Book and compare your train tickets in 2 clicks

As an official partner of 400 train, bus, plane, and carpooling companies, Kombo allows you to compare all the major companies: SNCF, Ouigo, Trenitalia, Flixbus, BlaBlaCar, Air France, and more. This way, you can be sure to always find the best itinerary for all your journeys.

With the liberalization of transportation, the number of train companies in Europe has greatly increased: SNCF, Ouigo, Trenitalia, Renfe, Thalys, Eurostar. These companies are not always well known, not to mention those that regularly arrive. To not miss out on a good deal, the best thing is to compare on Kombo.

When should you buy your train tickets to pay less?

Train ticket prices vary much less than plane tickets or hotels. But they still very a lot depending on the purchase period and the departure date. This is called Yield management. Understanding it better allows you to anticipate it better and therefore find the most advantageous tickets.

At Kombo, we study the routes of our 1 million monthly users to tell you when to buy your train tickets:

How to find cheaper train tickets?

At Kombo, our algorithm is designed to allow you to find the cheapest train tickets, but not only that. Our real goal is to allow you to easily find the best compromise between price, travel time, number of connections, comfort, etc. So it's best to use Kombo for all your journey searches and to read our little guide on the best tips for finding cheap train tickets, which we made with love 💙.

Where to buy your train ticket?

You can buy your tickets:

How much does a train ticket cost?

Several elements make up the price of a train ticket.

Other factors can cause the ticket prices to vary, sometimes double for the same train:

Is it worth choosing low-cost options for train travel?

Some companies now offer cheaper train journeys with lower quality service, similar to what is offered in air travel. In France, Ouigo is the low-cost offer from SNCF. Tickets are indeed cheaper, but with some restrictions:

How to find discounted train tickets?

Companies offering promo codes are rare in the train industry. But whether it's promo codes or special deals, as a commercial partner of these companies, we often know about them. We share everything on our newsletter (which you can sign up for at the bottom of the page) and our social media. Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, or TikTok for more information.

Is it better to travel by train or by plane?

Which is cheaper between train and plane?

It all depends on the route, departure day, company, options, etc. But it is true that planes can often seem cheaper than trains, especially for destinations that are more than 5 hours away by train. However, be sure to calculate the total cost of the trip: the main transport, all baggage options, the taxi/shuttle required to reach the airport and city center, etc. Often, trains are more economical when you take everything into account. As price differences between the two modes of transport vary and there may be many companies to compare, we recommend searching directly on Kombo. This way, you can see and book different transport options directly on one site.

What is safer, train or plane?

In terms of safety, both the plane and the train are among the safest modes of transportation. The train has 0.04 deaths per million transported passengers, while the plane has 0.05 deaths per million transported passengers. Although the plane is quite safe, it often causes fear due to the impressive nature of accidents.

What is faster, train or plane?

Similar to prices, it is important to calculate the total travel time. For example, for a Paris-Toulouse trip, the train takes just over 4 hours vs 1 hour 15 minutes for the plane. The plane may seem faster, but if you consider:

For European trips, the plane is of course the fastest option.

Is it better to travel by train or bus?

Which is cheaper, train or bus?

The bus is often cheaper than the train, but this is not always the case. Certain routes that benefit from low-cost offers (Ouigo) or competition with SNCF (Trenitalia), are very competitive by train.

In fact, it is mainly for last-minute tickets that the bus is cheaper. Indeed, bus tickets increase proportionally less than train tickets as the departure date approaches.

So, in summary, by booking several months in advance, both modes of transport are often comparable, but if you are looking for an economical way to travel at the last minute, the bus is your ally.

Which is safer, train or bus?

The train is safer than the coach. However, the coach is much safer than people think: often compared to the car which causes 64% of transport-related accidents each year, the coach is only responsible for 0.4% of these accidents.

Which is faster, train or bus?

The train is almost always faster than the bus. The only advantage of the bus is to offer more connections and therefore allow you to easily reach places that are not directly served by the train. On Kombo, to enjoy the best of both worlds, we offer combined trips: part of the journey is by train, the other by bus. This allows you to pay less without too much of an increase in travel time.

Is it better to travel by train or car?

Which is cheaper, train or car?

