The Thomas Cook European Rail Timetable

The ultimate tool for Eurail travelers, is again available in the U.S. You can purchase the Winter 2011-12 Thomas Cook Timetable online, or at our store in Downtown San Diego. Le TRAVEL STORE is the original "travel store", supplying independent travelers with travel gear, travel books and maps, travel clothing and travel accessories since 1976. We do not sell railpasses, tickets or make reservations. Also see The Rail Map of Europe by Thomas Cook.

>>Thomas Cook European Rail Timetable

Published by Thomas Cook for over 130 years, it is the only comprehensive schedule to European rail and ferry service. It includes over 460 pages of train schedules throughout Western and Eastern Europe, along with numerous bus schedules. Each page shows 50 to 100 departures. There are over 20 pages of ferry schedules including the Mediterreanean, North Sea, Baltic and Black Sea.

>>Independent Traveller's Editions

Published twice a year in Britain, it is an enlarged version of the monthly Timetable with additional tips and information for rail travelers.
>The Summer edition becomes available in June and features schedules through December.
>The Winter edition becomes available in late December and includes schedules through the following June.

>>Seasonal Changes

European railways plan their schedules well in advance. The top priority are the international express trains and high speed trains within each country. Many regional and local services are coordinated to feed passengers into the express train network. Winter schedules (including fall and spring) will include more trains used by business travelers, plus additional vacation service to winter resorts. The Summer schedules will include fewer business trains and more trains to vacation destinations like Mediterranean beach resorts.

 
Sample Table
Schedules across northern Spain.

>> How do I get from Barcelona to Bilbao?


The sixth column in this table shows that Alavia train #434 leaves Barcelona Sants Station at 0735. It stops in Zaragoza (0934), Logroño (1124), Miranda de Ebro (1217) and arrives at Bilbao Abando station at 1348. The fifth column also shows a 0735 departure from Barcelona (Alavia #534) but after the Zaragosa stop it continues up to Pamplona, San Sebastian and Irun at the the French border. The M at the top of the column refers to the footnote at the bottom which indicates the train offers first and second class through coaches between Barcelona and Irun.

(On a personal note from Joan and Bill Keller: When traveling between Barcelona and Bilbao, we recommend a stop in Logroño, the capital of La Rioja province, an important wine region. You can also day-hike on the Camino Santiago from here.)

>> More answers than you have questions


* Is there direct TGV service from Brussels to Lyon?  See table #11.
* How often do trains run from Lyon to Grenoble? See table #343.
* Can I cross from Pau in southwestern France through the Pyrennes into Spain? See table #324.

>> Who should use the Timetable?


The Thomas Cook European Rail Timetable is for primarily for experienced, committed and serious rail travelers. It's jammed with information and it takes awhile to learn to use the book. You can find basic rail information on line, but for those who want to see all the possibilities, the Timetable is indispensable.