Leuven station to Brussels South Charleroi Airport train with Intercity

Intercity is a broad classification for express train services that connect cities over longer distances than commuter or regional trains, often with limited stops and comfortable carriages for long-distance travel. The term "InterCity" originated with British Rail in 1966 for its electrified West Coast Main Line services.Today, "Intercity" or "IC" is a brand name used by various railway operators across Europe and other parts of the world, including PKP Intercity in Poland, Trenitalia in Italy, and services in countries like Sweden and Ukraine. These trains typically offer both Standard and First Class seating, with amenities such as power sockets and luggage space. While some Intercity services are modern and high-speed, others may use older rolling stock, with speeds generally up to 160 km/h (100 mph).

Renfe is Spain’s national train company operating freight and passenger on Spain’s extensive railway network as well as international routes to neighboring France and Portugal. Renfe has a wide range of ticket types to fit your budget like the Basic, Elige and Premium tickets. Renfe also offers discount cards like the Renfe Gold Card and +Renfe Youth Card 50 for qualified travelers. The Renfe AVE trains run at high speed and serve long-distance routes, Alvia trains combine high-speed and normal speed trains serving domestic routes, Altaria serves domestic routes into southern Spain, Euromed offers domestic routes along the Mediterranean coast, Avant trains serve regional commuter routes and Trenhotel offers night train routes.

Deutsche Bahn (DB) is Germany’s main train operator, running around 40,000 domestic and international services each day. Its fleet includes a variety of train types: high-speed ICE (Intercity Express) trains, reaching up to 300 km/h; IC (Intercity) and EC (EuroCity) trains for long-distance travel; and IRE (Interregio-Express), RE (Regional Express), and RB (Regionalbahn) services for regional and local connections. While bathrooms are standard on all trains, amenities such as onboard restaurants and free Wi-Fi are available only on certain train types and routes. DB offers a wide range of fares, including Super Saver, Saver, and Flexible tickets, along with discount cards like the BahnCard 25, 50, and 100. Additional options include single tickets, day tickets, and group tickets. Popular routes include Berlin–Munich, Hamburg–Frankfurt, Cologne–Stuttgart, Berlin–Dresden, and Hamburg–Cologne, as well as numerous regional services across Germany.