The question is not that simple. It all depends on what is taken into account in the calculation: immediately, the car often seems cheaper because the cost of the vehicle and its maintenance is not included. In general:

Which is safer, train or car?

With two accidents per million trips, the car is one of the least safe modes of transportation, far behind the train.

Which is faster, train or car?

The train is almost always faster than the car on the routes it covers. However, the car has advantages for all places poorly served by the train that require many connections and therefore a travel time by train that can become longer than that of the car.

What are the major train companies operating in Europe?

How to validate a train ticket?

The way to validate your ticket depends on the type of ticket you have:

It is worth noting, however, that 96 to 99% of train tickets are digital and therefore do not need to be stamped.

What baggage can I bring on the train?

The rules regarding the baggage you can bring on the train may vary depending on the railway company and the type of train you are traveling on. However, here is some general information:

How early should I arrive to catch the train?

At Kombo, we know that there are those who will arrive one hour early and those who will arrive just in time (or even miss their trains). We cannot change this, but if you don't want to take too many risks, we recommend arriving at least 30 minutes before departure.

In most train stations, trains are displayed 20 minutes before departure. This allows you to comfortably settle in and take advantage of your head start to watch panicked people running on the platform because, unlike you, they decided to arrive right on time.

However, we would like to warn you that for some trains, access to the platform is closed 5 minutes before departure.

How to cancel a train ticket?

Whether or not you can cancel/exchange a train ticket depends on the type of ticket you have chosen. These conditions are mentioned at the time of purchase. You can find them at any time in your after-sales space.

If you have purchased your tickets on Kombo, there is no problem: you can access your reservations at any time via your customer space or with your booking reference.

How to exchange a train ticket?

The process to exchange your tickets is the same as for cancellations (see above).

What to do in case of delay/cancellation?

It is possible that trains may be delayed. Therefore, there are different compensations determined by companies and European laws:

For Inoui trains: you can request compensation beyond 30 minutes of delay using this form. You can receive:

For Ouigo trains: By default, Ouigo compensates you with a voucher. The conditions are as follows:

For Trenitalia trains: You are entitled to compensation for delays exceeding 30 minutes. You must fill out an online form to benefit from it.

For Eurostar trains: In case of a delay of more than 60 minutes, you can request:

A cash refund via this form.

How to find reliable information during strikes?

We know that strikes can be stressful. If you bought your ticket on Kombo, we automatically send you an email to keep you informed about the situation with your ticket. And to best assist you, we have prepared a guide to help you during SNCF strikes.

How was the train invented?

The train as we know it today is the result of numerous inventions, improvements, and innovations made by engineers and inventors over the centuries.

The first known rail vehicle was a wooden cart on wooden rails, used in Germany in the 16th century to transport coal wagons in mines. However, the development of the steam locomotive, which revolutionized railway transport, began in the late 18th century.

In 1784, British engineer William Murdoch built a small model of a steam locomotive for the Redruth coal mine in Cornwall, England. However, it was George Stephenson, another British engineer, who is widely considered the father of the railway.

Stephenson built his first steam locomotive, called "Blücher", in 1814. He then worked on a series of other locomotives and was tasked with building the first public railway line in 1821, the Stockton and Darlington Railway. His "Rocket" locomotive was used to pull the first passenger train on this line in 1825.

Railway development continued in the 19th century, with the construction of railway lines across Europe, North America, and Asia. Steam locomotives were replaced by electric and diesel locomotives in the second half of the 20th century.

Today, the train remains an essential mode of transport in many countries around the world and is used to transport passengers and goods over long distances quickly and efficiently.

Interesting fact: when the train began to become popular, many people believed that the human body would not be able to withstand such speed and that our organs would be crushed under its effect.

How does the train work?

The train is a railway transport that uses locomotives to pull wagons or cars on rails. The train operates using the principle of traction, which is the force required to move an object.

Here are the main components and operating principles of the train:

In summary, the train is a railway transport system that uses a locomotive to pull wagons or cars on rails using traction and controls direction and speed using various components and signaling systems.

Where does the word "train" come from?

The word "train" comes from the Old French "trahin" which meant "path" or "way". This word is derived from the Latin "traginare", which means "to pull" or "to transport". The term "train" was first used to describe a line of carts or vehicles pulled by horses on paths or roads.