France)
ELIPSOS (France and Spain)

The main rail connections are carried out by TGV and EUROSTAR trains.

TGV

Pronounced as TeZheVe - these three letters are the most famous brand among European railways. TGV is the railway of France. Railway map France is one of the most branched in Europe. You will soon see for yourself. And TGV trains are the fastest, most comfortable and safest in Europe.

The TGV rail network connects over 230 cities in France. high speed trains TeZheVe reach speeds of up to 300 km per hour - this is by right the highest speed railway in Europe. The train stations that TeJeVe serves in France are all located in city centers. This is an undeniable advantage railway transport before aviation. After all, it is not uncommon to get from the airport to the city center in Europe costs no less money and time than to fly from one country to another. Well, one more fact - railways are less late and less prone to natural disasters.

In terms of geography, railway France divided into 4 parts and has 230 railway stations between which TeZheVe trains run (look at the map). In total, there are more than 400 trains in France, which make 650 daily trips with average speed movement of 300 km per hour.

Ticket types

Point-to-point ticket (PTP)

Point-to-point ticket Railway tickets, valid on a specific route between two railway stations.

Depending on the type of train, you will need either a "ticket with open date", or "Global Price Ticket"

Tickets with an open validity date

Open date tickets mean that you can take any train following the route indicated on your ticket;
As a rule, tickets with an open date are valid for 1 month (in France you can also purchase a ticket valid for 1 day);
The ticket is valid for only one trip, on the route indicated on the ticket;
The ticket is only valid for travel on the itinerary indicated on the ticket;
It is possible to purchase a ticket for both 1st and 2nd classes;
The ticket does not specify a specific seat in the carriage; registration for the train must be purchased separately;
Open date tickets are not valid on trains requiring the purchase of Global Price Tickets (such as Eurostar, Thalys, TGV, Elipsos, etc.).

Global Price Tickets

Combined ticket: includes registration and the ticket itself;
The price includes both registration and the price of the ticket itself;
You can purchase 1st and 2nd class seats for domestic and international communication, booking opens 6 months before the start of the trip;
The ticket is valid only for the train departing on the date and time indicated on the ticket.
The seat is also indicated on the ticket;
On most trains it is possible to purchase tickets with significant discounts at the "early booking" rate.

age conditions

Children under 4 travel for free with an adult passenger, provided that they do not occupy a seat;
Children aged 4 to 11 inclusive (on the date of the trip start) provided 50% discount from the price of a full adult ticket.
About availability discounts for young people from 12 to 25 years old inclusive, check with your railway armorer.

Registration

If the tourist has open ticket, the tourist needs to register for a fee at the railway ticket office of the station for the train of interest to him.
A client traveling with Global Price Tickets does not need to issue anything additional.

View timetables on raileurope.com.

Application for booking railway tickets

departure date

Departure point (city/name of railway station/country)

Number of persons

Do you already know how to choose a hotel on the map?

start tracking cheap tickets in advance - that is right now!

I think that absolutely everyone traveled by train in Russia. And many traveled by trains in Europe. The difference is significant, and the first impression of European trains turns all knowledge about comfort and speed upside down. Well, such is the influence scientific and technological progress on our organisms striving for bliss and comfort.

By the way, I would like to take this opportunity to share some good news with you: they write that high-speed express trains of German origin will run in Russia in 2-3 years, which Siemens will soon supply to Russian Railways. And Russian Railways, in turn, will connect the two capitals with Inter City Express trains. Again, I will take this opportunity and express the hope that in ten years such trains will run on long distance to more remote and less metropolitan points of our homeland.

In the meantime, I want to discuss the accumulated knowledge on how to properly plan railway routes and buy tickets for European trains.

The whole of Europe is a lot of independent states, and each has its own railway, its own rules, and, what is most difficult, its own language. How to overcome this when planning your trip to Europe or to Europe?

My tried-and-true trick is to study directly the website of the European Railways TGV Europe - TeZheVe Europe. The purpose of this website is to help you plan your European train journey and choose best deals and rates. All European railways work with this platform

The website of European railways TGV Europe - TeZheVe Europe in English, German, French, Italian, Spanish. If you live in Europe, you certainly have a good command of one of these languages, and if you are going to Europe, then using this service will give you the opportunity to practice your foreign language. In addition, this site saves you the hassle of exploring the offers of local railway sites in Italy, Germany or France, where the main information is provided in national languages.

The site is very well navigable and intuitive to find the information you need. In addition, the English in it is so simple and clear that you will not even notice that you are reading in a foreign language.

So, you have the primary information about this convenient platform for exploring the possibilities of TGV Europe - railways in Europe. If railways are part of your plans, I advise you to take a look at the portal with your own eyes in order to try on its usefulness for you.

European railway network

At present, the European railway network includes the following national and international railways:

SNCF (France) - French railways
SNCB (Belgium) - Belgian Railways
CFF (Switzerland) - Swiss Railways
Deutsche Bahn (Germany) - German railways
Eurostar (United Kingdom, France, Belgium) - Eurostar high-speed railway
NS Hispeed (Netherlands) - Dutch railways
ÖBB (Austria) - Austrian railways

As well as partners TGV Lyria ( France - Switzerland), Thalys (Germany-Belgium-France), and Alleo.