hidden europe 16

International rail tickets

by hidden europe

Summary

Until May this year, it was perfectly possible to buy a through ticket from continental train stations to London using cross-channel ferries. No more, but a new initative from Railteam offers the prospect of a new generation of through tickets.

Once upon a time, way back in the depths of history, the railway and ferry companies of Europe got together and decided it would be a wonderful thing if their tariff systems could be harmonised in a way that might allow the international traveller to buy a train ticket from Stockholm to Paris or from London to Berlin. Thus was born the TCV (tarif commun international pour le transport des voyageurs), a simple but decidedly useful facility that allowed us to cross the continent using any number of trains and ferries with just a single ticket for the entire journey.

In many parts of the continent, the TCV fares still serve as the basis for international tickets. But more and more train operators.

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