TripAdvisor now provides access to train travel options
Written by jrood
Popular travel site TripAdvisor announced the beta launch of rail itineraries into its flight meta-search engine, TripAdvisor Flights. TripAdvisor has partnered with mobility and logistic company Deutsche Bahn, as well as other European rail providers including Rail Europe Inc., to give travelers access to train choices across continental Europe. It will be the first travel website to integrate multiple rail providers in line with flight options across a global network. "With the integration of rail itineraries into TripAdvisor Flights, we now offer travelers not only the most comprehensive flight search on the web, but also an easy way to compare train options," said Bryan Saltzburg, general manager of TripAdvisor Flights. "This is especially helpful when planning a trip through Europe, where there are more high-speed rail options now than ever before and hundreds of millions of travelers opt for train travel each year." When travelers conduct a flight search on TripAdvisor, the site will now display rail itineraries alongside flight choices for routes where it's relevant and in some cases priced even cheaper than air travel, such as London to Paris, or Frankfurt to Brussels. Travelers will then be able to filter the search results according to their travel needs and conveniently click to complete the booking on the air or rail website of their choice. In addition, travelers will be able to access all of the tools offered by TripAdvisor Flights, including the Fees Estimator, to easily compare the true cost of their flight and train options. Rail itineraries for continental Europe are available starting July 6 through the TripAdvisor Flights meta-search engines in the U.S., U.K., Canada, Ireland, France, Italy, German and Spain, with itineraries in additional countries scheduled to launch on future dates. Travelers can also shop rail itineraries when conducting flight searches through the free TripAdvisor mobile apps for the iPhone, Android, Nokia, Windows Phone 7 and Palm smartphones, the iPad and through the TripAdvisor mobile website.
