Train Travelers' Tips: 2003
There's more to smart European train travel than just picking up your Europass and hitting the rails. What lessons did you learn on your last rail adventure? Tips on those pesky supplements (not covered by your train pass) are particularly welcome. Here's what you thought in 2003:
Travel via train within Italy - Part II
Also, be sure and get your ticket validated at the platform from which the train is leaving. For example, if your train to Milan is leaving from platform 8 ("binario 8") use the bright yellow validation box at 8 - not 9, 10, etc. The conductor may or may not check for the stamp, but you had better take the time to do it.
Joanne M.
Lakewood,, CO USA 12/15/03
Travel via train within Italy
I just returned from a two-week trip to Italy in November. Train travel within the country couldn't be easier. I bought my tickets at travel agencies near the station rather than endure long lines at the counter. It took all of two minutes each time. Look at the ticket carefully for the train car number, seat number, and whether or not you requested smoking or non-smoking. All seats are assigned based on the requests you make! And sometimes seats are over-booked. On the trip from Florence to Venice my assigned seat was occupied, so I stood in the baggage area the entire trip. A conductor offered to find one for me in another car, but I declined.
And learn some of the local language - don't rely on someone speaking English! It is the least a traveler should do when visiting another country. For nearly a year before I left for Rome I took formal Italian language classes - and will continue with them even though I do not plan to return to Italy for the next few years.
Joanne M.
Lakewood, CO USA 12/15/03
observations about Italian trains
Also, on this 2 week trip in Italy during November, we were shocked to find that most trains departed 2 to 5 minutes EARLIER than the scheduled time.
For luggage: two rides on Eurostar trains were on two different styles of 2nd-class car. Bear in mind that you probably are going to have to get your bag WAY above your head, and in one style of car the clearance into the luggage rack was too thin for our bag to fit. Try to nab the tepee-shaped space between back-to-back seats for easier luggage storage. There was a travelogue-worthy moment, when two nice young soldiers helped an elderly woman put her thick bag in the high rack -- but it really didn't fit well. In the event the bag did not fall out, but I would not have sat underneath it for anything.
There are printed schedules posted near the tracks -- one for arrivals and one for departures. These are very helpful, especially if your destination is an intermediate stop on the route. Also, they indicate a track number, so you can probably be at the correct platform before your train finally shows up on the announcement board. But the track and/or departure time could conceivably change from the printed schedule, so you do have to keep an eye on the board.
Finally, because of our lack of local language skills, we could not understand an announcement that the train we expected to take to the north from Verona had been cancelled because of a strike in Austria (I thought they were like the Swiss or Germans, and would not have strikes!) Eventually we were rescued off the train by a conductor, but now we know to ask questions if there is no one else on the train and it is silent!!
Experiences like this reinforce our strategy -- riding the train is part of the vacation. Everything is easier and more fun if you are making your trips in full daylight and when you are not exhausted.
CAP
Denver, CO USA 12/11/03
Cost of pass vs ticket
About pass vs point - point -- I think the answer partly depends on how comfortable you are in the country. We spent 2 weeks in Italy in November, neither of us speaking a word of Italian. Because we could research exact schedules and prices for train trips via the DeutcheBahn web site, we knew that the cost was very close to equal for pass versus tickets.
We opted for pass because it is easier and faster on the day of travel, and allowed more flexibility. We used mostly the InterCity slower trains, so no reservations were needed. For 2 trips on Eurostar, we did get the reservations a day or two ahead, when there was plenty of time to stand in line & find someone who could understand our English. Note that you need such reservations with either pass or ticket, so again the cost is equal.
Also, who knows what the Euro will cost in dollars when you go to buy that point-to-point ticket?
CAP
Denver, CO USA 12/11/03
Train travel in Italy
Just returned from ten wonderful days in Italy. We used the train to go
everywhere. The traffic is just too terrible to drive. We had no problems
using TrenItalia. We purchased open-ended 2nd class tickets for all of our
destinations. If you get there early enough you will find a confortable
seat. Use the WC before you get on the train as they don't always open the
WC's on the trains. Pay attention to which cars are smoking and non-smoking.
Second class is just as comfortable as first class and much, much cheaper.
I would highly recommend asking the ticket clerk if there are any scheduled strikes. They know well in advance when strikes are scheduled and can save you some delays (using an open-ended ticket also solves this problem as you can just take a different train if your train is affected by a strike.)
Don't forget to validate your ticket at the small red or yellow machines
next to the tracks, but don't validate too soon as the validations are
valid for only a few hours. Most signs and announcements in the train
stations are in Italian and English, just listen carefully or ask a staff
person to make sure you are getting on the correct train. Otherwise, enjoy
your trip and experience something new.
CC
Denver, Colorado USA 12/01/03
Italy Train Travel in Oct 2003
I also agree with the previous posters to buy train tickets as you go. We
traveled from across Italy in mid oct 2003 on 2nd class point to point tickets
with no problems. This was my first trip to europe so everything was very
new to me. I learned to write down on a piece of paper our destination info
so the language barrier would not be a problem. Most of the time the ticket
office clerk would print us out an info sheet so we would know which train
to take and its departure time. I found most people were very helpful once
they realized we were tourists. I was also surprised how cheap the tickets
were. Do check with the clerk to see if a strike is planned. Also for the
unlucky folks like myself who get motion sick: I had no trouble except for
a trip we took from Verona to Innsbruck thru the mountains. It was beautiful
but I did stand up most of the way to keep from getting sick!
Rhonda O.
Stockbridge, ga USA 11/23/03
London to Bath cheaply
Wales and Borders Trains has cheap tickets from Waterloo station to Bath.
The trip is scenic and charming,takes 2 h and cost us 8 GBP (each) in June.
kate reed
edmonds, wa USA 11/17/03
Costs for point to point tix in Italy
My wife and I just got back from a wonderful 10 day trip, starting in Rome,
and visiting Sorrento, Positano, Orvieto, Florence, Vernazza and Milan.
Point to point tickets are the way to go. Here are some of the ticket prices for our tickets, second class: Rome to Naples, 17E each, Naples to Orvieto, 23 E, Orvieto to Florence, 14E, Florence to Vernazza, 19 E.
We took the Cisalpino train from Milan to Zurich for the flight home, and this was our most expensive leg, 57 E each. This was a nice, high speed train, however and we expected to pay more for the trip to Switzerland. By the way, Zurich is great for air travel; there are reasonable hotels right outside the train station and there are trains for the airport every 10 minutes. (It takes 10 minutes to get to the airport.) In fact, if Zurich is one of your destinations when visiting the Die Bahn website for travel planning, you'll find a convenient hotel search service that will show where the hotels are on the map and their cost.
I highly recommend the high speed hydrofoil from Sorrento to Naples.
Also, we were concerned about rumored train strikes (and, in fact, there was a general strike after we left). The TI in Florence across from the train station gave us good information.
One last tip: On the posted schedules at the train stations, Ferme 14/9 means the train stops service on September 14th.
I've driven cars all over Italy. Trust me, trains are the way to go.
My wife and I get a nice picnic lunch and a bottle of wine and enjoy watching
the scenery pass by.
Bob Keeney
Grapevine, tx USA 11/13/03
Travel tip for France's Mont St. Michel
TGV to Rennes has partnered with Courriers Bretons (Autocar) at Rennes for
free bus transport to Mont St. Michel by presenting your railpass to the
driver. Board the 8:05 TGV from Montparnasse and connect to the 11:30 bus
arriving at the door of Mont St. Michel at 1 pm. Spend the night or depart
at 4:16 and continue south along the coast to the lovely town of Saint-Malo.
