Travelling across Europe by train may soon become much easier under a new proposal from the European Commission. The plan would allow passengers to book international rail journeys involving multiple operators with a single ticket, while also strengthening passenger rights in cases of delays or missed connections.

Even though Europe’s railway network has expanded significantly in recent years, organising an international train journey can still be surprisingly complicated. Travellers often have to search for tickets across multiple websites and railway systems, yet may still struggle to find the best route or the cheapest option.

Many railway operators continue to prioritise selling their own tickets through their own platforms, while competing services are either only partially visible or not displayed at all. As a result, passengers frequently do not see all available routes or the most affordable alternatives. The European Commission’s new proposal aims to address this problem through a more unified booking and ticketing system.

“While the demand for seamless travel across the EU grows, significant barriers remain in booking multimodal journeys, revealing the urgent need for a more integrated, transparent, and user-friendly digital booking system.” said Apostolos Tzitzikostas, the European Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism.

Toward a more unified European rail ticketing system

The proposal would make it possible to book journeys involving multiple countries and railway operators with a single ticket. This would make it easier for passengers to compare prices between different operators while also improving consumer protection when travellers miss connections during multi-leg journeys.

Under the plans, railway companies and online ticket platforms would be required to make each other’s offers more accessible. Passengers could therefore plan and purchase an entire trip through a single platform, even if the journey involves several operators.

According to the European Commission, the proposed rules would tackle several long-standing problems in international rail travel, including:

  • allowing passengers to purchase journeys involving multiple railway operators on a single ticket
  • strengthening passenger rights for travellers who miss connections because of delays
  • making online ticket platforms and travel offers more transparent
  • displaying estimated greenhouse gas emissions for journeys in certain cases

Railway operators would reportedly have one year to adapt their websites and ticketing systems to the new rules.

These changes would also complement Europe’s broader railway expansion plans. Last November, the EU presented an action plan to improve connections between major European railway hubs and expand high-speed rail links, aiming to make rail a more attractive alternative to short-haul flights.

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Many Europeans already struggle with international rail bookings

According to a European Commission survey, many passengers already find complex international journeys difficult to organise. Around 36% of respondents said they struggle to book trips that combine different forms of transport, such as plane-to-train or train-to-bus connections.

Rail travel involving multiple operators also remains problematic. About a quarter of respondents said they find booking train tickets across different railway companies difficult, while 43% said they avoid such journeys entirely.

A Budapest-to-Berlin rail trip offers a good example of the current system’s complexity. For a late-May journey, ticket prices on the same route can start at around €47, while other options may cost between €90 and €130. Travel times can also vary significantly. Some connections reach Berlin in just over 12 hours, while others take 15–16 hours and involve four or five transfers.

According to the European Commission, the new rules would make such international journeys easier to compare, simpler to book and more manageable through a single reservation system.

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