Rail Europe and UPS
Mar 23rd, 2016, 08:18 AM
#1
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Rail Europe and UPS
I posted this yesterday under an old thread, so will post here as a new topic.
I just bought rail tickets on raileurope.com. What a mistake. I don't remember where I bought rail tickets before, but it wasn't rail europe. First, they do not allow printing tickets at home--totally stupid in this day and age. Second, they ship to your home address--POBox not allowed. You must be home to accept and sign for delivery--no indication on what time they will be there, just a 10-hour window. Package is scheduled for delivery tomorrow. I have plans for tomorrow that I must cancel so I can sit home all day and wait for my package. I have the option of changing the delivery date, but that will be another $5. Another option is to have it held at a location of UPS' choosing and the only allowable one for my location is 30 minutes away from home. I've been steaming all morning over this. Now, we need to purchase seat reservations (typical for European trains) on top of the full-fare we paid for the tickets and the $18 delivery charge. So, I guess my beef is with both rail europe and UPS. How do these people stay in business?
I just bought rail tickets on raileurope.com. What a mistake. I don't remember where I bought rail tickets before, but it wasn't rail europe. First, they do not allow printing tickets at home--totally stupid in this day and age. Second, they ship to your home address--POBox not allowed. You must be home to accept and sign for delivery--no indication on what time they will be there, just a 10-hour window. Package is scheduled for delivery tomorrow. I have plans for tomorrow that I must cancel so I can sit home all day and wait for my package. I have the option of changing the delivery date, but that will be another $5. Another option is to have it held at a location of UPS' choosing and the only allowable one for my location is 30 minutes away from home. I've been steaming all morning over this. Now, we need to purchase seat reservations (typical for European trains) on top of the full-fare we paid for the tickets and the $18 delivery charge. So, I guess my beef is with both rail europe and UPS. How do these people stay in business?
Mar 23rd, 2016, 08:43 AM
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Well don't see how you can be mad at UPS - if you're having something delivered - yes, someone needs to be home. And they are a delivery service delivering packages all over town. This isn't like buying an appliance when you are a single delivery and will get a window of a couple of hours. (This is like expecting the mailman to come to you at a specific time - just not reasonable.)
As for Rail europe - that is who they are and what they charge. If you don;t want to use them you can buy tickets from the local rail company.
As for Rail europe - that is who they are and what they charge. If you don;t want to use them you can buy tickets from the local rail company.
Mar 23rd, 2016, 09:07 AM
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They do charge more for many tickets than if you bought in Europe, but your other complaints are your fault. First, they do indeed sell e-tickets, you must have bought a kind where that wasn't available. That isn't unusual even if you buy directly within a country, some tickets are not e-tickets.
Second, if you don't buy e-tickets and need delivery in the US, what else do you expect them to do? Yes, if it is signature required you need to be there, they gave you the option of picking them up but you happen to live in some place where that would take an entire 30 minutes! I spend that much time going to some stores where I live, and twice as much just one way to work, so I don't get the outrage on that one. Maybe combine it with some errands. That isn't their fault, either.
Second, if you don't buy e-tickets and need delivery in the US, what else do you expect them to do? Yes, if it is signature required you need to be there, they gave you the option of picking them up but you happen to live in some place where that would take an entire 30 minutes! I spend that much time going to some stores where I live, and twice as much just one way to work, so I don't get the outrage on that one. Maybe combine it with some errands. That isn't their fault, either.
Mar 23rd, 2016, 09:19 AM
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As for reservations what trains are you wanting to reserve - do your have first or second class tickets - reservations are easily made in Europe except on some French TGV lines - for a few euros and rarely have any trouble doing so. Some Rail Europe tickets are e-tickets some are not. don't worry about those reservations as nearly all can easily be made in Europe.
Sending tickets is like sending cash so yes a signature must be obtained and track delivery, etc.
Sending tickets is like sending cash so yes a signature must be obtained and track delivery, etc.
Mar 23rd, 2016, 09:21 AM
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You could save money perhaps by booking with the European railway company involved and the price may be low enough you could just refund your RE tickets - reservations thru them now as a separate transaction will result in a steep handling/mailing fee I think
Mar 23rd, 2016, 03:36 PM
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Points well taken. This was just one thing after another that wasn't what I'm accustomed to when booking travel.
I received my tickets today and am surprised to see that they do not include our names, the date or time of travel, just a range of dates that the tickets are valid. It's late to call rail europe today, so I will contact them tomorrow and work through that and get our seat reservations. I had selected a date and time when purchasing the tickets. BTW, it turns out a signature with UPS was not required as was noted on rail europe's website when I made the purchase.
If I find out the reason why rail europe is not able to allow ticket printing at home I will add to this thread.
We are traveling between Zagreb, Croatia, and Budapest, Hungary, in first class. I don't know the rail line for that route.
IMHO, the fact that UPS gives a window of ten+ hours when they will deliver is not acceptable when a person has to be home to sign and the person has no input on the day of delivery or even the method of delivery. I realize some of you do not agree with me, but we are all allowed our opinions. I hope this thread is helpful to others booking train tickets.
I received my tickets today and am surprised to see that they do not include our names, the date or time of travel, just a range of dates that the tickets are valid. It's late to call rail europe today, so I will contact them tomorrow and work through that and get our seat reservations. I had selected a date and time when purchasing the tickets. BTW, it turns out a signature with UPS was not required as was noted on rail europe's website when I made the purchase.
If I find out the reason why rail europe is not able to allow ticket printing at home I will add to this thread.
We are traveling between Zagreb, Croatia, and Budapest, Hungary, in first class. I don't know the rail line for that route.
IMHO, the fact that UPS gives a window of ten+ hours when they will deliver is not acceptable when a person has to be home to sign and the person has no input on the day of delivery or even the method of delivery. I realize some of you do not agree with me, but we are all allowed our opinions. I hope this thread is helpful to others booking train tickets.
Mar 23rd, 2016, 05:14 PM
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UPS is a mass delivery service and therefore very inexpensive. If it was very important to make a specific tine you might have asked for that option - but I'm sure it would be very expensive. In our building we all sign for UPS/FedEx for each other - and the driver knows it's OK - unless it's a special FedEx individual signature package.
Could you not have asked a neighbor to sign for it? Or - just gone the 30 minutes to pick it up? If we know something needs to be signed for during the week we often have it delivered to my DH's office - where there is always someone on duty who can sign.
Could you not have asked a neighbor to sign for it? Or - just gone the 30 minutes to pick it up? If we know something needs to be signed for during the week we often have it delivered to my DH's office - where there is always someone on duty who can sign.
Mar 23rd, 2016, 05:28 PM
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Calling the hotel to say you are arriving would work only if you
1) make arrangements in advance, and
2) call when you are about 5 minutes from the dock
In Venice we always get a hotel with a private dock - either one that is always manned or has a bell right there that the boat driver rings - and the bellman is there by the time the luggage has been hauled up the step to street level
(Be aware that water taxis are lower than street level and the passengers and luggage have to be hauled up 2 to 4 steps, which may be somewhat slippery with wet weeds - depending on tides - hence our having others haul the luggage while my escort helped me up)
1) make arrangements in advance, and
2) call when you are about 5 minutes from the dock
In Venice we always get a hotel with a private dock - either one that is always manned or has a bell right there that the boat driver rings - and the bellman is there by the time the luggage has been hauled up the step to street level
(Be aware that water taxis are lower than street level and the passengers and luggage have to be hauled up 2 to 4 steps, which may be somewhat slippery with wet weeds - depending on tides - hence our having others haul the luggage while my escort helped me up)