I found out by chance the day I traveled that the clocks moved back 1 hr
(last Sunday in October, same as US). Schoolchildren had a week's vacation
before "La Toussaint" (All Saint's Day, Nov. 1) and Mont St. Michel was
crowded.
Carol Etherton
Chicago, IL USA 11/12/03
Point to Point Tickets in Italy
I just returned from a trip to Italy and agree with previous posters about
buying train tickets as you go. I always purchase point to point tickets
at the station. I buy 2nd class. (2nd class is very comfortable). I have
used the ticket machines before as well. It is much cheaper than a railpass
(ticket machine instructions were available in English as well as other
languages).
RC
San Diego, CA USA 11/10/03
Train travel in Italy: Helpful tips
I would like to recommend to all train travelers in Italy to always check
whether or not a strike is planned before making plans to travel on the
trains or the metro. Strikes are very common in Italy. You can find out
this information by going to http://www.trenitalia.it, talking to the locals
or going to the station a few days in advance if possible to find out any
information. Also, buy your tickets in Italy to avoid any possible strikes.
Italian train tickets can be used on any train within a 6 hour period after validation. Remember to validate your tickets before boarding the train. There is also an expiration date on the ticket of some months, therefore, I believe the ticket can be used up until that date (of course, if you have not validated it yet.) Always ask questions at the ticket window.
I write down my train schedule for my planned trip before arriving at the station. I often check the schedules that are posted at the station before going to the window (double checking my plan to be sure it all works.)
At the ticket window, I ask for a "Andata e ritorno"(roundtrip ticket), especially if I know when I am returning. Often I take the CIS (Cisalpino...Pendolino) going to my destination. It cost a little bit more than an intercity train, but it make often only 1 or 2 stops). For example, Domodossola to Milano Centrale costs 9.19 E. Then if I must change in Milano Centrale then I have another ticket for that train. For example, Milano Centrale to Bergamo costs 3.75 E. However, always compare the prices and the time it takes. If you do not mind the long train rides then go the intercity route.
Specify the class ticket that you want, 1st, 2nd, etc. I travel 2nd class as it is much cheaper and if you want food on the trains, you can go to the dining car in first class and buy something and bring it back to your seat. Often there are beverage carts that are brought through the cars of all classes.
Be sure to read your ticket for your seat assignment the train car (for the CIS). This information is located at the bottom of your ticket. (There is a symbol of a train and a number; this is the car that you are to sit in. Near the symbol you will see a seat number 92f; this is your seat number. ( If you bought your ticket in advance above the window there will be a little card stating, for example, "From:Domodossola To Milan Centrale" and the hour. This means that this seat is reserved for someone for that hour to this destination. If you buy your ticket the day of departure, your assigned seat will have a Not Reserved above the window.) Always double check with the train porters for your seat assignments on the CIS if you are not sure.
If you do not want to sit in a smoking car, please be sure to tell the ticket window clerk "Non Fumatore" (On the train the cars also have the smoking and non smoking symbols. Be sure that you board a non smoking car). Don't be afraid to ask questions, everyone is usually very friendly and helpful.
On the Intercity trains there are not seat assignments or car assignments. You will also find the smoking and non smoking symbols on the cars. Be sure to check.
All the trains have numbers on the cars 1, 2, 3, these are the class of the car. So, if you are in 2nd class, car 5, non smoking, you find the 2nd class car number 5, non smoking. There will be a number 2 is a circle usually blue or green, then a little train symbol and a number 5, and the international non smoking sign. This will be your car. Then you proceed to locate your seat. Above most of the windows you will also see a number 2 is a blue or green circle; this specifies the class of the car.
Train travel is great. No traffic to deal with,and you can relax; enjoy
the scenery, read, etc.
RC
San Diego, CA USA 11/10/03
Rail Pass Validation -- To Alice in FL
The people in Arnhem validated your pass in violation of the rules. What
would you have done if they had made an error and could not replace your
pass? A rail pass can only be validated in a country that participates in
this pass. This rule is for your own safety. A German conductor would have
gladly validated your pass on the train (without fee). If he or she had
made a mistake and you traveled on the pass anyway, you would still be responsible
for any fines incurred while using an invalid ticket.
Peter Kent
Portland, OR, USA 11/05/03
Faster train from Amsterdam to Paris
I just read that the Thalys train is working on new rail construction so
that sometime in 2007, there will be a direct train between Amsterdam and
Paris that will make the trip in THREE hours! It currently takes about 4
1/2 hours. A "heads-up" though: Hopefully, by that time, perhaps one of
the no-frills airlines such as EasyJet or BasiqAir will have a route between
these two cities at a fraction of the cost and time.
Amsterdam, NL 11/05/03
Italy's Eurostar
We rode the Eurostar train when we were in Italy this past month. I was
under the impression that the Eurostar is supposed to be Italy's version
of the bullet train (like France's TGV). While it is a nice looking train,
it really wasn't that fast or that much faster than the other cold war trains
they have. I think its because it still runs on the same tracks as all the
other trains. I dunno, maybe I'm wrong, but it really wasn't that fast.
kwong
san leandro, ca USA 10/22/03
Cheaper train travel
Followed earlier posters and used sncf.com to book tickets for my recent
travel into France and Belgium. Not only was it about $100 cheaper than
raileurope.com, but it provided a full list of time options versus raileurope
which apparentally doesn't offer the full spread of times available. It
was very easy to get my tickets when I got into France. They will even mail
you your tickets if you are planning far enough in advance. I bought mine
a week before I left so I just got them on site. The website has a very
easy-to-understand english option and I highly recommend it.
Amy
USA 10/21/03
German trains
Trains in Germany were incredibly easy. EurAid was extremely helpful. Doing
this alone was scary but after I caught my first train, I felt like a pro!
Even the night trains are safe.
Susie
Dayton, OH USA 10/20/03
TrenItalia Staff
The TrenItalia staff in Naples is woefully lacking in communicating beyond
their native tongue. Recently, on a trip through Naples from Rome to Pompeii
and returning, we opted to have dinner in Naples after arriving from Pompeii
via the Circumsuviana. I headed to the ticket counter to get upgrades on
the EuroStar to Rome, but was not informed that the train would be departing
from the below-ground railway stop, thus missing it. The agent could not
communicate beyond writing down the train times on a slip of paper. (I knew
those, I just needed to know where.) Then of course, the last train at 9:30
was cancelled because of the periodic strikes. An unplanned stay-over in
Naples without luggage was the result.
jb
Chicago, IL USA 10/14/03
Versailles
Follow signs from metro to RER C. Getting there was tricky. We took RER
from Invalides but there are no helpful signs once you approach the RER.
Ticket booth is up the escalator next the travel agency. It's inside the
station. Ticket entrance is back down the escalator to the track (A) which
is up the escalator again. Which track A? 2 or 4? Luckily, one of Rick's
travel smart people were there with the book. Catch any train that says
VICK on it. When you arrive at Versailles, there will be a McDonalds in
front of you. Cross street, walk right and make a left at corner. Short
walk to chateau.
Marie
Verona, NJ USA 10/13/03
Train Travel
We just returned from a 24 day trip using our 5 country saver pass. Before
we left I used the Deutsche Bahn website (german rail site), I printed out
each segment of our trip with 2-3 alternative depature times. The site gives
you train #, type of train, if a reservation is required, name of station
if you need to transfer, sometimes even the track info. We found it made
reading the train schedule easier when we got to the station. When we were
planning our next train travel day I had all the informatin I needed to
decide on a departure time. I also waited til I got to Europe to make reservations.
