Do trains in Europe run on Christmas day?

Do trains in Europe run on Christmas day? - Happy young woman running in field

My wife and I will be in Europe (Munich, Lucerne, Vienna, Prague) from just before Christmas to just after New Year's.

If I have done my research right - it looks like trains will be running all of those days. But on holidays, they'll just run less frequently. Does that sound right?

We will spend Christmas day going from Munich -> Lucerne via train (assuming above is true).



Best Answer

Trains basically run through the holidays in all the countries you mentioned. The timetable is different, even from a regular bank holiday, let alone from a regular weekday, with fewer commuter trains, slightly different schedules and possibly even some extra long-distance trains but you will in any case find many many trains on these days.

Booking in advance, if at all possible, is strongly advisable, both to save money (especially in Germany, not so much in Switzerland) and because some trains can get very busy and either sell out (when seat reservation is mandatory) or have no more seats (when it is not and you are allowed to travel without a seat).




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Are trains closed on Christmas Day?

No train services run on Christmas Day. No train services run on Boxing Day, except for a handful of airport transfer services. Train services run as usual but may end a bit earlier on New Year's Eve. Train services run as usual but may start a bit later than usual on New Year's Day.

Do the trains in Germany run on Christmas Day?

Yes, the trains run on 25 Dec. but on a holiday schedule. So, not as many as usual, they will follow the Sunday schedule. The Deutsche Bahn will have the times up in about 15 days.

Do trains in France run on Christmas Day?

Trains run to a weekday timetable on Christmas Eve and Boxing Day, and a Sunday timetable on Christmas Day. There are frequent trains from early morning to late night. Boxing Day (26th December) is not a holiday in most of France, certainly not in Paris.

Do UK trains run on Christmas Day?

Christmas transport and travelThere is no public transport on Christmas Day. Public transport, including buses, trams, London Underground and London Overground trains, do run on Boxing Day, but on a reduced service. On Christmas Eve, public transport starts to wind down from early evening and there are no night buses.



European travellers hit by Christmas strike woes




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