European Rail Travel
European Rail Travel questions and answers
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Question: Does anyone check your passport as you travel on the EU rail throughout the 18 european countries?
Answer: Yep, they definitely do check it, but in some places it is a random check, like the poster above mentioned. And not every place will stamp your passport. Just keep it handy when you cross borders!
Question: Is there any type of european rail pass?
next year im planning on travelling from amsterdam by train to berlin, then to prague and then onto warsaw. is there a european rail pass i could get that would cover my train journeys to all of these cities?
Answer: It depends on where you live. If you're residence has been in Europe for the last six months, you can get an Interrail pass that is good in all the countries you want to visit. However, if you're a resident of one of those countries will have restrictions within his home country. If you're from outside Europe, then the only option would be Eurail and even the global pass does not include either the Czech Republic or Poland. You would need individual passes for those two countries.
However, a better question is whether a pass is right for you or not anyway. The passes are best if you do a lot of long range travel on the slower regional trains which might also require a lot of train changes. The higher speed trains and night trains require additional payments typically between 5 and 20 euro per train. It is often cheaper to get point-to-point tickets - there are sometimes discount fares. for example, right now, you can go between Berlin and Amsterdam for 39 euro. The standard fare is 99.40 euro. http://reiseauskunft.bahn.de/bin/query.e...
Right now, Berlin to Prague, is 29 euro (see the same site above.
You'll want to check the prices on the train sites closer to when you actually travel, check the regulations on the passes at that time, and do some simple calculation to determine whether a pass is right for you or not. I've done this for six or seven people in the past few months and all of them would have ended up paying more with the pass for the trips they were expecting to take. There are times when it is worth getting one, but it isn't always a bargain.
Question: Why is rail travel in the US so rediculously cheap?
To go from New York to Los Angeles by train return it costs $368, I was amazed. To be charging so little for such a huge journey (roughly 70 hours of journey time) Amtrak must be operating at a loss. In the UK and many other European countries, $368 would be the cost of a 5 hour journey, let along 70 hour.
How can Amtrak manage this?
Answer: Like all rail passenger service, Amtrak is partially subsidized by the gov't.
Rail passenger service rally cant operate on a profitable basis, it would be too expensive so the fares are set by men in wizards costumes on the dark of the moon.
Trying to make sense of it is beyond human comprehension,
Question: What is the best Eastern European country to travel around?
Planning to inter-rail around an Eastern European country this summer. Would like a beach, night clubs and some cool scenerey along the way. Planning on using hostels wherever possible. Also keeping to a tight budget
Answer: I would tell you my home country,Czech Republic,but we dont have a sea...try Poland...You can go to Gdansk(beautiful town by sae),Warsaw(capital which isn't so beautiful as it was destroyed in the war but I'm sure there are some nice places)and then go to Krakow(stunning town!!!!My ex lives there and I used to go there a lot)...also,Poland has a good prizes...and you can make trip to Prague which takes 7 hours from Krakow...if you want some advices(feel free to write me...And dont forget to visit wieliczka near by Krakow.You'll love it.And dont worry about prizes in Poland,it's so cheap there...
Question: Is there a european rail pass which is valid for one year?
I'd like to work in a few countries so i need to spread my travelling out a bit.
Answer: You don't need a European railpass to travel in Europe. Do it like everybody else does it - use budget flights, bus and take advantage of special offers. This usually works out cheaper than Eurail or Interrail anyway. Plus when you are working you won't need a rail pass .- why pay for having it then?
BTW, I hope you are either an EU/EFTA citizen or have a WHV. Otherwise it would be illegal for you to work in Europe.
Question: Central European travel?
I am planning on travelling to the following countries and need some tips on how to get around once I am in Europe.
I want to do the following in 2 weeks:
Berlin - Krakow - Prague - Salzburg or Vienna - Venice - Zurich
Any tips about rail/air/bus travel would be appreciated.
Answer: A bit too much for two weeks..try to choose the most interesting from these and have some time spending in the city..not mostly on the train..i suggest the train..can be most cheap
Question: Cheap European Travel.?
