Re: 6 Reasons Why You Should Travel By Train In Europe

GrantCurrie — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 00:00:02 -0000

Hi Grant
Queuing to get a reservation when using a Eurail ticket can be a bit of a nightmare. This usually only happens on the high speed express trains such as the TGV and Eurostar.

For local trains you don't usually need a reservation. You just date the back of your Eurail pass before boarding the train.

As to a choice between bus and train. Europe is a big place and travelling by train in Northern Europe can be expensive. The trade off is between time and cost. Buses are slow, but cheaper, while trains are faster and more expensive. However using a Eurail pass in Northern Europe is a pretty cost effective way of getting around in a quick and efficient manner.

If you are travelling in Southern Europe, don't use your Eurail pass. or buses. Buy point to point rail tickets from train stations. It is the cheapest (even express trains) way of getting from A to B. Tickets can be bought from the ticket desks and most train stations now have ATM's for tickets.

So, To Summarize
Northern Europe- Use your Eurail Pass
Southern Europe- Buy Point to Point Rail Tickets

Another way to may want to consider especially if you want to travel big distances quickly and don't want to see much is to use a budget airline such as Ryan Air and Easy Jet. you may have to plan further ahead, but the cost and time saving can be considerable if you hit a deal at the right time. Try www.skyscanner.net for comparisons.

Happy Travels
Pops

Re: 8 Essential How-to Tips on Train Travel in Europe

GrantCurrie — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 00:19:09 -0000

Hi Faisal.
Train is the best option to travel by from Venice to Rome. In Italy there are basically 2 ways of doing this. Both are very safe and both go through Bologna and Florence (Firenze). The quickest and most expensive is to take the Eurostar (Italian version) high speed train. The trip takes around 4 1/2 hours and costs €61.80 online at www.trenitalia.com.
The second option is to take the slower regional trains that stop at most local stops along the way. the train. The time for the journey varies between 5 1/2 hrs and 7 1/2 hrs. The cost for this journey is around €30 to €40 and once again can be bought online.
If you are looking at taking a night train it makes more sense to take the Eurostar option as the scenery is somewhat limited and there are always a lot more people travelling, hence may be a little safer.
Happy Travels
Grant

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