European air and rail tickets: Which airlines offer them and how they work

Europe has many great train systems, and more and more airlines are leveraging them to expand their networks. By offering combined air and rail tickets, airlines allow customers to book both forms of transportation on a single ticket.

The main draw of air and rail tickets is that you can travel to smaller cities that aren’t served by a particular airline or may not even have an airport. Plus, if a flight delay causes you to miss your train or vice versa, the airline will typically be responsible for rebooking you. And, in some cases, you can earn valuable airline miles on the train segment of your trip — or even book it with miles.

Train travel can be less stressful than flying since you generally won’t need to arrive at the train station as early or wait in long security lines. Plus, trains produce fewer emissions than planes, reducing your trip’s carbon footprint.

Here’s an overview of nine popular airlines’ air and rail offerings and how they work.

Related: 28 best European routes where you should take a train instead of a plane

Delta Air Lines’ Air + Rail program

Delta’s Air + Rail program helps passengers reach over 20 European cities not served by Delta, such as Antwerp, Belgium; Bern, Switzerland; Rotterdam in the Netherlands; and York in the U.K.

For instance, when I entered Bern into the destination box on Delta’s search page, the Bern railway station (ZDJ) popped up. The resulting itinerary sends me to Zurich Airport (ZRH) via Atlanta by plane, then onward to ZDJ by train.

You can tell if your itinerary includes a train segment by the train icon and “Includes Train” badge. The price shown includes both air and rail segments, combined into a single ticket. Delta One passengers will travel in the train’s premium carriage; all other fare classes will travel in the standard carriage.

Keep in mind that if you need help with your ticket later, you’ll have to contact Delta for the flight segment and AccesRail for the train segment. You’ll also need to check in separately for your train by visiting accesrail.com beginning 72 hours before your scheduled train departure time or visiting the ticket window at your train station. You will be responsible for picking up your checked bags after going through customs and taking them onto the train with you.

Your train ticket is valid for 72 hours after your train’s scheduled departure time. If you miss your scheduled train due to a flight delay, go to the train station’s service desk to print a new ticket.

There is one caveat: These tickets aren’t great for SkyMiles enthusiasts. According to the FAQs, “Currently, SkyMiles® Members will not earn miles for the train ride section of their journey.” And in the examples I’ve looked at, air and rail itineraries aren’t available to book with miles.

Related: Delta SkyMiles: Your complete guide to earning, redeeming and elite status

United Airlines’ train partners

United partners with several European rail companies to help travelers reach smaller towns in Germany, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland and the U.K. From this page, you can click into each train partner to learn more.

For instance, say you wanted to visit the historic town of Bath outside London. You can type “Bath” into the destination box in your United search, and Bath Spa railway station (QQX) will pop up. Here’s an example itinerary that includes a direct flight from New York’s Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) to London’s Heathrow Airport (LHR), followed by train service to London Paddington Station on the Heathrow Express and then to Bath on the Great Western Railway.

According to United’s site, “Some of our partners also allow you to earn and use MileagePlus® miles on your ground transportation,” but it’s not clear which ones. When I compared the above air and rail itinerary to a direct flight between EWR and LHR, I confirmed that you can earn miles on the train portion of this ticket like you would on a flight — but you’ll pay a few hundred dollars more to add the train segment to your trip. Unless you really want to earn the miles, it is cheaper to book the train tickets directly: The Heathrow Express costs 25 pounds and fares to Bath can be found for as little as 25 pounds directly on the Great Western Railway site, for a total of $64.

When I searched for the same EWR-QQX itinerary in miles, no results came up. It appears this rail partner isn’t bookable with United MileagePlus miles.

Related: It’s back! United Airlines is again serving the stroopwafel

Air France’s plane and train journeys

Air France offers four types of air and rail tickets, which have different names:

• Train + Air: trains in France
• Air & Rail: trains to/from Brussels
• Air France Smart Connect: trains in Switzerland
• Eurostar: trains via Amsterdam

The guidelines vary for each type. In some cases, your luggage will be automatically transferred from train to plane; in others, you will need to take it on the train with you and check it at the airport counter. If your flight comes first, you will typically have to pick up your bags at baggage claim and carry them onto the train.

