European Rail Travel Plans Need Expertise.
I really enjoy planning my vacation travel. In fact, that’s true for all my travels, whether they’re for NARP business or for pleasure. I’ve got the Amtrak drill pretty much down cold by now—best choice of routes, when to make connections and when to play it safe and lay over.
But train travel in Europe is different. I still take the time to work up my European itineraries and it’s still a very enjoyable part of the whole travel experience. There are several good web sites to research the various routes, but the best by far is The Man In Seat 61. That’s always my first stop. I also enjoy looking at web sites for the various hotels and deciding which looks like the one I will enjoy most.
For instance, toward the end of my upcoming trip to Italy, I had plugged in an overnight train from Venice to Paris. Railbookers counseled against that choice, saying they had had reports that the equipment was not well maintained and also of some on board thievery. Instead, they recommended a scenic day trip from Venice to Zurich, then on to Paris the next day.
They also pointed out a few “minor details” which—I am forced to admit—had escaped my notice. For instance, I will have to change railway stations in Firenze to make one of my rail connections in Italy. They even provided me with a ticket for the Paris metro where I did know I would be changing stations.
European rail travel is wonderful. There are trains going to everywhere from anywhere, but all that flexibility means it’s very easy to overlook the best routings and the lowest ticket prices. So do your research ahead of time, then turn to a booking agency that specializes in rail travel for the actual ticketing. You’ll pay a bit extra, but it’s well worth it. (You won’t blow a connection in Firenze!)
* From the U.S., you’re automatically directed to their Los Angeles office.
I am currently travelling in France, Germany and Austria. I also use Deutsche Bahn and Man in Seat 61. I would never use an added agency. I know RailEurope is a real ripoff. I know to look carefully at the station name as many cities have several stations.I can think of 6 in Paris off the top of my head. I have learnt that when booking in France to use Capitaine Train. The SNCF site may redirect you to RailEurope unless you give Antarctica as your home country. Also in France, book early. You can book 90 days (sometimes longer) in advance. By going online the day bookings opened I gained some great specials. Generally fares go up as the date gets nearer. Capitaine also book for Germany but there are not the same advantages.
However very little can prepare you for strikes. One started in Germany this morning and in a panic I have booked a bus from Garmisch-Partenkirchen to Munich on Friday. I now learn the local trains are privately owned so not affected. However the bus is only half the cost but not so pleasant and is only about 90 minutes.
Strikes or other mayhem can be a real pain in the *ss, but luckily, due to European legislation, international travelers are quite well protected. If you could not have known of the strike the moment you purchased your ticket, the operating company has to make sure you can arrive safely to your destination in an other way, and if that is not possible, provide you with the possibility to stay the night when under way. You should never be stranded somewhere between departure and arrival without help of the train company. And with unforseen delay (again, unforseen the day you bought your international ticket) of more than an hour, your ticket should be refunded. For many national trips, it’s more or less the same, sometimes even better (e.g. more than 20′ delay with local busses or trains in and around Hamburg, and you will get a total refund), sometimes not (mostly in Eastern Europe). Therefore, always check on the website of the operator to know what’s going to happen, some countries have a minimum service in place, so you might get to your destination after all, just later (e.g. France).
http://ec.europa.eu/transport/passenger-rights/en/13-rail.html
Thanks for the information for the future. I had not pre-booked my rail ticket – it is only a local train (19 euros) so would not have been covered. I panicked a little fearing being stranded without accommodation. The bus is only 7 euros 50 plus 1 euro 50 to have the pdf ticket printed out. I did not fancy opening and turning on my laptop at the bus. My cellphone is very basic.
Well, it’s probably because I’m starting to know the system, but I have never booked via an agency. Seat61 gives my inspiration and some valuable warnings about recurrent delays, but the German Railways travel planner is almost always my real staring point, as it will include enough time to change trains, even in case of a change of station, and has almost all European trains in its database. Sometimes, I have a look on Rome2Rio.com as well, especially if I want or need a bus between stations, as bahn.de only has German busses in it’s planner. I continue then by looking on different national railways’ sites for the best price, and choose the option to print at home if possible. If the price difference is only a minor one, I would go to the station itself, because I like the look and feel of a traditional train ticket, and I have quite a collection by now.
I have to add, though, that as a railway employee, I have some interesting perks for international train travel, I have a 50% discount card, and a free travel pass for most countries in Europe (only valid on the main operator, though), but this discount is often not possible via the internet. Sometimes, it’s cheaper, however, to buy a ‘regular’ saver fare…