Train Tickets and more...
Aug 4th, 2006, 08:22 PM
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Train Tickets and more...
dear fellow fodorites,
I知 looking for help for a trip I知 about to take. 14 days to spend in France, Amsterdam and Prague towards the end of august. This is my first time in Europe.
Here are some questions?
1) should i buy train tickets as needed in Europe, or should i buy them online (u.s.). I've read in some places that it's cheapest to buy at train stations and in some others that it痴 cheapest if bought online here in America. So far, I知 looking at the 15 day passes. Should I be looking at different types of passes.
2) i have a pda and a lap-top that i'm taking with me. does anyone recommend any good europe GPS mapping software for either.
3) i guess it's going to be HOT this month. is it OK to wear shorts and plain t-shirts throughout the day, or should i wear shorts during the day when hot and then change for the night. (I知 not planning on wearing shorts everyday, but I figure to bring with me 4 khaki style pants and dress-shirts to wear at night). are sandals OK. I知 trying to pack light. Plus, i might buy some things while I知 there.
4) cell phones. Should I plan on using calling cards and payphones while there. A lot of car rental and other travel sites are offering cell phones to rent. I知 guessing calling cards and payphones.
Thanks
romeo
I知 looking for help for a trip I知 about to take. 14 days to spend in France, Amsterdam and Prague towards the end of august. This is my first time in Europe.
Here are some questions?
1) should i buy train tickets as needed in Europe, or should i buy them online (u.s.). I've read in some places that it's cheapest to buy at train stations and in some others that it痴 cheapest if bought online here in America. So far, I知 looking at the 15 day passes. Should I be looking at different types of passes.
2) i have a pda and a lap-top that i'm taking with me. does anyone recommend any good europe GPS mapping software for either.
3) i guess it's going to be HOT this month. is it OK to wear shorts and plain t-shirts throughout the day, or should i wear shorts during the day when hot and then change for the night. (I知 not planning on wearing shorts everyday, but I figure to bring with me 4 khaki style pants and dress-shirts to wear at night). are sandals OK. I知 trying to pack light. Plus, i might buy some things while I知 there.
4) cell phones. Should I plan on using calling cards and payphones while there. A lot of car rental and other travel sites are offering cell phones to rent. I知 guessing calling cards and payphones.
Thanks
romeo
Aug 5th, 2006, 03:27 AM
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Apart from churches in continental Roman Catholic countries, and mosques, it is ok to wear shorts throughout the day and in the evening at all outdoor places and events, all restaurants but the most formal, in pubs, and at indoor concerts in Britain (I am sorry that I do not know about other countries). Sandals are ok anywhere.
You should buy seat reservations in the US in order to be sure of seats at this busy time, but will have to pay a small service charge. It is indeed cheapest to buy reservations at stations, but if you pick your agent in the US with care you pay just one or two percent charge. I think you cannot buy passes in Europe, but must buy in the States before you leave. I am afraid I do not know whether you should buy a pass or point to point tickets. It depends on your route and times, and my guess is that point to point will prove cheaper. I see that people can work out the choice if they find the Rick Steves web pages, or (better) you can have advice on this from Euraide of Florida, e-mail [email protected], phone 941/480-1555, site http://www.euraide.com/. This office is also good for booking you from Amsterdam to Prague, as they work on the German rail computer system. From France to Amsterdam the best agents are any US office of Rail Europe, since French Rail own them, and Thalys trains
For Germany, Switzerland, Austria and Eastern Europe, the ticket prices on RailEurope are often 50-80% over the prices taken by other agents. Also, RailEurope ignores many train routes (even important ones like the Brenner corridor from Munich via Innsbruck to Italy) and many local trains. Before you buy from RailEurope please check out a few other agents in Britain and the US so you know what prices other agents, and national rail systems, charge. You can send e mails and phone calls to three or four agents for estimates and bookings.
Budget Europe Travel Service, phone 800-441-9413 or 800-441-2387, site http://www.budgeteuropetravel.com/
Euraide of Florida, E-mail [email protected], phone
at the Florida office 941/480-1555, site http://www.euraide.com
Trains Europe of Cambridgeshire E-mail [email protected], phone 00 44 900 195 0101, site http://www.trainseurope.co.uk/ -
Ffestiniog Travel of Wales, E-mail [email protected], phone
00 44 176 651 2400, site http://www.festtravel.co.uk,
Inside France (Canterbury). E-mail [email protected], phone
00 44 122 745 0088, site www.rail-canterbury.co.uk/.
