Cross-border yes. The European railway network isn't very integrated yet (though the EU has some initiatives underway), so cross-border ticketing is generally b

Cross-border yes. The European railway network isn't very integrated yet (though the EU has some initiatives underway), so cross-border ticketing is generally bad: inconvenient and expensive. Only Deutsche Bahn's bahn.de even has a semblance of an international online ticketing system, and it's far from complete. International tickets also have a habit of ending up charging you full fare, which (like with full-fare plane tickets) is way too high. Within individual countries is where rail has the most market-share in Europe, and advance-ticket purchases are priced like planes, with steep discounts from full-fare prices, varying with demand. People take high-speed trains on routes like Barcelona–Madrid and Lyon-Paris, and without the German ICE network. And many people do prefer the train on those routes: the Barcelona–Madrid air shuttle lost half of its passengers after the AVE line to Barcelona opened.