---
title: Autumn Rail Holidays in Europe Come in Two Windows, Before 10 October and After 2 November
description: "Europe by train this autumn: the school-holiday dates to avoid, the same £39 Eurostar fare as summer, senior rail cards, and where hotel prices actually fall."
author: Dr Marina Nani (Editor-in-Chief)
date: 2026-09-05T09:30:00.000Z
updated: 2026-09-05T09:36:59.485Z
canonical: https://richtravelmagazine.com/article/autumn-rail-holidays-europe-two-windows
image: https://cdn.nanimediahouse.com/pexels-the-colosseum-in-rome-surrounded-by-lush-trees-and-greenery--4172680.jpg
categories: Smart Travel, City breaks
content_type: Guide
region: Europe
publication: Rich Travel Magazine
access: members
schema_type: Article
---

The school holidays of England, Scotland, France, Germany, the Netherlands and Austria all fall between 10 October and 1 November this year, which splits the autumn in two for anyone travelling Europe by train with no term dates to keep. The first window runs from early September to Friday 9 October. The second opens on Tuesday 3 November and runs to the European timetable change in December. The three weeks in between are a school holiday across most of north-western Europe.

The savings are on the trains: [Eurostar's lowest fare](https://www.eurostar.com/uk-en/deals) for 9 September to 8 December is £39 one way, the same as it was in summer, and what changes in autumn is how many of those seats are still on sale when a traveller comes to look. Senior cards then take a further 10 to 50 per cent off, depending on the country. Hotels are the caveat: the 2026 data puts [autumn room rates](https://richtravelmagazine.com/article/how-to-choose-the-best-affordable-hotels-in-europe-this-autumn) within a few per cent of summer, September now sells nearly as well as August, and the real drop in price comes in late October and November, in central and northern Europe more than on the Mediterranean.

## The Crowd Numbers Behind Autumn City Breaks in Europe

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