German Rail UK in Surbiton. E-mail: [email protected], phone
00 44 870 243 5363, site http://www.deutsche-bahn.co.uk,
Railwise Ltd in London. E-mail: [email protected], phone
00 44 207 242 1490, site http://railwise.com
Your best way from Amsterdam to Prague is overnight. The supplement for a berth in a three-berth second class sleeper is about 45 euros. You are sorted by sex, so travel in pyjamas, and the compartment has a washbasin. You save a hotel bill. I keep a note on getting the best from rail travel, which I can gladly copy to you if you ask me: [email protected]/. The reference library of a city near you may have the Thomas Cook European Rail Timetable. Table 22 shows your connection, Amsterdam Central 2005, change at Duisburg 2253 to 2319, Prague Holesovice 1007, Prague main station 1020. You need a special connection ticket. You leave Amsterdam on the City Night Line Pollux Express, with a reclining chair and a restaurant car. You change at Duisburg, I think by walking across the platform. You leave Duisburg on the Kopernikus express, which has a restaurant car that it drops in Berlin at 0453. The conductor serves you coffee and a bun, so it is a good idea to buy a filled roll in Amsterdam ready for breakfast. Holesovice station has only normal pickpockets, whereas in the main station they work in gangs of three who jostle you, so the earlier station is the safer choice. It is on the metro, bus and tram lines, 4 kilometers north of the city centre.
Ben Haines, London
You should buy seat reservations in the US in order to be sure of seats at this busy time, but will have to pay a small service charge. It is indeed cheapest to buy reservations at stations, but if you pick your agent in the US with care you pay just one or two percent charge. I think you cannot buy passes in Europe, but must buy in the States before you leave. I am afraid I do not know whether you should buy a pass or point to point tickets. It depends on your route and times, and my guess is that point to point will prove cheaper. I see that people can work out the choice if they find the Rick Steves web pages, or (better) you can have advice on this from Euraide of Florida, e-mail [email protected], phone 941/480-1555, site http://www.euraide.com/. This office is also good for booking you from Amsterdam to Prague, as they work on the German rail computer system. From France to Amsterdam the best agents are any US office of Rail Europe, since French Rail own them, and Thalys trains
For Germany, Switzerland, Austria and Eastern Europe, the ticket prices on RailEurope are often 50-80% over the prices taken by other agents. Also, RailEurope ignores many train routes (even important ones like the Brenner corridor from Munich via Innsbruck to Italy) and many local trains. Before you buy from RailEurope please check out a few other agents in Britain and the US so you know what prices other agents, and national rail systems, charge. You can send e mails and phone calls to three or four agents for estimates and bookings.
Budget Europe Travel Service, phone 800-441-9413 or 800-441-2387, site http://www.budgeteuropetravel.com/
Euraide of Florida, E-mail [email protected], phone
at the Florida office 941/480-1555, site http://www.euraide.com
Trains Europe of Cambridgeshire E-mail [email protected], phone 00 44 900 195 0101, site http://www.trainseurope.co.uk/ -
Ffestiniog Travel of Wales, E-mail [email protected], phone
00 44 176 651 2400, site http://www.festtravel.co.uk,
Inside France (Canterbury). E-mail [email protected], phone
00 44 122 745 0088, site www.rail-canterbury.co.uk/.