Looking for sites that offer cheap rail/bus travel for 1-3 months appreciate any that you have used and found reliable I am looking myself but would like other options,
Thanks.
Answer: Unless you do a lot of traveling, it's often cheaper to buy point-to-point tickets for the railroads. However, for train travel you can check http://www.eurail.com/ or http://www.interrailnet.com/
Bus travel is usually the cheapest option, but also the longest transit times. http://www.eurolines.com/
There are many budget airlines operating here in Europe now. Especially for trips over three hours on the trains and buses, it is sometimes cheaper to fly. The site I use most often is http://www.whichbudget.com/. This will allow you to identify the budget airlines that fly between a given pair of cities and provides links to the airline sites to check prices and schedules. You can also use sites like skyscanner http://www.skyscanner.net/eur/ or farechase http://re2.farechase.yahoo.com/. Typically, I use all three to find the lowest price options.
Question: Maximizing European Travel?
I am planning a two week holiday to Europe at the end of the year with the goal of spending New Year's Eve in London. I am trying to figure out an itinerary that includes stops in London, Paris, Amsterdam, Brussels, and Rome/Venice. Specifically, I am looking for info on rail passes to each city, is it feasible to visit all of the above, and what are the places to look for fairly reasonable hotel accomodations. Does anyone have any idea where to start? Thanks for your help!!!
Answer: Here's the most important piece of European travel advice you'll ever hear:
DO NOT buy the Eurail pass.
Eurail travel has become much more expensive over the years, it does not include Great Britain, and you have to pay for seat reservations and the reservation prices vary greatly from country to country (regardless of what is says on your pass).
The new cheap way to travel is with low budget air.
Here are some sites that can help you find a direct flight. I would do it for you, but I don't know when you want to travel.
www.germanwings.com
www.ryanair.com
www.easyjet.com
www.skyeurope.com
www.hlx.com
You can find some really good deals here depending on when you want to fly. The middle of the week (Tues/Wed/Thurs) are usually cheapest.
As for hotel accommodations, you're better off using private accommodations. It's much cheaper, and you can get an amazing apartment with a balcony/AC/fridge etc., for 20-40 Euros per night.
Check out this accomodations site, once you know where you're gonna be: http://www.expatriates.com/
As for the cities you're going to, I've been to London, Paris, and both Rome/Venice. London is the most expensive city in Europe, so if you go there, you must realize this. So save up some money before u go there. Rome and Venice are a must-see, but hotels will kill you. Private accomodation is vital. Paris is not as expensive as these cities, and is a good place to go.
My recommendations for Europe though, are Barcelona, Prague, and any island in Croatia.
Question: What are the least difficult European travel destinations for buddy pass users in the summer?
Hello,
My friends and I are planning on using buddy passes to fly to Europe this summer, starting in early June. We are planning to go to Greece, but as we have rail passes, it doesn't really matter where we fly into, as long as it's possible to get there! Having flown standby to Europe in the summer before, I know how difficult it can be, but I've never really known what the best options are, and I was wondering if anyone here does know - as in, flights to which European destinations tend to be the most open during this time of the summer? If anyone has any advice, please inform!
Answer: From where?
If from USA, look for new routes and routes to smaller cities, such as Delta's service to Budapest, USAir to Stockholm, Continental to Dusseldorf or Berlin or Oslo. New routes are often a bit of a gamble for airlines, anyway, and flights aren't always full.
Question: Help with booking european rail tickets Please!!!!!?
in december i'm going from london to leysin(switzerland) and i want to go by train the whole way...but i dont know how\where... ideally for my family of 4 we each have a 'pass' of some kind that will enable us to travel on just about any train in france, Switzerland(and maybe belgium and germany) to get us there and back. --if we have to buy a seperate eurostar ticket its fine- trains in UK are not a problem either... oh and the booking will have to be done on the net...
Answer: Visit http://www.raileurope.co.uk/ and also speak to Thomas Cook as they used to sell the Inter-rail ticket and European train tickets.