How to MASTER European Public Transport!

Public Transport in Europe is an incredible experience for most anyone from the Americas, with an almost always seamless way to get from A to B cheaply, effectively and efficiently! That being said, it can be incredibly confusing to navigate. Here are some of my best tips to MASTER European public transport!

• Trainline
• Omio
• Rideshares
• Taxis
• Rome to Rio
• Local Transport Apps
• Cell Service

Trainline

Trainline is my go to for finding trains and busses across Europe! It is available in an app and online at trainline.com, making it incredibly accessible and easy to use wherever you are! Trainline also makes it easy to compare prices, travel time and stops, and allows you to use almost any transport discount card you may have (for example, the U.K. Railcard). You can also buy tickets in multiple different currencies on the site, which is especially helpful for any overseas travelers!

Trainline is the easiest way for you to get the best deal and the best transportation for your needs, and is a tool used by the most efficient of travelers in Europe!

Omio

Another great tool for booking tickets online. Though Omio has many limitations (for example, it isn’t good at finding transfers like Trainline is), Omio can also look at plane tickets! Omio is very similar to Trainline in that you can purchase tickets in many different currencies, but I typically use it as more of a reference than a booking service!

Ride Shares

Ride shares are fairly easy to find across Europe’s larger cities, and offer a lot of helpful tools for overseas travelers! Again, as with Omio and Trainline, most ride share apps allow you to pay in different currencies, and they allow you to book in advance (often for cheaper!) Be sure to do some research into the popular ride share services in the area you are visiting before you arrive!

Taxis

Taxi services are available throughout most if not all of Europe, and are a wonderful way to travel and interact with locals. Though this will normally be more expensive than a subway or tram, it is a far more direct and most often more comfortable way to travel.

Before you leave for your destination, if you plan on using taxis, be sure to do some research about how the taxi system works in this city/country. For example, in England there is a difference between cabs and black cabs. Any Black colored cab you hop into, you can be sure the cabbie is well versed in the area’s roadways, and you will be charged a regulated fee. Most other cabs are more likely to be fine, but I have almost been taken advantage of once or twice in non black cabs because of my foreign accent!

Rome2Rio

Rome2Rio is an incredible website for planning and budgeting your travels! You can compare all sorts of different modes of transportation and compare their costs all on one page! If you want to find the cheapest way to travel for a trip with a tight budget, Rome2Rio should be you’re first stop!

Local Transport Apps

Especially if you are in a major city with underground rails, figuring that out before you leave and downloading the app with greatly help you when you arrive. Even though you often can’t purchase tickets online for local transport, the apps can help you plan a route, shoe you where stations are, and tell you what shops and stations have ticket machines!

Cell Service

Probably the most important trick to mastering European public transport systems is access to the internet. With the internet, you can check schedules, buy tickets, get directions and so much more. Even if it costs more to put an international sim in your phone, access to google maps alone will save so much time and confusion, I would argue it would be worth it to most travelers!

The Roundup

Public transport in general can be very daunting to those of us with little experience, but the European public transport systems in place are normally so seamless and user friendly, a little research ahead of time and access to the internet can help you become a pro in no time!

Where was your most seamless experience with public transport? Did I miss any tips or tricks for tackling Europe’s public transport systems? Leave a comment below!