German Rail UK in Surbiton. E-mail: [email protected], phone
00 44 870 243 5363, site http://www.deutsche-bahn.co.uk,
Railwise Ltd in London. E-mail: [email protected], phone
00 44 207 242 1490, site http://railwise.com
Your best way from Amsterdam to Prague is overnight. The supplement for a berth in a three-berth second class sleeper is about 45 euros. You are sorted by sex, so travel in pyjamas, and the compartment has a washbasin. You save a hotel bill. I keep a note on getting the best from rail travel, which I can gladly copy to you if you ask me: [email protected]/. The reference library of a city near you may have the Thomas Cook European Rail Timetable. Table 22 shows your connection, Amsterdam Central 2005, change at Duisburg 2253 to 2319, Prague Holesovice 1007, Prague main station 1020. You need a special connection ticket. You leave Amsterdam on the City Night Line Pollux Express, with a reclining chair and a restaurant car. You change at Duisburg, I think by walking across the platform. You leave Duisburg on the Kopernikus express, which has a restaurant car that it drops in Berlin at 0453. The conductor serves you coffee and a bun, so it is a good idea to buy a filled roll in Amsterdam ready for breakfast. Holesovice station has only normal pickpockets, whereas in the main station they work in gangs of three who jostle you, so the earlier station is the safer choice. It is on the metro, bus and tram lines, 4 kilometers north of the city centre.
Ben Haines, London
Aug 5th, 2006, 03:34 AM
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I ahve used RailEurope at least twice for tickets on the Brenner Pass route so am not sure I agree with Mr. Haines on that point.
There is, IMO, a substantial mark-up in seat reservation prices by RailEurope.
I would input the proposed itinerary at www.railsaver.com to compare the prices of point-to-point tickets vs. passes before I made any final decisions.
There is, IMO, a substantial mark-up in seat reservation prices by RailEurope.
I would input the proposed itinerary at www.railsaver.com to compare the prices of point-to-point tickets vs. passes before I made any final decisions.
Aug 5th, 2006, 04:48 AM
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Hi C,
Before b uying railpasses enter your itinerary at www.railsaver.com and click "only if it saves money".
I'm assuming that your visit to France will be a motor trip, because you are asking about GPS, and that you will leave for Amsterdam from Paris.
www.voyages-sncf.com is offering 1cl tickets for as low as 60E. 2cl is normally 98E.
You can buy your ticket online and print it out at home.
You can fly AMS/Prague in 1:30 hr for 86E.
See www.whichbudget.com.
Have a nice visit.
Before b uying railpasses enter your itinerary at www.railsaver.com and click "only if it saves money".
I'm assuming that your visit to France will be a motor trip, because you are asking about GPS, and that you will leave for Amsterdam from Paris.
www.voyages-sncf.com is offering 1cl tickets for as low as 60E. 2cl is normally 98E.
You can buy your ticket online and print it out at home.
You can fly AMS/Prague in 1:30 hr for 86E.
See www.whichbudget.com.
Have a nice visit.
Aug 6th, 2006, 09:53 AM
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Aug 8th, 2006, 03:03 PM
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In addition to whichbudget.com, another good search engine for budget airlines is skyscanner.net.
Each time you enter a country, buy the cheapest international calling card you can find. Rates are very low for calls to the US or to other countries in Europe.
Assuming your major train rides would be Paris-Amsterdam and Amsterdam-Prague with a few short trips here and there, point-to-point tickets will most likely be cheaper than a railpass. If you weren't traveling at the height of the tourist season, you could get away with waiting until you get to Europe to buy all your tickets. However, night trains (like Amsterdam-Prague) are likely to sell out in advance. You should be safe enough waiting until you're in Europe to buy tickets for trains that don't require reservations.
If you know the exact dates you want to take your long rides, you'll pay the least by booking now using a country's national rail site rather than going through Rail Europe whose prices are always higher. And don't rely on Rail Europe for timetables. They're incomplete. See the timetables at bahn.de, the German national rail site that has timetables for most of Europe.
Each time you enter a country, buy the cheapest international calling card you can find. Rates are very low for calls to the US or to other countries in Europe.
Assuming your major train rides would be Paris-Amsterdam and Amsterdam-Prague with a few short trips here and there, point-to-point tickets will most likely be cheaper than a railpass. If you weren't traveling at the height of the tourist season, you could get away with waiting until you get to Europe to buy all your tickets. However, night trains (like Amsterdam-Prague) are likely to sell out in advance. You should be safe enough waiting until you're in Europe to buy tickets for trains that don't require reservations.
If you know the exact dates you want to take your long rides, you'll pay the least by booking now using a country's national rail site rather than going through Rail Europe whose prices are always higher. And don't rely on Rail Europe for timetables. They're incomplete. See the timetables at bahn.de, the German national rail site that has timetables for most of Europe.
