RAIL EUROPE tickets
 

Hi,

My friend ended up getting overnight tickets from Italy to France through a travel agent here who booked the ticket through Rail Europe. He booked a sleeper with it.

Once he's at the departing train station, is there anything special he has to do before he boards the trains?

Does he have to punch the ticket or anything or just hand it to the conductor?

The tickets themselves just look like vouchers with the train info as well as the passenger name on each ticket.

Thank you for your help.

I can't exactly remember what the procedure is, but I am pretty sure that the Rick Steves website (ricksteves.com) has good information about rail passes. The travel agent should have given your friend specific instructions.

Thanks Marcia but he's got a point-to-point ticket from Rail Europe, not a rail pass.

On the overnight trains, there is usually a little stand with clerks on the train platform just as you start to walk down the platform. There, they check your ticket, car number and compartment number. They need to check it off their list. Your friend then proceeds to the car, where the conductor is outside the car, takes the ticket and shows your friend to his room. At that point, the conductor will also ask for his passport. The conductor will take both from your friend. Once on board, the conductor (porter actually) will come by to find out if your friend wants coffee or tea in the morning.

If the coupon has the date and the train number on it there is no need to validate it in a machine.

All the passenger has to do is look for the attendant for the particular car number that should be printed on the coupon. Sometimes there will be a podium set up on the platform (in originating stations only as a rule).

The attendant will ask for the ticket, and the berth coupon(s) and the passport. The passport will probably be retained overnight and returned prior to arrival the next morning....if passes were being used, those would be retained and returned also.

The passenger will be assigned to a particular sleeping compartment and told which one it is (the numbers on the coupon refer to the berth numbers WITHIN the various compartments; the compartments themselves are separately numbered).

Thank you SO MUCH for all your help!

Fantastic!!!!