Some itineraries will require an additional transfer by car, and again, the protocol varies. For example, for trains in France, a taxi ride from the train station to the airport is complimentary. But if you’re taking a train from Brussels and your flight departs from Paris-Orly Airport (ORY), the transfer from Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG), where the train arrives, to ORY is at your expense.

Be sure to read all the fine print to understand what type of air and rail journey you’re booking and what it entails. But in all cases, Air France’s website says, “If you miss a connection due to a delay with your plane or train, we will transfer you to the next available train or flight.”

Another perk: You’ll earn Flying Blue miles on most train segments, except trains in Switzerland. Plus, you can book combined air and rail trips with Flying Blue miles. When I booked an Air France Air & Rail ticket from Brussels Midi train station (ZYR) to CDG to Denver International Airport (DEN) last year, my award flight cost the same number of miles as a flight alone from CDG to DEN. I saved the cost of a train ticket and streamlined my journey by booking it all together.

Related: Everything you need to know about booking Eurostar train travel across Europe

Austrian Airlines’ AIRail program

Austrian Airlines, which participates in Lufthansa’s Miles & More program, offers air and rail tickets to select destinations in Austria.

With AIRail, you can travel by train between Vienna Airport (VIE) and the central station in Linz, Salzburg, Graz or Innsbruck. And with the program’s connection guarantee, the airline promises, “If your train or flight is unexpectedly delayed, we have an alternative already prepared for you.”

Here’s a sample itinerary from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) to Linz Central Station (LZS) that involves two flights and a train.

Although this itinerary doesn’t show how many miles you’ll earn, Austrian’s site says you can earn Miles & More miles on both the flight and train segments of your trip.

If you want to book train travel through Austrian, you must book it as a package with your flight; you can’t add a train trip to your itinerary later. The check-in process works as usual either online or in person at the train station’s OBB Travel Centre. Along with your train ticket, you’ll get a snack voucher that you can redeem in the restaurant car or with the trolley service.

Related: The best Christmas market river cruises

Iberia’s Train & Fly tickets

Iberia’s Train & Fly program services just over a dozen Spanish cities by train, including Granada, Valencia and Zaragoza, with flights available to/from Europe, the U.S. and Latin America.

However, when searching online for these cities, I had trouble finding any air and rail tickets. I did, however, spot a couple of Bus & Fly routes.

If you do manage to find a Train & Fly ticket, keep in mind that these trains don’t run to airports, so you’ll have to use the Renfe Cercanias commuter train service (included in your combined ticket). On the train portion of your ticket as well as the commuter train transfer, you’ll be responsible for your luggage.

Related: How to book Iberia flights to Spain (and beyond) using Avios

ITA Airways’ AccesRail service

ITA Airways, Italy’s national airline, offers combined air and rail tickets through AccesRail. At the time of writing, the list of railway stations served includes dozens of locations in Italy, Spain, Switzerland, the U.K., the Netherlands and Belgium.

For example, say you wanted to visit Padua in northern Italy. You could fly to Rome Fiumicino Leonardo da Vinci Airport (FCO), then hop on a Trenitalia train from the airport’s train station to Padova Centrale railway station (QPA).

According to the website, “When available, transfer between the train station and the airport is included in the ticket.”

You’ll have to check in separately for your plane and train segments, and you’ll be given separate boarding passes for each. You can check in for your flight as you normally would through ITA channels. (The FCO train station also offers a check-in desk specifically for air and rail passengers, but this is not available if your final destination is in the U.S. or Israel.)

To check in for your train journey, log in 72 hours before departure on the AccesRail site and enter your ticket number or ITA Airways PNR.

You will also be responsible for picking up your luggage at the connecting station or airport and taking it with you to the next leg of your trip.

Related: Insider tips for eating and drinking your way through Italy

Condor’s Rail&Fly service

German airline Condor offers combined air and rail tickets in conjunction with Deutsche Bahn AG railway company.

Although the airline’s website states, “Please note that your rail journey must start in Germany,” I found air and rail tickets starting at Brussels Midi train station (ZYR) in Belgium.

You can book air and rail tickets as a package, or if you’ve already booked a flight, you can add a rail ticket under My Booking or via Condor’s Service Center. Either way, you can book up to three hours before departure.

The website also says train fares costs $34.04 per person per journey in second class and $68.08 in first class, but this seems to vary.