We made our Thalys reservation and our reservation from Annecy France to
Florence at the Frankfurt Airport Station. Later I made a reservation on
the TGV at the Bayeux Station. Also, be prepared on the German trains to
get off. We found they only stayed in the station a minute or so. The further
south you go the longer they stay in the station. We found train travel
to be pretty easy. We even helped other people!
Jennifer Perdue
Louisville, CO USA 10/12/03
Prague - get off the beaten track.
Visiting Prague? Trying to get off the beaten track? Last week I did an "Out of Prague tour" into countryside, by local train (great adventure).
We visited famous glassworks in Nizbor and did some cheaper factory shopping.
And in the afternoon we visited the most famous Czech castle Karlstejn.
I can recommend you this excellent combination. If you need a map, see http://mapy.atlas.cz.
Orientation prices: return train ticket cost 3 US, guided tour through factory 2 US, (some present included), guided castle tour 6 US, traditional lunch in the village restaurant - unbelievably cheap but hearty. If you need more on info, try www.prague-guide.info .
If you need some help feel free to write me saraguide@volny.cz. I am
local and knowledgeable guide. You can find references on me on the Internet
message boards and Rick Steves message board. By the way, Rick Steves
is the most curious traveler I have ever guided in Prague.
Sarka Prelantova
Prague, CR CR 10/12/03
Validation of Rail Pass
We bought our German Rail pass from Rick Steves. It has been stated that
any international ticket office will validate any rail pass, however the
agents (and a supervisor) at Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam would not validate
our German Rail pass, as a mistake could be made and then they would not
be able to replace the pass (for Germany). We tried again as we were enroute
in Holland at the international desk in Arnhem station, and she gladly validated
it on the spot. So, if at first you are refused, try again at a different
location.
Alice K
FL USA 10/06/03
Tube Map vs. Real World
In London, it is never worth changing subway (tube ) lines to go one stop.
Look at a real map (not the tube map) to see real location of stops [and
how close they can be].
John Brangwin
Bellevue, WA USA 10/04/03
Train tickets
Be very careful when buying tickets from German ticket machines. Unless
otherwise indicated, the tickets sold are the cheapest ones--for regional
trains, not for IC or EC trains (the big, fancy ones with every possible
amenity). We found out the hard way: as it was Sunday, there was no one
at the ticket office in the little village where we were staying, so we
bought round-trip tickets to our destination (this was a spur of the moment
trip due to its being a very rainy Sunday), and hopped on a train to Konstanz.
I don't think anyone even checked our tickets on the way down (this happened a lot on our trip), but on the way back, we hopped on a train that was leaving at a time that was convenient for us, and it happened to be an IC train. Well, a very no-nonsense woman came around with her little machine and wallet, looked at our tickts, and informed us that the tickets were not valid on an IC train. We had to pay not only the E6 difference in price, but a surcharge as well!
Needless to say we were more careful about which trains we took for the rest of the trip. However, our final train trip was from Mainz to the Frankfurt Airport station. It was the only direct train leaving at a time that would get us to the airport on time and we had had enough problems buying tickets in some of the connecting stations between Mainz and other destinations.
Well, it was an IC train again, but we decided to pay for a ticket to Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof, which is further away, figuring that the extra Euros for the fare would make up for the ticket's not being of IC quality. BTW, it wasn't Sunday, but the line at the ticket office was horrendously long and the clerks slower than molasses in January, which is why we used the machine.
Anyway, another all-business young woman looked at our tickets, read
us the riot act, and when I told her we were getting off at the airport,
told me the ticket was for the the main train station. I told her, yes,
I know, but....blah, blah, blah. She actually got out her little machine,
calculated the costs and found that we had paid enough for the trip. But
for some insane reason, she firmly told us to get off the train at the
main train station! Steve and I looked at each other after she left and
muttered, "Is she going to physically restrain us at the airport?" Well,
of course not, but do check those little symbols on the train schedules
that tell you what kind of train is involved.
Hilde
Old Bridge, NJ USA 09/13/03
Seating
When you are traveling on the train with a partner it's best to reserve
seats opposite each other face to face rather than side by side. This way
you can put your feet up on each others seats and you won't have someone
with long legs cramp the space in front of you.
Franco
NYC, NY USA 09/10/03
Prague To Austria
Although we bought first class tickets in the US from Eurail for train travel
from Prague to Salzburg, and then from Salzburg to Vienna, we were told
we would have to reserve the seats for the Czech train in Prague. We were
able to reserve seats for Salzburg to Vienna in the US. When we went to
the station in Prague, the woman refused to give us a reservation, saying, "you don't need it. It won't be a problem." Well, it wasn't a problem, because
there was no first class car! And it would have been difficult because we
had to change trains 4 times instead of the once we were told in the US.
So we spent half that trip in the sweltering heat in a smoking compartment
with a person who was smoking and closed the window because the smoke
was blowing in his face. Also, FYI many of the train stations had flights
of stairs down which you had to drag your luggage. The trains in Austria
were immaculate, exactly on time, and the station had a first class lounge
(AC, drinks, etc.) where you could wait.
sally
topsfield, MA USA 08/29/03
RE: Expensive Railpasses
There are a couple of alternatives to the expensive Eurailpass. The Selectpass
lets you tailor your own trip as long as you narrow things down to 3 to
5 countries. This requires some planning. Another idea is to buy a single
second class ticket at the train station upon arrival in which you string
together the cities you plan on visiting (ie Paris-Lyon-Nice-Venice-Florence-Rome).
Obviously, this method requires more planning, less flexibility and spontaneity,
but it will be much cheaper.
Allen
Lafayette, LA USA 08/24/03
Swiss Train Tips
If you travel by train in the central part of Switzerland, north of the
St. Gotthard pass, beware of first class compartments with air conditioning.
These will likely be reserved for tour groups, while the non-reserved coaches
have no air conditioning. Therefore be prepared to find another seat if
the tour guide says the seats are reserved even if no paper notices next
to the seat signs are present. I was lucky in the Swiss 1st class panorama
car to keep my seat as the people who were supposed to sit in my seat decided
to go into the smoking section.
Josh Hanz
Foster City, CA USA 08/15/03
Cisalpino + Eurostar Italia reservation well worth it!
I was in Italy from 6 August to 8 August, and it was up to 100 degrees every
day. I therefore decided that to avoid overheating, that I would buy a reservation
on the Eurostar Italia from Venice Mestre to Milan Central ($12 with my
Eurail pass) and from Milan Central a couple of days later to Zürich, for
$8. I did get to ride in first class with full air conditioning, about 77
degrees. Much better than having to sweat in such heat like I did in the
Balkans.
Josh Hanz
Foster City, CA USA 08/15/03
Train travel to/from the Balkans
I was in Slovenia and Croatia from 4 August 2003 to 6 August 2003. If you
come from Western Europe (Italy or Austria) to Slovenia, always plan for
at least half a day getting through. Coming from Zürich Switzerland, I took
a night train through Buchs, Feldkirch, Innsbruck and Villach, and didn't
get to the border at Jesenice until six the following morning. Then it took
two hours to get to Ljubljana. Coming back to Trieste in Italy from Ljubljana,
that much took at least three hours to the border. To Trieste took an hour,
and to Venice was two hours from Trieste, and Milan was another three hours.
