On our up-coming trip to Europe, several of our travel days consist of a series of 2-3 hour train "hops" to get to the next destination leaving very little time at stations between trains. Is there any way to find out whether these short haul trains have any kind of food service on board, or are we better off hitting a grocery store the night before and stocking up on some food to take with us?

At train stations in Italy, we always found great food that we could take on the train. Can't comment on other countries, but I would definitely pack a little picnic if you are worried about eating on the train. Train food isn't that great. We took a first class train trip from Rome to Milan and the first course of our special meal was a plate of Pringles. That's right - the preformed potato chip from a can. We had reservations in the dining car for a three course meal and we got Pringles!!!! <BR><BR>Take a picnic!

You don't say what country you're traveling in, but in all European countries there are places to buy food before you get on the train - better and cheaper food than you'll be able to secure once on the train. And in France, at least, there are depictions of the makeup of your train that you can view on the platform - they will tell you whether your train has a dining car or a snackbar or snack service, so you know ahead of time.

If the trains are listed in the Thomas Cook Timetable, the guide generally lists whether there is a bar car or a dining car on board. I'll be glad to check for you, if you provide me with the details. But as Red and St. Cirq said, almost all train stations have either a market, a restaurant, a food hall or something with really good food, bakery items, and the like. For wine or beer, however, it's best to stock up the night before. The best food places in train stations I found on our most recent trip (back one week now) was the station in Cologne, Germany. There was a sausage place, a cheese place, two bakeries, and a number of places where you could get really great looking fresh sandwiches on baguettes, drinks -- it was quite astounding, in fact.

<BR>Red, your comment about Pringles brought back a trip from Nice to Milan a few years ago. I was in first class with a Eurail Pass and struck up a conversation with another American traveling with his family. He said he was "Mr. Pringles" and had invented the product when he worked at P&G. <BR><BR>Agreed that it is usually better to buy some wine, cheese, and bread in a market and fix your own at your seat on most European trains. There are exceptions, e.g. an EC, IC, or premium long distance train during dinner hours. As Shannon says the Thomas Cook Timetable indicates whether there is a bar car or a dining car on the train. But there is a BIG difference between "bar car" and "dining car" which has been discussed on other threads here. Do a Fodor search for TGV for examples. Hint: if the train has a bar car bring your own dinner. Also, have a read of my page at<BR>www.enjoy-europe.com/hte/chap17/rail.htm for more on the subject. It should help you with this and other items.

No matter what kind of train we take, we always carry water and simple non perishable snack.<BR><BR>If we have a chance, our preference is to buy in town, if not at station, and finally on train. The limitation with eating on train is that the opening hours are limited and they tend to run out of things quickly unless you get there early, which is not always possible.<BR><BR>Even if there is a fine dining car, we always have this problem: if we all go to the dining car, who keep eye on luggages? How do other people deal with this? We always end up getting something we can take back to our seat so our luggages are not left alone.

Wow! As an elderly neophyte in using this forum, it's great. Thanks to all who took the time to read and respond to my question.

Greg, I for example just leave my luggage there, who would want it? OK, I am a trusting soul, but nothing has happened, never.<BR><BR>But if you want to be sure, just ask some person who sits near to guard your luggage. You have to trust somebody.

Elina,<BR><BR>I don't trust anyone any longer. We had friends get a $500 leather jacket stolen 2 years ago from their 1st class train compartment while they went for dinner in the dining car.<BR><BR>They later found out that the police arrested a group of 20 year olds that were hitting all of the trains during tourist season. Hundreds of police reports had been filed by tourists who lost clothing, luggage,etc. Anything they can get their hands on went out of the train.<BR><BR>I took their advice and went to a Home Depot, bought a 4 foot piece of chain along with a small padlock. I will be chaining my luggage to the seat while I leave the train compartment.<BR><BR>It has gotten pretty bad over there. Trust no one.<BR><BR>Ray<BR><BR>

Ray, I am over 50 years old, and I have travelled all my life in planes, trains, boats and busses. And I refuse not to trust. We have an old saying: "God protects fools and drunks." Since I don´t drink, I must be a fool, and I suppose God protects also fools´ luggage, not just the fool. Logical, eh?

Dear Ms Curran,<BR><BR>I have travelled on the Continent from 1955 to now, and agree with Elina. In western Europe I leave luggage cheerfully while I eat in a restaurant car. In central Europe, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Serbia, Romania and Bulgaria I ask a fellow traveller to mind my bag while I eat.<BR><BR>My own choice reads best meal in a restaurant car, middle packed meal bought in a city, not at a station, worst packed meal bought in a station. I think meals on German Rail especially good, with things like breakfast coffee, rolls, butter, and omlette, lunchtime red wine, roll, butter and goulash soup, and evening lager and hot dinner. But I have eaten well on trains in many countries, and in central Europe pretty cheaply. There is a special feel to rolling along the Rhine or winding through the forests of the Dracula country in the Romanian Carpathians while lingering over a good meal. The club feel of an Ukranian restaurant car, too, is attractive, especially in deep winter.<BR><BR>If you would like to list her journeys with travel time then Shannon and I shall be glad to list related catering on board.<BR><BR>Welcome to Europe.<BR><BR>Ben Haines, London<BR><BR><BR>

I think it depends on how finicky you are and/or if you have a specific craving for anything in particular. I have eaten train food, station food, and my own pre-purchased food. I tend to prefer the food I buy from stores or take-out places prior to getting to the station. Often, I find that there is not enough variety on the train menus to my liking, or they sometimes run out of the items I want to eat. By purchasing food beforehand, I guarantee myself a good meal! But you should do a little of each so you also know what YOU like, for next time.

You can check the websites of the trains in various countries and see if there is a description or a pictogram of food service on a particular train. In general, for these short hops, the food you can buy at the station before you get on (in the Netherlands, for example: pizza, baguette with salmon, yoghurt, apples, fruit smoothie, croissants & coffee, flaky sausage roll or ragout roll, beer) is much better, fresher and cheaper than what you can get on the train, except for the rare dining car. This is not to say that the train station food is exquisite, though! ;-))