12 Things To Do Before Boarding a Train—Because the Platform Is Not the Place for Panic

Have you never traveled by train before? Want to know how to prepare for your first train journey? If you answered yes to either of those questions, you’ve landed in the perfect place. Traveling by train is a favorite mode of transport among travelers, especially budget backpackers.

It’s usually more affordable than flying and is often a more scenic way to travel. However, there are many things you need to know to ensure your trip doesn’t go off the rails before it’s even started. To learn more, we’ve compiled a list of 12 things to do before boarding a train. These tips will help you enjoy a relaxed journey.

Table of Contents

Purchase Your Tickets

The most important thing you must do before boarding a train is purchase your tickets. While some train lines allow passengers to buy tickets on the train, we advise against it. Firstly, you must buy a ticket in advance to avoid the train being fully booked. Secondly, buying a ticket in advance will help you guarantee a seat.

This is important because you don’t want to be stood up for the entire journey. We’ve done that before, and it’s not fun. Finally, booking a ticket in advance will save you money. Purchasing a train ticket is like flying in that the early bird catches the worm. The earlier you book, the better your chance of finding cheaper tickets.

Organize Your Tickets

Once you’ve purchased your tickets, keeping them well organized is important. This is essential because you’ll likely be asked to present your tickets to a train guard at least twice during your journey. Most train lines check your ticket when you board the train and when you get off.

With this in mind, print your tickets off at home or using a ticket machine, or download them on your smartphone. Doing this will ensure you easily pass ticket checks without holding the train up or creating a queue at the ticket barrier. If you can’t produce a ticket when asked, even if you’ve bought one, you could be fined and forced to buy another one.

Arrive Early

Catching a train isn’t the same as jumping on a subway at the last minute. You can’t risk arriving at your platform late because there likely won’t be another train two or three minutes later. In fact, the train you miss might have been the only train you could take.

However, you don’t have to arrive a few hours early like you do for a flight, either. Therefore, we recommend arriving 30 to 45 minutes before your departure time. This will give you plenty of time to grab a coffee, go to the toilet, and find your platform. If you need ticketing and baggage assistance, you might want to allow 60 minutes instead.

Get To Know Your Itinerary

One of the less enjoyable things about traveling by train is transferring between train services. On some journeys, passengers are required to change trains to reach their final destination. In the past, I’ve changed trains up to four times to reach my destination. As a result, spend time getting to know your itinerary before getting on board.

Knowing your itinerary will make your life much easier. It’ll help you understand where to change trains, how long you have before your next train departs, and which platform to use. Not knowing these things can result in you missing your station or missing your next train, which might leave five or six minutes after your last one arrives.

Pack Light

One of the best things about train travel is always keeping your bags with you. However, that doesn’t mean you should pack everything apart from the kitchen sink. Instead, pack smart so you can enjoy a more relaxing train journey. If you pack too much, you’ll soon regret it.

Train travel often requires walking relatively long distances between the entrance and platforms. You’ll also likely have to go down multiple staircases. Therefore, you don’t want to tire yourself by carrying an unnecessarily heavy suitcase. Furthermore, you don’t have endless legroom on a train, so don’t make your journey uncomfortable by bringing a bag that doesn’t fit in the overhead racks.

Pack Your Own Food and Drink

You can bring food and beverages on most trains globally, so pack some for the ride, especially if you want to save money. While many trains have carriages selling food and drink, the options are often limited. Worse yet, most train lines mark up food and beverage prices.

You can enjoy snacks you love by packing your own food and beverages. You don’t have to settle for something you don’t want as much just because you’re hungry. You’ll also save money if you avoid buying snacks at the train station. When purchasing snacks, we advise against smelly foods, so you don’t annoy the other passengers on the train. In particular, avoid egg, tuna, and garlic-laden foods.

Put On Comfortable Clothing

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We strongly recommend wearing comfortable clothes for the most enjoyable train ride, especially long-distance journeys with multiple transfers. While looking good is always nice, you’ll feel much better if you prioritize your comfort on a train. With that in mind, there’s no shame in wearing your oversized, baggy jumper, jogging bottoms, and a thick pair of warm socks.

That’s often what I wear on long-distance train journeys, and I’ve never felt better. Wearing these clothes will make you feel more comfortable and warmer in your seat, as some trains can get cold. You’ll often find people changing into their pajamas on overnight trains, too. You might even want to pack a travel pillow on a sleeper train for ultimate comfort.

Go to the Toilet

One of the biggest mistakes some train passengers make before boarding a train is forgetting to go to the toilet. This might not seem like a big deal, but it can quickly become one if the train doesn’t have a toilet. Generally, most trains have at least one toilet. However, some don’t have any, especially short-distance trains.

Therefore, if you don’t go to the toilet before boarding your train, you could be left in discomfort for your entire train journey. Luckily, train stations have many toilet facilities you can use, so you should have no problem finding a toilet before you board your train.

Stand Back From the Platform

Traveling by train is one of the world’s safest modes of transport. However, that doesn’t mean there aren’t still rules you must follow to guarantee your safety and the safety of the passengers around you. One of the most common rules at a train station is to stand back from the platform’s edge.

While it’s unlikely anything will happen to you if you stand at the platform’s edge, it’s simply not worth the risk. All it would take is a stumble or another passenger knocking you over, and you could fall under a train. For obvious reasons, it’s unlikely you’ll survive the fall. Almost every train platform has a brightly colored line or a gate instructing passengers to stand back.

Stretch Your Legs

If you’re traveling on a train for several hours or spending the night on a sleeper train, stretching your legs before boarding your train is a good idea. Like flying, sitting in a train seat for several hours can be uncomfortable. To make matters worse, you might not be able to get up and move because you risk losing your seat.

With this in mind, we don’t recommend sitting down for the entire hour before you board your train. Instead, walk along the platform, explore the train station, and get your legs moving. That way, your legs won’t feel uncomfortable when you board your train, and you won’t have to worry about stretching your legs.

Get Your Playlist Ready

This next piece of advice might not be necessary for you if you’re traveling with friends and family. However, if you’re traveling solo, it could be crucial to an enjoyable journey. Listening to music and gazing out of the window makes train travel faster and more enjoyable. So, make sure you have your playlist ready before boarding your train.

If you already have a playlist on your phone, double-check that it’s still downloaded to avoid disappointment when you get on the train and realize it isn’t. It’s also worth noting that many train platforms and trains don’t have reliable WiFi or signal, so you should prepare your playlist before reaching the platform.

Be Prepared to Get on Your Train

You’ll be surprised how easy it is to miss a train, even when you arrive at the platform early. Trains don’t stop at a platform for long because they follow strict schedules. Therefore, don’t be surprised if your train only stops at your platform for two or three minutes.

This might sound like plenty of time, but it only takes you to be engrossed in a video on your phone, and you’ll miss it. Alternatively, if you don’t have your belongings ready, the train might have already left by the time you put everything away. To avoid this simple mistake, make sure you’re switched on and prepared to move a few minutes before your train arrives.