Even within the Balkans, travel from Ljubljana in Slovenia to Zagreb
in Croatia takes one and a half hours through Slovenia, and half an hour
from the Slovene/Croatian border to Zagreb (plus half an hour for passport
checks) from what I experienced. In the Balkans it is not common to have
air conditioning in the international trains even in first class. That's
bad news in the summer time, so take lots and lots and lots of liquids
along (bottled water preferred). So please keep in mind the time it takes
by rail from Slovenia.
Josh Hanz
Foster City, CA USA 08/15/03
Expensive Railpasses
I want to see a second class Eurailpass created. I had been travelling Europe
for ten years and the Eurailpass has gone up every year especially the first
class ones. There are travellers on a budget along with backpackers. Can't
the makers of Eurailpass give the budget traveller relief? I will not hold
my breath. I hope enough travellers can let Rail Europe know that high prices
must go.
Clint Graves
Raleigh, NC USA 08/12/03
Seat Reservations can be a must
Although not required, I discovered that seat reservations can be critical,
at least for the the Glasgow to London train I took on a Sunday. There are
fewer trains on Sundays, but with one leaving every 1/2 hour in the afternoon
I never expected to find standing room only for the majority of the trip.
It was very hot and the trip took 6 hours (for various reasons). I will
not neglect to make seat reservations the next time around.
Mariah Blackhorse
Bend, OR USA 08/12/03
Eurostar bargains
Last month I bought two second-class round-trip tickets (Brussels to London)
on the Eurostar website, for €80 each. A great value, and I was able to
get that fare just 6 days before my travel date. Later this month I'm taking
my partner to London - first class - for only €130 round-trip each! (It's
a birthday present.) Both times, I had no trouble getting the cheapest fare
via the website.
Peter
Brussels, Belgium 08/09/03
Paris: Montparnasse Station to Loire
If you are taking the TVG train from Montparnasse station to the Loire Valley,
go the the "Grand Line." Montparnasse is a huge station. We did not know
that and almost missed the train.
L. Le
Orlando, FL USA 07/28/03
Keep Both Parts of Ticket
We bought round trip train tickets from Barcelona to Madrid (cheaper than
one way) from the travel agency at the Ingles department store in Barcelona--very
easy. What I did not know (although it is written on the ticket in Spanish)
is that on the return trip you have to show BOTH of the tickets. Although
it took a while, the train agent was patient, and we were finally able to
produce the ticket from the first leg of the journey, which had been buried
deep in our luggage. Keep them stapled together and be ready to produce
both tickets together!
Debby
Dalton, GA USA 07/18/03
Euraide
We bought our Eurail Pass & reservations through Euraide (www.Euraide.com)
for a recent trip to Munich & Italy. Dealt with Herman Wissenberg, who was
very helpful and answered all questions I asked.
One thing to keep in mind is that your train's final destination may be other than yours, so look up your train number on the timetable (we got one from Euraide) and figure out where the train is headed. We had a problem finding the right train from Rome to Florence, because our train was eventually headed to Milan. Other than that, we had no problems.
Also, the night trains between Munich & Rome and Venice to Munich are
not exactly plush - definitely in need of a renovation. But it was good
to be able to not waste precious days travelling but just sleep thru the
night & arrive in a new city.
Sonia
Columbus, OH USA 07/17/03
Free Train to Roman Seaside
My wife and I wanted to go out to the beach from Rome for a day trip. We
found out if you have a weekly Metro pass you can ride the train for free
out to Ostia Antica and Ostia Ledo, a half hour away. Do it and have fun.
Mike Dorsey
Wash. D.C., USA 07/14/03
Train travel the way to go
Travelling by train was by far the best way to get around Europe. Definitely
buy your tickets for Eurorail before you go and make any reservations necessary.
If possible, have a travel agent make all of the arrangements, mine didn't
charge a fee since Eurail pays her a commission and she was able to get
a more complete train schedule and better fares. Get to the station at least
an hour before your first departure as you need to get your ticket validated
and there is always a long line. After that, you just need to be there about
15 min before.
K. Candullo
Ridgefield, CT USA 07/07/03
Eurostar in ADVANCE!
Buy your Eurostar ticket in advance. That's all there is to it. Trust me
from experience. We bought our tickets about 5 days in advance and boy did
we pay for it. I thought it would be like Amtrak that the ticket doesn't
increase but it increased twice and I'm sure we paid the highest amount
of anyone on the train. By the time we bought the ticket it was up to 120
euros one way.
Heather
New York, NY USA 07/06/03
Euraide
My sister and I just returned from Munich and used Euraide for help with
all of our land transportation needs. They even helped us with the city
buses. We also took their 2 Castle Tour and loved it. We made reservations
before we left the USA and had to make changes after our arrival due to
the strikes in Paris. They gave us refunds on tickets that we could not
use, no problem. Unfortunately we made reservations in advance and the reservation
fee is not refundable on the German railway system, though it was nominal.They
speak excellent English and answered our many emails promptly. Euraide made
our trip easy so we could enjoy ourselves without the hassles!
Dr. B.
Portland, OR USA 07/04/03
Train Tips
Just got back from a 2 week whirlwind through France, Switzerland, Austria
and Italy. We had youth (26 and under) Eurail 4 Country Pass and found it
to be a great help for flexibility in our schedule. Trains everywhere were
great except for the night trains. We figured a 1:30 am train from Salzburg
to Venice would be fine but we ended up in a smoking car with people who
were loud all night long. Spend the extra money for your own cabin ... you
will NOT regret it. And while many stations no longer have self-service
lockers to store luggage, we found baggage checks in most stations to be
reasonably priced.
Andrea
Washington, DC USA 06/20/03
New European Train Schedule Website
I've tried the French, German, Austrian, Italian and Czech online train
schedule sites and have now found one from the land of Copernicus and Chopin
that beats them all in being simple, fast and accurate. (My Polish cousin
who is a computer programmer in Crakow shared it with me.) The URL is: http://www.rozklad.pkp.pl/cgi-bin/new/query.exe/en
.
It is a Polish site, but this version is in English. You type in a location,
a destination, a time and a date and hit the button. Results are easy to
understand and can be easily printed out on a single sheet. Other buttons
will display complete lists of scheduled stops, trip and train details and
even a journey map. You can put in a list of various destinations to hit
on the way, too, and it will spit out your more complicated itinerary. The
site covers all of Europe from north to south and from Lisbon to way east
past Moskow. It even covers all of the local rail lines in the Berner Oberland
and up to the Jungfrau Jock. It tends to use each country's town name (like
Wien and not Vienna, Praha and not Prague), so will come up with a list
of alternatives to chose from if it can't otherwise figure out what you
typed. Good site! Thanks Kuzyn!
Paul
San Diego, CA USA 06/19/03
trains
My mom and I travelled with a first-class 21-day consecutive Eurail pass
in May. For the most part, the trains were clean and we often had an entire
compartment to ourselves. A few notes - learn to read the train schedule
carefully... we heard a few unhappy travellers arguing with train personel
because they hadn't made the required reservations then were forced to pay
quite a bit extra. In first class, the trains where reservations were optional
always had lots of room so we didn't bother with reservations. The EuroStar
and Thalys trains charge high reservation fees, I'm not sure they are worth
it. The trains were nice enough, but not necessarily any nicer than the
IC or EC trains that served the same routes. On the expensive trains, if
they walk around offering you drinks, ask for the price... some are *very*
expensive, but others are free! At the train station, look on the platform
for the drawing of the trains, it'll show you where to stand so that the
car you want arrives directly in front of you :)
Sonia
Saskatoon, SK Canada 06/19/03
Seat reservations - make in Europe only
Several years ago we also made overpriced seat reservations for the Glacier
Express through RailEurope. We did this once. Never again. We found:
1.Seat reservations made in Europe are changeable and fully refundable if cancelled or exchanged before the trip.
