What's the difference between the different ticket types and travel classes?

The types of ticket available for your journey will depend on the trains you are travelling on, and when you book.

In general tickets are divided into Standard Class and First Class, and these are the options you will find on most trains with Europe.

Eurostar is slightly different. Standard Class is still available, but instead of First Class you can choose between Standard premier and Business Premier. Business Premier is more expensive and includes access to the Business Premier lounge, as well as there being fewer exchange/refund restrictions prior to travel.

Night-trains have more seating/sleeping options than normal trains. As well as choosing your class of travel, you can choose the size of the cabin you want to sleep in. For example, you can choose to travel in a four-berth standard class sleeper compartment instead of a six-berth standard class sleeper compartment. The four-berth compartment will be more expensive because you will be sharing with fewer people, but it will not be as expensive as a two-berth first class compartment (for example).

Some sleeper trains allow you to buy a reclining seat. This will be cheaper than all sleeping compartment options, but you won't have a bed.

Sometimes you may see more than one standard or first class option for the same journey, priced differently. These price differences usually relate to the Fare Conditions for the ticket you are looking at. Those tickets that have fare conditions enabling you to exchange/refund your ticket before travel will be more expensive. A fully exchangeable and refundable ticket is known as fully flexible and one that is completely non-exchangeable and non-refundable is known as non-flexible. In general, the more flexible the ticket is, the more expensive.