Train journeys with multiple stops around Europe - Easy enough?
 

One of the train trips I am planning list as many of 4 changes from point to point (Stuttgart Airport to Strasbourg)

I imagine that given I will be traveling by train in Germany / France for the first time that I could easily miss one of these stops, throwing the whole trip into disarray.

When you board the train are you given any information on what station to get off at and where the connecting train will be leaving from or is it pretty much up to me to know all of this before boarding the train?

This is something I hadn't even considered until I noticed the "Chg." column on the Bahn site....it's actually made me change some of my plans as there we up to 6 train changes for one of the cities I was going to visit.

Thanks Tony

If you're not sure where to change you can ask the conductor who comes to check your ticket - but after that getting off is up to you. One conductor can;t go running around a train making sure people get off at the right place. (No different from the US really. If you're taking the train from DC to Philly you just can;t sit there until it gets to New York.

(If it's a major station the name will sometimes be called as you pull in.)

Before your trip, print out detailed train schedules including intermediate stops with times and the final destinations.

You can get all these at:
http://reiseauskunft.bahn.de/bin/query.exe/en
Click on train number and it shows all the stops from the beginning of the line to the end.

The final destination of the train is essential for looking up the schedule. Trains are labeled by when they leave and their FINAL destination and not necessarily where you are going.

The detailed schedule helps you identify intermediate stops so you know what is the name of the station just before yours as well as giving you approximate arrival times.

At busy stations, digital displays show which track/gleis/voie your trains will depart from.

At less busy stations, they have fixed track assignments listed on YELLOW SHEETS on platform for departures and WHITE SHEETS for arrivals. There are instances where they give last minutes track changes by PA system sometimes only in local languages. If this happens at station without digital display, you have to rely on someone to tell you what is going on if you cannot understand the local language. You can tell this because all the locals start moving to different track in mass grumbling.

Before getting on the train, look at the display, either digital or a paper, at or near the door indicating the car number and the final destination (somethings major intermediate stations.) