Go Back  Fodor's Travel Talk Forums > Destinations > Europe
Reload this Page >

EURO RAILWAYS.COM Appalling Service, Worst Travel Experience Ever!

EURO RAILWAYS.COM Appalling Service, Worst Travel Experience Ever!

Old Sep 26th, 2011, 03:04 PM
  #1  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Sep 2011
Posts: 3
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
EURO RAILWAYS.COM Appalling Service, Worst Travel Experience Ever!

Don't ever make the mistake of booking with Euro Railways (eurorailways.com) as we did. Poor service, terrible train experience, arrogant crew, appalling service to international customers. Don't ever take the Artesia train from Paris to Rome. Don't even take any trains run by Artesia! Poor value, they just want your cash!

We took the overnight train from Paris to Rome. First of all their computer system wasn't working so the automated booths couldn't generate the train tickets and we had to wait in the long queue to get our train tickets. Secondly we were told there was going to be a delay of the departure time for an hour which eventually turned out to be two hours and a half! Thirdly the "First Class" cabins are nothing like the ones advertised on the website. They're more like third world economy class cabins so you definitely don't get the service and quality you expect from the amount you pay.

Fourth, once boarded we were informed there was no "power" in the kitchen so they couldn't serve hot nor cold beverages or food, only packed food and bottled drinks. So for almost twenty hours straight we had nothing but packaged biscuits and muffins and warm bottled water. We had no proper food nor drinks for the whole trip! Fifth we weren't informed that during the night there was a two hour stop in Bologna which meant our arrival time was delayed for another two hours! We were never told of the reason and all the crew didn't even care, they were all unapologetic, extremely rude and appallingly arrogant. Sixth the toilets stunk and was terribly "messy", and some of the cabins smelled. I even took pictures of the mess in the kitchen and toilets as proof. The whole train was poorly maintained with dirty toilets and walkways. It was not a First Class experience at all.

Lastly we arrived Rome more than five hours late, starving and frustrated. To make things worse we never received a single apology and now Euro Railways won't even acknowledge our emails on this terrible experience. They want to blame Artesia or someone else.

Don't ever make the mistake of making any purchase with EURO RAILWAYS! Worst customer service ever - especially for international travellers. ZERO CONSIDERATION for travellers. They only want your cash!
LutherJim is offline  
Old Sep 26th, 2011, 03:26 PM
  #2  
 
Join Date: Oct 2003
Posts: 36,776
Likes: 0
Received 14 Likes on 11 Posts
There is no train run by Eurorailways. You are talking about a reseller (same as if you booked with Expedia, Orbitz, etc.), not an actual train. The reseller has nothing to do with the quality of a train or the staff on board. The reseller does nothing but sell tickets and really has no other obligation.
kybourbon is online now  
Old Sep 26th, 2011, 03:29 PM
  #3  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Sep 2011
Posts: 3
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Thanks for your response kybourbon. I am very much aware of that. As far as I'm concerned I paid Eurorailways so my contract is with them. I expect a service provided by them commensurate to the marketing materials and online information provided to me. Thanks.
LutherJim is offline  
Old Sep 26th, 2011, 03:32 PM
  #4  
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 72,548
Likes: 0
Received 50 Likes on 7 Posts
" I expect a service provided by them . . . "

You did get exactly the service they provide. They sell tickets. That's it. They do not control ticket machines. They do not operate trains. They do not run the dining car.

They sell tickets . . .
janisj is online now  
Old Sep 26th, 2011, 03:40 PM
  #5  
 
Join Date: Dec 2008
Posts: 243
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Eurorailways does not actually own or operate a single train as far as I know. I believe that your complaints should be directed at Trenitalia (the Italian train company), who operate the line in question. Eurorailways has no control over conditions on the train.

Having said that, and acknowledging I have never looked at Eurorailways website, in general booking agencies are usually not worth bothering with. Just book directly with the company that offers the route.

Not that this would have helped you any, but in general.
glenmd is offline  
Old Sep 26th, 2011, 03:50 PM
  #6  
 
Join Date: Oct 2003
Posts: 36,776
Likes: 0
Received 14 Likes on 11 Posts
>>>As far as I'm concerned I paid Eurorailways so my contract is with them.
kybourbon is online now  
Old Sep 26th, 2011, 04:08 PM
  #7  
 
Join Date: Oct 2003
Posts: 36,776
Likes: 0
Received 14 Likes on 11 Posts
>>>>Artesia, the firm

A joint venture of the SNCF and Trenitalia, ARTESIA has the mission of designing services and managing trains between France and Italy.
Based in Paris with an office Rome, it brings together some twenty workers, French and Italian.
kybourbon is online now  
Old Sep 26th, 2011, 04:59 PM
  #8  
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Posts: 4,497
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
I must say that booking rail tickets in Europe via an agency based in Florida is quite a courageous step ...
Peter_S_Aus is offline  
Old Sep 26th, 2011, 05:38 PM
  #9  
 
Join Date: Feb 2004
Posts: 14,748
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
In any case, how long should an overnight train from Paris to Rome actually take, if all went well?

Not that I would do it, mind you.
tuscanlifeedit is offline  
Old Sep 26th, 2011, 05:46 PM
  #10  
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 24,817
Received 4 Likes on 3 Posts
I'm sorry you had a bad experience, but I wouldn't even have contemplated an overnight train. Most people tend to anticipate/expect an old-world, romantic experience, but as you sadly learned there are just too many ways things can go bad.
Jean is offline  
Old Sep 26th, 2011, 06:36 PM
  #11  
 
Join Date: Oct 2003
Posts: 36,776
Likes: 0
Received 14 Likes on 11 Posts
>>>In any case, how long should an overnight train from Paris to Rome actually take, if all went well?
kybourbon is online now  
Old Sep 26th, 2011, 06:49 PM
  #12  
 
Join Date: Feb 2004
Posts: 14,748
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
ky: I found that website so obtuse that I gave up on the timing search. You have more patience than I.
tuscanlifeedit is offline  
Old Sep 26th, 2011, 08:11 PM
  #13  
 
Join Date: Oct 2003
Posts: 36,776
Likes: 0
Received 14 Likes on 11 Posts
The Artesia site actually has some virtual tours of the inside of the trains so you can see what the different accommodations look like.

Best option - Easy Jet from Paris Orly to Rome. Travel time 2 hours with flights as cheap as 30€.
http://www.easyjet.com/asp/en/book/index.asp?lang=en
kybourbon is online now  
Old Sep 26th, 2011, 08:49 PM
  #14  
 
Join Date: Oct 2003
Posts: 17,106
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
According to bahn.com, Paris to Rome is anywhere from 13 to 18 hours.

The Euronight train that does not require a change of trains departs Paris at 7pm and arrives Rome at 10am, making it a 15 hour journey - presumably sleeping on a bunk bed and not sitting up all night.
easytraveler is offline  
Old Sep 26th, 2011, 09:03 PM
  #15  
 
Join Date: Aug 2003
Posts: 4,606
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Sounds like the OP had an unpleasant experience - we have taken the reverse trip, Rome to Paris, and we enjoyed it. We take our own food on board and found the accommodations not luxurious but satisfactory - for part of the trip you are sitting up, later the porter makes up a bunk. I do know from experience not all Italian trains run on time but the journey of the OP did get a bit long!
suec1 is offline  
Old Sep 26th, 2011, 11:24 PM
  #16  
 
Join Date: Jun 2003
Posts: 23,763
Likes: 0
Received 6 Likes on 1 Post
The SNCF refunds tickets for any train more than 2 hours late. In fact, you can get a partial refund for any train that is more than 30 minutes late. I took a train to Montpellier a couple of months ago that was 33 minutes late and I filed the form and received 25% credit on my fare.

You have 2 months to send in your ticket with the completed form.
kerouac is offline  
Old Sep 27th, 2011, 01:39 AM
  #17  
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Posts: 2,557
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Hi

Talk about the train from hell

I note KY's post in particular "ARTESIA has the mission of designing services and managing trains between France and Italy". Quite apart from getting your ticket refunded (this focuses on time issues only) you may want to notify Artesia of the "Poor service, terrible train experience, arrogant crew". After all these are management issues.
worldinabag is offline  
Old Sep 27th, 2011, 03:01 AM
  #18  
 
Join Date: Jun 2008
Posts: 12,268
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Classic trollish "Grudge Post" incorrectly defaming a

poor company that resold you a ticket simply doing their job

That has nothing to do with your "terrible" experience.

Direct complaints would be appropriate.

Slandering the wrong company on a public travel forum

without grounds is not.
qwovadis is offline  
Old Sep 27th, 2011, 04:15 AM
  #19  
 
Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 78,320
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Seems like Eurorailways guilt here is simply being inaccessible to answer complaints and explain why it was not their fault.
PalenQ is offline  
Old Sep 27th, 2011, 05:31 AM
  #20  
 
Join Date: Oct 2006
Posts: 36,842
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
LutherJim, surely you are not serious. Are you honestly saying that if you went on line and booked a hotel room -- let's say at a Holiday Inn -- through Hotels.Com and you found the hotel dirty and the service lousy, you would be telling people not to book a hotel through Hotels.Com as the dirty room and horrible service was THEIR fault and not the fault of the hotel itself? You're kidding right?
NeoPatrick is offline  

Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Manage Preferences - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information -