Trip.com is my recommended OTA for train tickets, especially if you are planning to visit China which has the biggest train network in the world. Apart from train ticket booking abilities, Trip.com also has the best OTA loyalty program out there.
| Feature | Trip.com | Agoda | Expedia |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standalone Tickets | Yes. Extensive global inventory. | Very Limited. (Mostly SE Asia/India). | No. (Except "Flight" train segments). |
| Regional Coverage | China, UK, Europe, Japan, Korea. | Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, India. | UK and France (Packages only). |
| Mobile Tickets | Yes. E-tickets sent to app/email. | Mostly vouchers or physical pickup. | N/A (Hotel/Flight focus). |
| Rail Passes | Yes (Eurail, JR Pass, etc.). | Yes (Eurail, JR Pass, etc.). | No. |
| Seat Selection | Available for most routes. | Rarely available. | N/A. |
Trip.com user experience
Pros:
- Ability to select high-speed trains only.
- Easily compare differences between classes
- Much cheaper than Agoda
- 3-step checkout
- Ability to select seats
Key downsides of Agoda
You are often buying a voucher that you have to exchange for a physical ticket at the station, which can be a hassle if you are traveling with a family.
While there are some pictures, I think the user experience for choosing seat class is less friendly than Trip.com as you cannot tell much from the pictures other than seat configuration.
You have to click on 1 more class from HK$1,355 to see First Class, but information on differences between seat class is less clear compared to Trip.com
The checkout process is longer than Trip.com but doesn't even offer seat selection.
Key downsides of Expedia
- They only show rail options if you are booking a "Hotel + Rail" bundle in specific markets like the UK.
- Lufthansa Express Rail: You can book Deutsche Bahn trains through Expedia, but only if they are marketed as a "flight" code-share with an airline.
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