To save money, I would buy as many tickets in advance as you can — provided you buy them from the individual national rail company websites. That is the only way to get special advance purchase fares — however you’ll lose flexibility as these special fares are usually non-refundable and often not changeable for another train. The links are in a sticky at the top of this forum or under “transportation” on the “travel tips” tab. The problem is that some of the sites don’t sell international (one European country to another) tickets, some don’t accept non-European credit cards and some don’t have the specific paperless, print at home or pick-up options that will work for you.

DO NOT buy tickets in advance from any of the travel agency sites that sell rail passes. These Websites sell “global fare” tickets — 30 to 35% over standard fare (what you’ll pay at the train station) and generally don’t offer any of the advance purchase special fares. So, if you aren’T willing to commit to non-refundable tickets well in advance, can’t buy them from the individual national rail company websites or aren’t willing to go to the considerable effort involved then buy them at the station. About a day in advance (3 days for overnight trains) is best — and you might be able to still take advantage of some special fares. However, you can generally buy tickets up to 1 hour before train time. I would not worry about trains selling out in February.

Price some tickets where you are relatively sure of the date and time on the national rail company websites, they will show standard fare as well as any specials. You can then decide if the savings are worth it for you.