AFTER MANY TRIPS TO EUROPE THIS IS THE FIRST TIME MY HUSBAND AND ME
WILL BE USING TRAINS TO REACH OUR DIFFERENT DESTINATIONS. I REALLY NEED SOME ADVICE. WE EACH HAVE ONE SUITCASE AND A CARRY-ON. ARE THERE PORTERS TO HELP W/LUGGAGE? WE WILL TAXI TO HOTELS ETC...
OUR ITINIERARY : 2 NITES LUXEMBOURG -TRAIN TO COCHEM, STAY 2 NITES THEN TRAIN TO HEIDELBERG, STAY 2 NITES THEN TRAIN TO MUNICH FOR 2 NITES AND
DEPART FROM THERE. DOES THIS SEEM LIKE A GOOD PLAN - LOOKING FOR THE LEAST STRESSFUL WAY - THANKS AS ALWAYS. WE LEAVE END OF SEPT FOR OUR
JOURNEY.

What is with the caps?

cchri [ignoring the caps]

1. do not reckon on there being porters. [surprised that after many trips to europe you don't know this. Have you never caught a train?]

2. make sure that you can manage your luggage easily - some trains are very high up from the platform.

3. IMHO you are moving too often - you will lose about half a day every time you check-in/out and travel in between, even if you use taxis to get to your hotels. I would lose Luxembourg.

I have never seen a porter at a train station in Europe.We ready to do all the stairs, lifting,and stowing yourselves.

I've never seen porters. This isn't like the Orient Express for wealthy people.

I have no problem handling my luggage which is one rolling suitcase and a carryon, and I'm an old(er) woman. If your husband can't even handle his own luggage, you shouldn't be traveling alone.

There are only porters in some large Italian stations like Rome Termini- otherwise you will have luggage carts on platforms to use free - most major stations have escalators or lifts to reach other platforms.

Anyway for clueless folks on trains i always refer these info-laden sites: www.budgeteuropetravel.com; www.ricksteves.com; www.seat61.com - perusing these sites will answer many questions you have about using European trains, what to expect in stations, etc.

And take annhig's advice about being able to manage your luggage easily - even getting up steep steps into the train car can be hard with bulky luggage and then lifting it into the overhead luggage racks, etc.

You are traveling basically in Germany so strongly look at the German Rail Twin Pass as the more days you travel the cheaper per day the pass is, with after the base 3-day price extra days being but $18-22 p.p. or so. And for first-timers i always highly encourage going first class- you will often have lots of empty seats to easily put your luggage on an adjoining seat and seats are bigger, etc. I have traveled European rails now annually for 4 decades and can attest there is a big difference between first and second class and the difference in pass prices between first and second class is not really that much for what you get. IMO treat your rail trip like your hotel selection - you could sleep well in a low-budget hotel but the experience in a nice hotel is so much different!

Was that your idea of being helpful?

I meant that remark for vjpblovesitaly -WHO CARES ABOUT CAPS?

Few stations have porters - your luggge is yours to do with as you will. If small can go on overhed rack. If large has to go at the end fo the car (or perhpaps between rows of seats if they are back to back). You need to be able to carryyour stuff up 3 or 4 narrow, steep steps onto the train in some places. In others there are stairs to get to the platform. Do not bring more than you can easily pick up and carry a block or more by yourself.

In the UK Virgin Trains (and poss ssome others) offer an assisted ttravel for those with who are disabled ofr have restricted mobility...

http://www.virgintrains.co.uk/trains...-travel-bikes/

However I'm not sure that it's for folks with an inability to pack cases that they can carry! Not meaning you OP!

I really appreciate most of the input - however , some of you are really insulting and can take a hike. I think i'll just go back to the lonely planet forum -much friendlier.

Last May I travelled from Berlin to Wuerzburg (ICE train) and Wuerzburg to Prien (IC train). I am 84 years of age. I had a roll-on and a regular carry-on with wheels. I travelled 1st class, Sparkarte tarif.

In Berlin, getting onto the train was no problem. There are escalators everywhere, and the stepup up to the coach was negligible.