2. On Swiss trains, even the ones that say reservations required, there are first class seats in the very first car, often attached to the engine, that do not require (or even allow) reservations. We learned this from a Swiss woman when we took the Bernina express. We shared a train car with her - only 3 of us in it - and had a wonderful experience, windows open, great photo ops, while the tourists with reservations were packed in a crowded, sealed, dome car. We have since found this car on every Swiss train we have taken.
3.On the Goldenpass from Montreux to Interlaken, we travelled late in the morning after the tourgroups had traveled, and no seat reservations were needed. We were in a dome car, almost empty, with others with no seat reservations. If you want, you can reserve a seat through SBB, check their web page. You can even reserve a seat in the very front of the train with panorama view that usually only the engineer sees.
4.For German trains, you can reserve seats a few months in advance online (bahn.de) for 2.6 Euros each. Print out your own confirmation. The form is in German, but my travel German works.
5. Any train station will make reservations
for your entire trip - stop at one when you first arrive. When we landed
in Rome for a trip through many countries, we stopped at the airport train
station and got our reservations for the entire trip. The station was empty,
and we had a listing of dates, destinations, and train numbers ready. very
small cost, very little time.
Suzanne
Columbus, OH USA 06/13/03
Seat Reservations
What a scam! We were required to purchase seat reservations to use our railpasses
on the Transalpino from Spiez, CH to Milano Centrale, IT. The train never
arrived in Spiez due to a mechanical problem. This rendered our seat reservations
for this segment, as well as the connecting segment in Milano, completely
useless. When I requested a refund from Rail Europe, they said this was
an "act of God" for which they were not responsible. BTW, they also consider
strikes to be "acts of God" for which they are also not responsible. I was
told that I could request a refund in writing, but the answer would be the
same. Bottom line: I was charged $88 for a service that was not rendered
and I have no recourse. I will never do business with Rail Europe again.
They are thieves. Learn from my mistake - do not purchase seat reservations
here in the states. Buy them at the station just prior to your departure.
William Shank
Evans, GA USA 06/12/03
A few tips to add: Spain: we´ve taken mostly overnight trains around spain and have had nothing but problems. our train from paris to madrid (on the irun to madrid side) caught on fire..yes fuego!--but it was put out and all was well to madrid, though it was kinda weird that they didn´t evacuate the train. in the end it was a 16 hour trip that completely wiped us out.
Second, on a night train from granada to barcelona, I accidentally filled in the departure date on our flexi-saver pass instead of the next days date (as it´s overnight). I realized my mistake and changed the date, but the conductor said I had to fill in another travelday for the date. I was really hurt by it because it was such an honest mistake (that I´m sure happens often) and i know the guy was just doing his job, but he still wouldn´t budge about it. So because of an error like that I´ve lost a travelday. I´d advise anyone to be careful about that, because the system let me down and there is no way to really seperate the honest mistakes from the cheaters.
Lastly, in Spain, even though we have a first class ticket, the likelyhood of getting benifits from it are far and few between. the second class french night train seats were 10 times better than the 1st class spanish night train seats. mostly, you don´t even get an option for comfy (but not hotel train) options for spanish night trains. it´s just situp seats.
Also, I
would advise as many have below, for all--and I mean all--overnight trains,
you need to reserve ahead no matter if they don´t require it. Reserving
your outgoing train the moment you get into a place is the way to go--and
even that sometimes isn´t soon enough (they may be booked and you might
have to stay another night or leave earlier).
Holly
On the Las Ramblas in Barcelona at the moment, Spain 06/11/03
Train Tips and Costs for 2nd CL.
Just got back from a two week train trip from Rome to Amsterdam, then EasyJet
to London. (with two 19 year old boys). Last year, on a similar trip, I
got flexipasses from the helpful folks at Euraide. This year, however, I
just bought point to point tickets and saved a lot of money. (albeit second
class) We spent 169 E for the three of us to go from Rome to Florence to
Venice, then 305 E for tickets from Venice to Garmisch (by way of Innsbruck
and bus to Seefeld, train to Garmisch)-- I think I may have been able to
get cheaper tix for this leg, but the ticket seller in Venice wasn't very
helpful. Then we spent 233 E total to travel from Garmisch to Munich, Fussen,
Rothenburg, Bacharach, Koln and Amsterdam. In Bavaria we traveled all day
for 21E for the three of us. Bottom line: 20 E per day per person for train
travel in two weeks across Europe, then only $60 for the EasyJet flight
to London.
A couple of tips: Use the Die Bahn website to get your itineraries so you'll know the train schedules. Also, we got round trip tickets from London Gatwick to Victoria Station, 3 for the price of 2. So, about 44 pounds for the three of us. (you can buy your tickets on the train but you won't get this deal)
Also, the trains broke down in Germany and we lost a couple of hours. Since the train from Steinach to Rothenburg didn't run late enough to get us there, Die Bahn paid for a taxi to take us to Rothenburg city center. The trick is finding an agent to tell your story to.
Finally, we bought one-day tickets for the London subway that took us all over London, including the light rail to Greenwich, for only about 4 pounds each, and we bought tickets to the Tower of London also at Victoria Station, so we didn't have to wait in the ticket line once we got there.
Also, you may want to study up on the Italian pass rules. They don't seem to be as much help as the Germans, who will find you the cheapest fare and will smilingly hand you a complete Itinerary (reiseverbindungen).
One more thing: there
are some ridiculously cheap air fares around Europe by a bunch of low cost
carriers that make Southwest look like luxury liners. Usually, it seems,
the earlier you get your tix on the internet the better. Check Easy Jet
Happy Training!
Robert Keeney
Grapevine, TX USA 06/08/03
Italy Train Travel
For most of our 2 week vacation, we took the Eurostar from point to point.
For shorter runs, like Florence to Siena and Siena to Rome, the bus was
more efficient. For longer trips, like Naples to Milan, it was worth it
to go first class on Eurostar. Also, when we arrived in certain cities,
we purchased train tickets to our next destination in advance, which we
found to be efficient especially in sketchy train stations like Naples where
we didn't want to linger longer than needed.
LWC
San Francisco, CA USA 06/07/03
Train Travel Reservations
I want to recommend EurAide for anyone wishing to make European train travel
reservations from the States. They were friendly, courteous, and very reasonably
priced. The point to point tickets we reserved cost no more through EurAide
than if we had purchased them at the train stations. They add a small service
fee ($35) for their work - a huge bargain compared to RailEurope's inflated
rates. We found them on the Internet at www.euraide.com/Ricksteves
Johnny Johnson
Birmingham, AL USA 06/07/03
Swiss Rail
I just returned from a 10-day trip in Switzerland. Buying the 8-day Swiss
Rail pass (for $225) was the best thing I have done. It covers virtually
everything: including trains, buses, ferries, and city transport in all
major Swiss cities. RailEurope sends you a "synotic map" which clearly tells
you what's covered. Or you can check out www.sbb.ch. It covers the famed
Glacier Express and Bernina Express (except for seat reservation fee which
is a few Francs). It also covers the bus trip from Tirano, Italy to Lugano.
It is an excellent deal if you're planning to travel mainly in Switzerland.
