European High-Speed Rail Travel: How to Get Around Europe Quickly

For over 30 years, European high-speed rail travel has made it easy to get around between countries very quickly. France's Train a Grande Vitesse (TGV) was the first well-known portion of the high-speed rail system, but several other countries have followed suit in the ensuing decades. The German Inter City Express (ICE) train has developed a high-speed railway system that is now one of the world's finest.

European high-speed rail travel: Available rail networks

In 2007, seven European high-speed rail companies combined to form the Railteam alliance. This collaborative effort includes members from France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Austria, Belgium, and Switzerland. The most elaborate European railway networks are still those of France and Germany. The smaller European countries generally have one, maybe two, high-speed rail tracks of their own. These railways use France and Germany as hub stations, connecting only to those countries instead of forming a web connecting all of Europe by direct high-speed trains. Some of these smaller countries only have one line that would even be fast enough to qualify for inclusion in the Railteam alliance. Even when the rail networks do connect across country borders, the speed may drop because the new country's track system cannot handle the higher speed.

European high-speed rail travel: Purchasing tickets

These many separate European high-speed rail networks can often make it inconvenient for travelers to purchase tickets. Instead of being able to buy one ticket going straight through from the UK to Belgium, a passenger must contact each rail service separately to buy a ticket for that portion of their trip. A consolidated ticketing system is in the works to allow passengers to purchase international high-speed rail tickets in one place. More European countries are also expected to join the Railteam alliance as they improve the speed of their rail systems. Right now, it is expected that the Italian high-speed train and the Spanish AVE train will be joining Railteam in the next few years.

European high-speed rail travel: Hub stations

Even with the Railteam association, there are only three main high-speed railway lines in the entire European network. There are five stations that serve as hubs for this network of trains. The Lille in France, Brussels in Belgium, and the German stations of Frankfurt am Main, Cologne, and Stuttgart. From these five rail stations, passengers can reach almost any European country via high-speed train. Unfortunately, Paris has several unconnected stations, making it difficult to use as a hub for connecting trains.