Planning rail journeys in Europe can feel quite daunting at first – different countries, different operators. But once you know which tools to use (and when), it becomes much more manageable and enjoyable.
This guide is based on what I actually use when travelling by rail across Europe. It’s not exhaustive – these are just the apps and websites I come back to time and time again because they’re reliable, intuitive, and don’t let you down in my experience.
I’m not covering the UK here. That’s a whole separate guide in its own right!
Start with the right planning tools
When you’re planning a European rail trip – especially one that’s weeks or months away – the tool you use makes a huge difference.
ÖBB Scotty: great for visualisation and long-term planning
If I’m planning a trip well in advance – three months out, sketching out a multi-country itinerary – ÖBB’s Scotty is usually my starting point.
It’s fantastic for visualising journeys on a map, spotting connections, and understanding how a route hangs together, even before tickets are on sale. You can see realistic timings, interchange points, and service patterns without the system falling over or hiding options from you, with advanced filtering and searching available.
I don’t usually end up booking through ÖBB, but for early-stage planning, it’s hard to beat.
DB (Deutsche Bahn): when you want the detail
DB’s journey planner is excellent for additional detail but less visualisation. This is where you go when you want to know things like which operator actually runs the train, whether there’s space for bikes, and other quite specific details in my experience.
It’s especially useful for journeys involving Germany – but even outside Germany, DB’s data is often more detailed than pan-European aggregators.
One country? Use the national operator first
If you’re travelling mainly within one country, start with the primary national operator’s website or app. The information will almost always be more reliable, more up to date, and better aligned with what’s actually happening on the ground – especially when it comes to disruption and last-minute changes (trust me!)
Tracking trains while you’re on the move
Once you’re travelling, your priorities will change. You’ll want live running, platform information, formations, and clear alternatives when things don’t go to plan. Here’s what I rely on in the countries I visit the most.
The Netherlands
- NS app: Clean, fast, accurate, and perfectly aligned with what’s happening on the network.
- 9292: Excellent for door-to-door, point-to-point journeys, especially when mixing trains with buses or trams.
- Rijden de Treinen: Great for in-depth departure boards and train formations. They also have a fab website!
Switzerland
No surprises here – the SBB app is superb. Planning, tickets, live running, disruption, alternative routes – all in one place, across every mode of transport.
Germany
DB Navigator is excellent, particularly for domestic and cross-border journeys. Even when things go wrong, DB Navigator usually gives you clear, actionable information – which is exactly what you want mid-journey.
Belgium
In Belgium, I much prefer the Railer app for iOS. It’s got a far better UI than the official SNCB app and makes checking departures and live running far less painful.
A few honourable mentions
- The SBB app and DB Navigator both work surprisingly well even outside their home countries, and I often keep them open alongside local apps.
- The CFL app (Luxembourg) is surprisingly good – and not just domestically. I’ve had reliable cross-border information from it.
Getting around cities
For urban transport, my advice is pretty simple:
Citymapper
Citymapper is outstanding and hard to beat in most cities.
Google Maps
Google Maps is also very good, particularly for city-to-city journeys too, especially on a local basis – but always double-check with the relevant transport operator where possible. I usually find in European cities that walking directions with Google Maps is pretty lacklustre and unreliable, though.
Interrail Rail Planner
If you’re travelling on an Interrail pass, do yourself a favour and add your journeys to the Interrail Rail Planner app before you travel. It makes activating travel days much easier and helps you keep track of what you’ve used on quite a nice map with statistics and such! The Rail Planner is also a useful tool in its own right even if you don’t have an Interrail pass.
One of its biggest strengths is clearly showing whether a reservation is required – particularly helpful if you’re travelling on Interrail, or indeed FIP (though that’s very much a guide for another day).
Buying tickets: a quick aside
I won’t go deep into ticket purchasing here, but it’s worth saying that NS International’s website is one of the most user-friendly and intuitive booking experiences, especially for cross-border journeys. Clear options – which, sadly, still isn’t guaranteed everywhere. Definitely one more for a future guide, though!
Final thoughts
European rail travel becomes far more enjoyable once you stop fighting the system and start using the right tools for the right job. No single app does everything perfectly, but with a well-chosen toolkit before you go, you can actually enjoy the journey!