For example, the following trip from Boston to Cologne railway station (QKL) via Frankfurt costs $100 more in economy compared to simply flying into Frankfurt. On the other hand, the premium economy and business-class tickets cost only $30 more.

When you book a rail ticket through Condor, your ticket will be valid on the day of the flight as well as one day before departure and/or one day after arrival (depending on whether it’s a one-way or return ticket). So, if your flight lands early or is delayed, you should be able to hop on the train at a different time.

Condor provides a rail voucher code rather than a rail ticket. You must enter the code at this website to be issued your ticket.

Related: The new high-speed train connecting 2 major European capitals

Swiss’ Air Rail program

With Swiss’ Air Rail program, you can travel to and from many railway stations in Switzerland as well as Munich and Bregenz, Austria.

Swiss touts this as an easier way to travel: You only have to book one ticket for your combined air and rail journey, and you only have to check in once. And, like several other airlines on this list, Swiss promises to rebook you if your flight or train is delayed.

Plus, Miles & More members can earn miles on both flight and train segments, as well as points toward elite status.

Here’s a sample itinerary from Dulles International Airport (IAD) in Washington, D.C., to Montreux railway station (ZJP).

When searching on the Swiss site, I found I couldn’t pull up train stations in the destination box when I tried to modify an existing search. To search for a railway station, you’ll need to start your search over on Swiss’ advanced search page.

Related: Lesser-known airline partners and how to use them to your advantage

Lufthansa’s Rail&Fly tickets

Lufthansa, Germany’s flagship carrier, offers air and rail tickets to over 5,600 Deutsche Bahn stations throughout Germany.

You can use your train ticket from the day before to the day after your scheduled arrival in Germany. You have a free choice of trains — including IC/EC (Intercity, EuroCity) and ICE (Intercity Express) trains. According to the site, train prices start at 33 euros (roughly $35) for a one-way adult ticket in second class.

Although the website says you’ll need to choose your flight first and then choose the Rail&Fly option under “Additional services” and add it to your shopping cart, I was able to search for air and rail tickets directly by entering the train station code of my destination.

Even more surprising, the itinerary I found from Chicago to Cologne railway station (QKL) via Frankfurt was $289 cheaper than the Chicago-Frankfurt flight alone.

The air and rail ticket details don’t mention earning miles. But since Austrian and Swiss allow Miles & More members to earn rewards on train segments, it’s possible Lufthansa does as well.

Related: How to book Lufthansa first class with points and miles

Are air and rail tickets worth it?

Ultimately, the answer is: It depends.

The Lufthansa example above actually saves you a few hundred dollars while letting you travel farther, which seems like a win-win. But in most cases, you’ll pay more to add a train segment to your trip.

Remember my Delta example from DEN to Bern railway station? The cheapest ticket for my date was $689 one-way in main cabin.

Alternatively, I could fly from Denver to Zurich for $639 in main cabin — $50 less — then arrange my own train travel. Booking the same 11:45 a.m. train would cost me $69 — so the Delta air and rail ticket would actually save me $19. However, if I waited for the 12:08 train, which only costs $32, I would save $18 compared to the combined Delta air and rail ticket.

And if budget was a high priority and I didn’t care about things like checked bags or seat selection, I might prefer to book a basic economy flight to Zurich Airport for $509 and then book my train ticket separately (the basic economy option isn’t available with the air and rail ticket).

Whether an air and rail ticket is worth it depends on the airline and route you’re booking and what factors are important to you. It may save you some money or cost a little more — and it may be worth the added cost to simplify your journey.

Another plus is (potentially) earning and burning miles on your train ticket. But again, this may or may not be offered.

In the Delta example above, I wouldn’t earn SkyMiles on the train portion of my trip. But if I had a Delta credit card, I would theoretically earn bonus miles on the train ticket because it would code as a Delta purchase. In this example, the combined air and rail ticket isn’t available to book with miles.

Bottom line

Air and rail tickets offer several perks, especially for travelers visiting more far-flung European cities. However, the cost savings (if any) vary, as do luggage and check-in policies. After your train segment, you may need to check in and check your bags at an airport kiosk, which can eat into your connection time.

Another downside is for business-class travelers: Even though you’ll be assigned the premium train cabin, you generally won’t get the same treatment as you would in business-class in the sky.

If you book an air and rail ticket, be sure to read all the fine print to ensure a seamless journey.