The European Commission on Wednesday proposed new rules aimed at making it easier to plan and book travel across Europe, particularly rail journeys that involve multiple operators and cross‑border routes.
The package includes three measures intended to simplify regional, long‑distance and international bookings while strengthening passenger protections throughout rail trips.
The Commission said passengers often struggle to compare travel options, identify more sustainable choices and book journeys that combine services from different operators. Those problems are most visible in rail, where fragmented booking systems and dominant national carriers have made multi‑leg trips harder to arrange.
Under the proposals, passengers would be able to search, compare and buy services from different rail operators as a single ticket through the ticketing platform of their choice, whether an independent service or an operator’s own system. Travelers holding a single ticket for multi‑operator journeys would receive full passenger‑rights protection if they miss a connection, including assistance, rerouting, reimbursement and compensation.
The Commission said the rules would also impose new obligations on ticketing platforms and transport operators to ensure fair access to ticket sales and neutral presentation of travel options.
Raffaele Fitto, the Commission’s executive vice president for cohesion and reforms, said the package represents a shift “from building networks to serving passengers.” He said reducing fragmentation and making borders less visible would strengthen the single market and ensure people in border and rural regions are not disadvantaged.
Apostolos Tzitzikostas, commissioner for sustainable transport and tourism, said the measures would make travel across all 27 EU countries “simpler, smarter and more passenger friendly.” He said digital tools and integrated mobility services would allow Europeans to plan and book cross‑border multimodal journeys more easily while benefiting from stronger rail rights and greater transparency.
The proposals will now go to the Council of the European Union and the European Parliament for consideration under the ordinary legislative procedure.
A recent Eurobarometer survey showed strong public demand for seamless travel options and reliable online booking systems.