Yuen
Philadelphia, PA USA 06/05/03
PDA, Stirkes
From a recent 3-week trip on the rails (Italy, Switzerland, Austria, Czech
Republic, and Germany)…
PDA: Besides your rail pass, don't leave home without rail schedules on a PDA (palm pilot or other). Schedule viewer and route files are available free from the German rail website at the "personal timetable" section – then download the specific routes you want (faster for several routes to click "email" instead of a "save as"). I rarely had to refer to a station schedule except when I didn't have the needed route in my palm (lesson learned - download surrounding or optional stops just in case plans change). Even more impressive is German routes (& Austria?) include platform numbers – really slick for connections. Of course I would always double check the station schedule in event of changes (none found though).
Strike info: We had a rather aggressive train route that would have really been messed up if we got stuck during strikes. I emailed one of our reserved hotels to inquire about possible strikes. He was kind enough to email back the strikes planned during our time in Italy. That gave us some piece of mind as we were skirting the problem areas. Supposedly the information exists on the Italia train site, but I wasn't able to find it (English page is not very comprehensive…& can't read Italian).
Right train: Kind of obvious but be careful when hopping on a train that seems early. We did this many times in Italy usually after confirming it was going where we were. We did the same in Koblenz only to find out the train was not the milk run train we wanted. Our desired train left from the same platform 5 minutes later. Not too big a problem as we just backtracked to our stop.
Finally – we loved
hopping on the trains instead of having to deal with a car. Many times we
finished our bottle of wine from the night before on-board the train. We
certainly didn't miss a car (although we didn't venture away from the main
cities either).
Brian
Silverdale, WA USA 06/05/03
Economics of European Rail Passes
Here is an illustration of the value of European rail passes that are
generally available for sale only to persons not residing in Europe. In
scoping out my trip, which will involve 2 persons and only 1 country (Germany),
I find I will be in need of about 6 rail pass travel days, involving a
combination of 3 long trips and 3 shorter trips. I will now look at the
cost of point-to-point tickets on the German Rail website, and will compute
the total cost for 2 persons in 2nd class (I assume that I will get the
discount applicable when 2 people travel together (about 25%) plus the
discount for purchasing tickets at least 1 day in advance (10% on one-way
trips). To keep matters simple, I will only do this for the 3 long trips.
The total cost of point-to-point tickets for Frankfurt Airport/Konstanz, Konstanz/Berlin, and Berlin/Ruedesheim for 2 people in 2nd class is 363 Euros, or about US $428 using an exchange rate of 1.18. The cost of a 6-day German Rail Twin Pass for 2 people (offering about a 25% discount from 2 individual passes) is US $339 in 2nd class. Thus, not even counting the 3 extra travel days I will get by buying a 6-day pass, I am already US $89 ahead. (If I opted for the 4-day Twin Pass, that would only cost US $270). But if I get a 1st Class 6-day Twin Pass for 2 people, this costs US $489 total, fairly close to the cost of the point-to-point tickets in 2nd Class for just the 3 train travel days mentioned earlier. (A 4-day 1st Class Twin Pass is US $390).
Just to round out the information, if I were to get 1st Class point-to-point tickets for the 3 trips mentioned above, the total cost for 2 people would be Euros 545, or about US $642.
Analysis: I can pay an amount about the same as to what it would cost for point-to-point tickets in 2nd class for the 3 major trips mentioned above, but get several additional travel days plus 1st class travel by getting a 6-day German Rail 1st Class Twin Pass for 2 people. The extra days are essentially free.
Bonuses: The ticket price quoted above includes the shortest, cheapest route between Berlin and the Rhine Valley at Ruedesheim (near Frankfurt). But I want to take a slightly longer route to avoid backtracking, and to ride the new high-speed rail line between Koeln and Frankfurt. With point to point tickets, that routing would cost an additional US $30 in 2nd class, or US 43 in 1st. But with my German Rail Twin Pass, there is no extra charge!
Additional bonuses: The German Rail Pass is valid on the Rhine and Moselle River boats run by KD. I expect to use 2 of 6 rail pass travel days using these river cruises (typically one direction by boat, returning via rail). Using the rail pass avoids having to get separate boat and rail tickets (although discounts may be available for this combination trip as well). Rail passes are also valid on some rail services in Germany (S-Bahn) that are really the equivalent of local rail rapid transit. They are included because they are run by the railway, rather than a local transit operator. Rail passes are not valid on U-Bahn (subway) or buses/streetcars.
When is it worthwhile to purchase extra rail pass days? In 1st class, the pass price increases in cost by about US $48 for a twin pass, so it makes sense to get an extra day if a roundtrip for one person would exceed $24. In Germany, with rail travel costs being fairly high, an extra pass day is not hard to justify.
Super Bonus: Most rail passes are priced in US dollars, and are adjusted only once per year, usually on January 1. As a result, the prices for the rest of 2003 were set last December, before the 20% decline in the dollar's value. So essentially, they are about 20% cheaper than they normally would be!
To sum up: Rail passes make sense,
at least in Germany, with any trip that involves even a moderate amount
of rail travel. The more you travel, the better the deal is. And you have
lots of flexibility, not generally available for a casual visitor). (Local
residents save in other ways, such by getting a Bahncard offering big
discouts or by booking ahead on roundtrips where airline-style discounts
and restrictions apply.
Reindeerflame
Sacramento, CA USA 06/04/03
Train Travelers'
I can't say enough good things about SNCF, the rail system in France. My
cousin and I had an experience that could have very easily turned unpleasant,
but SNCF saved the day. We had plans to travel from Carcassonne to Sarlat,
which required a connection in Toulouse. When we got to the Carcassonne
station to catch our train we were told that there was some sort of trouble
on the tracks heading into Carcassonne and all trains were delayed. It was
several hours before a train came through going in our direction. However,
when we got to Toulouse a very helpful (and completely overworked and stressed
out) representative of SNCF told us that although there were no more trains
to Sarlat that day, he could make arrangements. He put us on a train that
stopped at a nearby town and had a taxi waiting for us. SNCF picked up the
tab for the over 40-euro ride into Sarlat. How is that for customer service!
Sarah Palmrose
Irvine, CA USA 06/03/03
Eurostar Tickest
I got that deal by ordering directly from the Eurostar website 60 days in
advance. 2 round trip tickets from London to Paris were $170. charged on
my credit card. All I have to do is pick them up at Waterloo station. Seat
reservations were included. We leave on June 23!
Kerstin
Petaluma, CA USA 05/31/03
Train Tips
One tip about Rome Termini- the Leonardo Express from the Airport lets you
off at the remote far end of the station- take the stairs to the underground
people-mover to get to the main section of the station- we arrived on Sunday
afternoon, and at the L.E. end of things, we wasted a half-hour looking
for an open ticket window and barely made the train!
Tom Burrell
Minneapolis, MN USA 05/26/03
Traveling on the tube and train in London
On my trip to London one thing I found very helpful for going to one location
to another location on the tube was the tube planner. See www.thetube.com
and chose tube planner. When using this tube planner you pick the tube station
that you start out with and then the location you want to go to. For example
going to Heathrow Terminal 4 and it gives you the exact instruction on what
train line to get on and where you have to change trains and what train
you are to take next. It also give the aproximate amount of time it should
take to get from one location to another. I printed this information out
and found it very helpful from getting from the tube station near my hotel
to all of the tourist attractions, etc. I needed to go to.
Teresa
Norristown, PA USA 05/24/03
Buying train tix
My wife and I just returned from
a two-week trip to Italy, going from Venice to Florence to Cinque Terre
to Rome to Sorrento to Rome again. We went the entire route via train and
simply bought 2nd class point-to-point tickets at the train station. When
a train station had a ticket kiosk we used those (instructions were available
in English as well as other languages).