In Wuerzburg, I had to roll my baggage down the stairs, along the corridor below the tracks, and up the stairs. It was doable. When leaving, I went to the service counter. They arranged for a young lady (student?) to help me with the bags, find the coach location for the incoming trtain, and help me with the bag. Gave her 3 EUR tip, she was happy.

The coach location indicators are very handy. On most platforms is a display which shows the locations of all coaches for all trains that arrive/depart fromm this platform, with a location letter. If it says that coach ### will stop at location A, it will stop there.

Prior to arrival in Prien, I asked the conductor to help. He opened the door for me and handed me my luggage. Platform 1 didn't require any stairs.

It probably helped, that I speak fluent German.

I meant that remark for vjpblovesitaly -WHO CARES ABOUT CAPS?>

Well I agree if caps bother some FodorGarchs then they should just close the thread - where is the protocol that CAPS ARE ALLOWED - BEFORE LEAVING GIVE FODOR'S ANOTHER CHANCE -MOST OF THE COMMENTS ABOVE I FIND HELPFUL - PAY NO HEED TO THOSE WHO YOU THOUGHT IMPUDENT DO NOT THROW THE BABY OUT WITH THE BATHWATER AS ACTUALLY IN MY YEARS OF BEING ON FODOR'S YOU WILL REALLY GET SOME GREAT ADVICE - IGNORE THE RELATIVELY FEW POSTS YOU FIND INSULTING.
Stay tuned as like the last post by treplow gives great advice.

Op - caps give the impression of shouting, and in a big block, can actually be quite hard to read.

Re porters - I agree with Christine - unless you are travelling on some luxe service like the Orient Express there won't be any. Also, though you might think the comments about not packing more than you can easily lift are facetious, they really aren't. Some of the luggage racks are well above head height and it can be extremely difficult lifting anything heavier than a weekend bag to that level. On my last trip to the continent I had a cabin baggage sized wheelie case, which was a breeze to pull along the platform, but difficult to lift into the luggage rack. I got a muscle injury that is still troublesome 4 months later. Pack as light as you possibly can for any trip that involves multiple transfers.

oh, cchri - don't get the hump. we're [mostly] trying to be helpful.

there is some excellent advice from posters above, who, like PalenQ, [even if he has got a penchant for paint] and Treplow, know what they are talking about. it's just that CAPS CAN BE A LITTLE DIFFICULT TO READ.

No there are not porters to help you with your luggage on trains, you need to be able to manage them yourself. Get them up often narrow steps, then up onto a luggage rack.

How big are the suitcases? How big are the carry-ons? It would be a lot easier if you can get it down to just 1 bag per person (a 20-24" rolling suitcase is ideal).

I thought the Lonely Planet forums were for hitchhikers, couchsurfers and post-collegians.

And I think the question of why she'd need porters was taken the wrong way.

>>>>>
some of you are really insulting and can take a hike. I think i'll just go back to the lonely planet forum -much friendlier.
>>>>>>

is there any wonder why the editors on this site are sensitive to the behaviour of the regulars?

here you have someone new to fodors asking a serious question and they are treated like dirt. new person is a potential customer for fodors books, etc. fodor's brand is tarnished in the eyes of this person who is stating that they think much more highly of fodor's competition (lonely planet) due to their experience on this board v the lonely planet boards. this negative perception of the fodor's brand will be very difficult to reverse and may not ever be able to be reversed.

due to no action on the part of fodors, this person comes away with a very negative impression of the fodor's brand. i think the editors should come down very hard on this since their reputation is on the line when people pull this crap.

fodors has a choice if they want buy-nothing regulars to ruin their name with customers or not. if i were fodor's senior management i would instruct the editors to have a ZERO tolerance policy toward this kind of behaviour and i would require that they ban any regular that even comes close to the line.

"here you have someone new to fodors asking a serious question and they are treated like dirt" - somebody registered in 2005 is hardly new to Fodor's.

Pardon me but I just read the whole thing and don't see anything insulting. Yes, the OP could have done without the "What's with the caps?" But insulting? Give me a break!