Published by Jeremy. Last Updated on July 11, 2022.
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One of my least favorite things about traveling in Europe is booking European train tickets.
The reason for this is simple. If you are looking for cheap train tickets in Europe, this means going to any country's unique rail service website, fighting with their archaic booking system, and crossing your fingers hoping an order went through.
Even booking a Europe Rail Pass likely involves an element of making a reservation on individual trains (especially on popular routes), which winds up at the same problem as above.
This is why I've reverted to using 3rd parties for my Europe train booking needs from now on, and the one I've found myself gravitating towards almost exclusively is Omio (formerly Go Euro).
Omio is What All Europe Train Ticket Services Should Be
As far as Europe train planner style services are concerned, most services fall apart pretty quickly. Some have language barriers, while others are simply archaic booking systems that don't appear to have been updated in well over a decade (or two).
When we went to Europe for our honeymoon and booked tickets on RENFE in Spain (one of the worst), we had to deal with language issues and a booking system that would not complete the booking outside of a very unusual combination of circumstances. This took several hours of trying, too.
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In times like this, we often wondered why there wasn't a train booking aggregate service, much like Kayak is for flights. Thankfully, since that horrendous booking one has finally launched and it is everything we've ever wanted- Omio.
Our last train booking experience was just a few clicks and our tickets were in our inbox ready to go!
Our Omio Booking Experience
When we booked our Italy train tickets on Omio for Florence to Venice, it was as simple of a booking process as we ever could've hoped for.
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There were no booking headaches, no errors, or no questions about potential translation issues. Just a few clicks and our official train-line issued tickets were delivered. Along with it was a letter with an Omio header that listed the selling price of our tickets as well as an itemized agency fee for using the 3rd party (this was also clearly listed at the time of booking as well).
The total service charge? $5.67 on a $109.88 ticket price- just about 5%. (Note: We upgraded to a premium class for just a few dollars more.)
Now, there was a time where I'd do anything to get over an extra surcharge. When I was a budget traveler, time be damned- I wanted to save as much money as possible. But now? Well, $5 doesn't account for much of my time these days, and I'll pay that charge out of convenience time and time again.
The time we had to go through some bookings in the past was too much hassle.
So if you want the most seamless Europe train planner out there, give Omio a try. After your first use, you'll understand why there is no going back!
For frequently asked questions about Omio, check out the following.
What is Omio?
Omio is a 3rd party booking service for trains, plane tickets, and more. Formerly Go Euro, this service has now expanded for tickets all over the world.
What is Omio best at?
We love to use Omio to book train tickets in Europe as the local booking systems are often complicated for international purchases.
Does Omio charge a service fee?
Some purchases may come with a service fee. These should be displayed as a line item at check out.
About Jeremy
About the Author: Jeremy is a full-time travel writer based in Pittsburgh and primary author of this site. He has been to 70+ countries on five continents and seeks out new food, adventure activities, and off-the-beaten-path experiences wherever he travels.