Planning ahead can save you big money on train travel.(Dreamstime)

There’s something so seductive about train travel that once you’ve done it, it’s hard to stay away. You’re not flying over your destination, you’re not cruising along a freeway at 65 mph, you’re sitting relaxed and looking out the window, perhaps sipping a nice drink, as the scenery glides past you.

If you’re a fan, or you’d like to become one, here are 10 of my best tips:

1. Book in advance

Buy your ticket or pass as far out as possible. Most train companies offer a substantial discount for advance bookings. Three months is not too far out.

2. Bring your own meal

Your train may or may not have a dining car, depending on the line, but one thing is for sure: Unless it’s a specialized luxury line, the food will be fairly wretched and expensive. It’s easy to bring a picnic, and I recommend you do so.

3. Find your bliss

Go online and consult The Man In Seat Sixty-One. He happens to be a Brit named Mark Smith who runs Seat61.com, the most comprehensive website I know of train travel in the world. I love his site, and I used it to learn about how to book and travel on trains in Egypt and Thailand. You can also learn about rail passes that may be available for your route, and how to travel by train in remote places like Sri Lanka and Vietnam.

4. Avoid peak prices

Go during off hours. If you’re on a line that’s frequented at all by commuters, you’re going to find that it’s much more expensive to travel during rush hour. The plus side of rush hour is that there will be more trains. The down side is the cost and crowds. For example, if you want to take the Long Island Rail Road from the Hamptons to New York City, it would cost you $29.25 during peak hours, $21.25 at other times. Peak hours are generally 6-10 a.m. weekdays heading into the city, and then 4-8 p.m. outbound. Note, however, that some trains in popular tourist locations might charge more on weekends.

5. Split your ticket

Check to see whether it’s cheaper to buy a “split ticket,” meaning you buy one ticket to a certain destination, then a second ticket from there to your final destination. Sometimes, promotional discounts will make that affordable, and if you split your trip in two, you can sometimes avoid having to pay peak fare prices on the entire trip. Beware, though, in case you need to change trains or even stations.

6. Use your AAA discount

Auto club members always get 10 percent off Amtrak fares in the U.S. And, right now, you can save an additional 10 percent on your already reduced fare if you book by May 15 and travel April 22-June 12. Amtrak is also offering a deal on the San Joaquins train, which runs from Bakersfield, California, up to San Francisco and Sacramento. If you buy by April 30, you pay full fare for one and save 50 percent on up to five companion fares. And, every day, kids 12 or under ride for half price. Students, military members and veterans also get a deal. We took the Maple Leaf train up the Hudson Valley from New York City to Buffalo, New York, and it was a great trip. Learn more at Amtrak.com/deals.

7. Don’t speak English

Readers have reported to me that they can sometimes find cheaper fares online by using the train company’s websites in the local language rather than the ones translated into English. Awhile back, Budget Travel magazine reported that it was cheaper to buy fares on the French language website for the SNCF trains than if you used the English site. Sometimes, there are local trains cheaper than the tourist versions. Often, foreigners aren’t supposed to ride them, but you might be able to blend in and get away with it. And, note, if you have a credit card that doesn’t charge a foreign transaction fee, it may also be cheaper to buy your ticket online in a foreign currency.

8. Go back to class

Yes, it’s nice to ride in first class, but do you really need it? In Peru, traveling from Cuzco to Machu Picchu, we had the choice of $140 round trip for the Peru Rail Vistadome service, which offered legroom, leather seats and a live cultural show. Or $96 round trip for the Expedition service, which was still air-conditioned, heated and had snacks. You’re going to meet more locals in second class. I’ve enjoyed the people I’ve met on trains. However, unless you’re really hard-core, make sure you will have the basics, like air conditioning and a comfy seat.

9. Take a sleeper

We had a lot of fun riding the second-class sleeper train berths from Bangkok to southern Thailand, and they cost only $40 per bed for the 12-hour ride, compared with $58 for the first-class beds. We started out in ordinary looking train seats, but as it got late, a porter came around and converted them into upper and lower curtained compartments with beds, like the ones you may have seen on “I Love Lucy” or in the movie “Some Like It Hot.” They were quite cozy and fun. Intrepid budget travelers use the sleeper trains as a way to save on a night’s hotel room, though I still want a bed when I arrive at my destination.

10. Get a pass

If you’re going on an extended trip, check out whether a rail pass will work for you. They’re not just for Europe anymore. Canada’s Via Rail offers the Canrailpass, for example. You often have to buy these passes well before you arrive in the country, so do your homework.