Bill
Hoboken, NJ USA 05/22/03
Point-to-point tickets
Because I can only get away these days for a week to ten days at a time,
I concentrate on one country or area at a time(ie Bavaria, Alps, Salzburg).
For this reason, I avoid train passes, and simply buy 2nd class point-to-point
tickets when I show up at the train station.
Allen
Lafayette, LA USA 05/17/03
Flexi pass is a good deal!
The Eurail Flexi Pass is certainly a bargain but only for U.S. citizens.
I live in another country but still don't have a Visa so "slipped in" on
my traveling partners' pass. We all needed to show our passport when we
first got the pass authorized. I forgot to bring mine but the man said that
I could "forge" my number on it later so there was no problem. NO ONE asked
for our passports in conjunction of our ticket while traveling, though a
few smaller lines were a little puzzled by the pass and studied it a little
longer. We made the fatal error of forgetting to date the pass on one of
our traveling days but it was at the beginning of the day and I think the
conductor sensed that we were not trying to be dishonest. We filled it out
right then and offered our appologies. --No problem thank goodness!
Seat reservations were required from Amsterdam to Vienna ($9 each), Munich
to Paris ($8 each), but from Paris to Amsterdam, only reservations could
be secured to Brussels (a whopping $21 each) The connecting train didn't
require reservations. It was really nice traveling 1st class all the way
too, since the rail pass is only available in 1st class for those 26 and
older. [Editor's Note: Eurail passes are available to citizens of any
country, except European, CIS, Turkish, or North African citizens.]
Gail
Holland, NL 05/02/03
Swiss Scenic Train Reservations
I just ordered my railpass and tried to make a reservation on the Goldenpass
Line between Montreux and Interlaken in Switzerland. I had done some research
on the available trains and knew the exact train I was looking for to fit
our schedule. Unfortunately the RailEurope site did not offer reservations
on the train I wanted. This specific train has VIP 1st class seating that
allows you to sit in the very front of the train where the conductor normally
sits. The folks at Rail Europe told me that the could not book the VIP seats
only first class, and only on the trains that show up in their schedule
not all of those available. I didn t want to wait to get the reservations
until we arrived at the station in Montreux as there are only 8 VIP seats
on the train and I was afraid they would sell out. On a hunch, I navigated
to the homepage of the rail company that runs the GoldenPass line (www.mob.ch)
and I was able to obtain reservations in the exact seats that I wanted and
on the train that fit my schedule. My reservations arrived today with no
problem. Thanks to the extra work we will be front and center for what is
touted to be one of the most scenic panoramic trains in Switzerland. I had
thought the only way to get European rail reservations was from a US company
but this just shows that with a little extra searching you can find what
you are looking for.
Jeremy Parks
Englewood, CO USA 04/28/03
Czech trains
Train travel in the Czech Republic is very good. Trains are sometimes a
bit old and grimy, but they are on time, and frequent, even out to the
sticks! (And back!) Many stations being renovated.
Bob and Ingrid Krajicek
New Paltz, NY USA 04/26/03
inaccurate train schedules
I have always thought European train schedules were very accurate. But last
year I went to the DeutscheBahn web site and printed the detailed schedules
for the trips I needed. Some of the data were different from the printed
timetable I had, but I assumed the DB site was more up to date. When I got
to Europe, things had changed. I asked at the Paris ticket office and they
gave me a detailed schedule. When I got to my transfer stop in Brussels
I was told that was an old schedule and they gave me a new one. Third trip,
none of the schedules seemed right (and I am not talking about a train being
late or canceled). It was not a huge deal since there are so many departures,
we could usually take another train. But when you are running between trains
at a transfer and think you only have a few minutes, this sort of stuff
just makes it more maddening. I would like to know how to avoid this in
the future.
eriol
Houston, TX USA 04/17/03
Traveling on the Train
My husband and I just returned from traveling on the trains through France,
Germany and Italy. We purchased Eurail Saver passes for 5 days of travel
for $650. We came home with 3 unused days because no one bothered to look
at our tickets unless we were traveling overnight. If we could do things
over again, we would have made more concrete plans and reservations for
the larger trains before we left so we would know exactly how much to spend.
We also spent too much time waiting in information lines to make same day
reservations -it was very frustrating. Another tip: if you want a little
luxury on an overnight train, upgrade to a first class compartment. For
60 dollars a person you get wonderful service, privacy and sometimes your
own bathroom- a great plus!
FAD
Houston, TX USA 04/16/03
Consider bus instead of train - Italy
In Italy, bus is often a quicker and more direct way to get from point to
point than train because buses cross the many mountains more easily than
trains. Example: I took the train from Foligno to Siena – two changes; four
hours if I hadn't missed a connection, which stretched it to over five.
Later I learned that the bus would have had me there in two hours, with
no changes. I did take a big, clean double-decker direct bus from Siena
to Milan, in four hours with no changes. The windows were clean, with better
views of the countryside. Train would not have taken a lot longer, but I
would have had to change at least once, and the bus had a stop right at
the station I needed to get to Malpensa airport. Downsides to bus: baggage
goes in a common loading area in back or underneath; and you can't really
get up and move around except to go to the tiny on-board rest room available
on longer runs.
Doris deLespinasse
Corvallis, OR USA 04/13/03
Flexible Ticket
I recently traveled from Stuttgart, Germany, to Mulhouse, France. I bought
a ticket from the Deutsch Bahn window at the train station. The clerk said
it did not have any date or time listed so I had a two month period in which
I could use the ticket (it just said I wanted to travel from Stuttgart to
Mulhouse). On my way to Mulhouse, the train stopped for a change in Strasbourg,
France, so I decided to spend a day there and continue on to Mulhouse the
next day. It was a nice way to get a "flex pass" without having to order
one at home before I left.
doug
rochester, mn USA 04/07/03
Editor's note: This sounds like an international point-to-point ticket, not a flex railpass. Most international tickets allow stopovers along the route, if you complete travel within two months. If you choose trains that require reservations, then you must still make separate reservations for those legs of the journey. Tickets within one country, however, are rarely good for more than 24 hours after starting the trip.
TGV reservations
Just returned from France where we traveled by train almost exclusively.
On our leg from Nice to Paris we had not made reservations ahead of time
on the TGV and the day we wanted to leave Nice we had trouble finding seats
on the departure we had planned to take. My advice is to make your reservations
for the departing train the day you arrive in the city.
Tony Ambrose
Louisville,, ky USA 04/04/03
Ticketing at Italy rail stations
I bought rail tickets from the automatic machine in an Italy train station
and the seat assignment on the ticket was not the same as graphically presented
on the CRT of the ticket machine. I went to an agent to get it changed but
was told that any ticket that says "automatica" is not refundable or changable.
Doesn't seem right, but I was unable to do anything at the station.
The machine automatically calculates a family discount if you are travelling with children. You chose how many adults and children. US issued credit card was accepted at some machines but not all. Not sure how to tell which until trying to use it. You can see the prices for all the options (various trains charge different fares as well as different class seats. Just do not trust the graphical seat reservation chart.
I found the Eurostar (ES) Club has good english speaking ticket agents
(have to find the Club and push buzzer for admission). They sell all kinds
of tickets, not just Eurostar. If you are at a station with Eurostar Club
you might be better off than using the automatica machine if you are trying
to reserve specific seats.
Michael Thomas
Houston, tx USA 03/17/03
European Rail Tickets in a Week
I recently planned a long weekend in Amsterdam, and returned back to the
states via Frankfurt Airport, using the new international ICE train between
Amsterdam and Frankfurt Airport. I ordered my ticket and seat reservation
on the German Rail (DB) website. Exactly one week later the ticket arrived
via ordinary airmail. Because I ordered the ticket early, I was able to
get a discount (as of 12/15/02, German Rail has switched to an airline style
fare system where advance purchases are cheaper than tickets bought on the
day of travel. There are also discounts for 2 or more passengers traveling
together, and for roundtrips. I saved 10% on a one way. As a further reminder,
DB will be happy to sell you rail tickets virtually anywhere in Europe via
their website, and all the schedules may be viewed there. I especially like
their "no surcharge" for mailing tickets out. And one week is a very good
delivery time; no need for all those high delivery or reservations fees.
An English option is available on the website.
reindeerflame
Sacramento, CA USA 03/14/03
Train Reservations
If you will be traveling on IC/EC type trains and overnight sleepers that
require reservations, I highly recommend paying the extra money and making
them before leaving home. It was worth it to me for the peace of mind, knowing
that it was all taken care of before I left. I used EurAide (www.euraide.com;
also have offices in the Munich and Berlin train stations, as well as a
mail-order or fax location in Florida). I got excellent and personalized
service and they are very friendly and knowledgeable. Their prices are cheaper
than Rail Europe for reservations made from the US.
Jim
Tacoma, Wa USA 03/10/03
Editor's note: IC and EC trains do not require reservations, but they are an available option.
Spain Train Fare Discounts
In preparing for a recent trip to Spain, I used the Spanish Rail web site
(www.renfe.com). The AVE page mentioned several special pricing offers,
one of which I decided to take advantage of. If you travel by AVE (or Talgo
200) within 48 hours of an international flight (arrival and/or departure)
you are entitled to a 25% discount. The AVE from Madrid to Sevilla is great.
I split my 4 nights in Madrid and took advantage of the 25% discount in
both directions.
Ron
Foster City, CA USA 03/03/03
French Rail Deal
I have not seen postings mentioning the 12-25 Card (Carte Douze-Vingt-Cinq)
available from SNCF. As soon as I arrived in France, everyone advised me
to get one. They are sold in French rail stations and SNCF boutiques for
44 ¬. Kids and adults under 25 can buy the card, which entitles you
to 50% off eligible fares booked sufficiently in advance. You are guaranteed
25% off all fares. I don't know if it only works in France, but I saved
a great deal buy using it to buy tickets to/around Italy and back to France.
Danielle
Nashville, TN USA 03/03/03
Which pass?
For anyone who is still trying to figure out which pass is best, www.railpass.com
has a great tool to help you decide. You don't even have to know your itinerary,
just places you would like to go and around how long you would like to stay
in Europe total.
Kate
USA 02/22/03
[Editor's note: If you want the advice of a real, live person that knows a lot about European railpasses, email our Rail Department. You can also give them a call at (425) 771-8303 ext. 214.]
Tube Tip
I thought I was smart by purchasing a 4-day London Visitor Travelcard voucher
through my travel agent prior to my trip to London. Unfortunately, the voucher
was redeemable at only a few stations (none were really on my route from
Heathrow to my hotel) and by the time I got to one of those stations, the
window where I was supposed to redeem my voucher was closed! I had to buy
a one-day pass just to tide me over until I could go back the next day.
It is simpler and cheaper to purchase subway passes at the automated machines
located in every station. Next time I won't waste precious sightseeing time
with a voucher.
Emily Rauwerdink
Oostburg, WI USA 02/22/03
Editor's note: The London Visitor Travelcard for the Central Zone ("downtown" London, including most major sights) costs $27 for four consecutive days. It does not cover the Tube journey between Heathrow and central London. However, it CAN be validated at Heathrow Airport at the Tourist Information desk or at the airport's Tube station, and the trip from the airport can be added by paying a small supplement fee.
Clean Windows !
Last year I traveled by German train and wished I had brought 12" handle
window cleaning brush (like gas stations) so I could have improved my view
out. Might be handy if you plan to spend a lot of time riding the rails.
John Brangwin
Bellevue, WA USA 02/09/03
"Personal Timetables" from Deutsche Bahn
One of the things that I have found quite useful that I haven't seen mentioned
here is the "Personal Timetable" (Personlicher fahrplan) generator from
DB. Using this tool, you can enter an origin and a destination and have
them generate a timetable between those cities for all trains, on all days,
at all times, showing the connections and train numbers in PDF or PDB (for
Palm). If you have seen the individual "Point A to B" listings in the German
train stations, the results are just like those. You can put in options
for time periods (dates and times), include return trips, and train types
(e.g., use only up to RE for the Good Weekend or Laender Tickets or omit
ICE to avoid more costly trains).
I have found they been great for general planning (i.e., how long does it take from A to B, how might I string a few cities for a day trip) and are great to take along, especially when you don't know when you might be going between the cities (either in terms of which days or what time). They have the advantage, over using the schedule in the station, of showing connections.
The main (English) query page is at: http://persoenlicherfahrplan.bahn.de/bin/pf/query-p2w.exe/en
(or go to http://www.bahn.de, click on "Travel Service (Timetable)" on
left, then click "Personal Timetable" on the top bar.) Hope someone finds
this useful.
Paul Sanschagrin
Marburg, Germany 02/03/03
French rail - buy a "carte enfant+ !
A prior spraypainter mentioned how much cheaper it is to buy French rail
tickets from the SNCF website, rather than the way overpriced american seller
of same tickets, raileurope. In addition, through sncf if you have a child
travelling with you, you can prepuchase a "carte enfant" for 55 Euro, however
the whole family (up to 4 additional) can travel on the same pass, saving
an additional 50%. Be sure to bring a passport photo with you.
Nick Friedman
chicago, il USA 01/25/03
No Baggage Check
The only drawback to using rail as your transportation mode for short trips
(beyond day trips) is, since 9/11 all baggage storage facilities are closed...You
must carry your bags with you everywhere!. More reason to Pack Light as
Rick recommends.
D. Phillips
Oklahoma City, OK USA 01/21/03
Bern->Rome night train
Going from Interlaken to Bern to catch the 10pm night train (EN313) to Rome?
Don't go all the way to Bern, it's an hour ride from Interlaken and the
Bern train station is full of the usual big-city train station thieves and
wierdos at night. Instead, arrange to start that trip from either Thun or
Spiez (which town depends on the time of year; the schedule changes), which
are small towns on the edge of a Swiss lake and only about 20 minutes from
Interlaken. The train from Bern will stop here on its way to Rome. Thun
or Spiez is a much safer, more scenic place to wait for a night train! We
sat on a terrace overlooking the lake, admiring the beautiful night sky.
What a treat!
Paul Hughes
Albuquerque, NM USA 01/07/03
Italy Cinque Terre-Pisa-Florance
In a recent trip to Italy in October, traveling to Florence from the Cinque
Terre with a quick stop in Pisa to see the Field of Miracles, i accidently
discovered a "shortcut" of sorts. in Rick's Italy guidebook it mentions
that the Field of Miracles is a 25-30 minute walk from the train station.
i found this to be correct, however, in a fortunate "accident" we got off
the train at a stop (which i can't remember the full name of the stop, but
it was "something"/Pisa and was very small. only a small platform and i'm
not sure if there was even a ticket office or not). not knowing if this
was THE stop for Pisa, we got off the train and discovered ourselves only
2 blocks away from the Field of Miracles! (we were guided by the tall construction
crane). this turned out to save us the trouble of getting from the main
train station to the Field of Miracles and having to retrace our steps when
getting the train to continue on to Florance. hope this helps... arrivederci!!!
Timothy McCaffrey
Saint Louis, MO USA 01/01/03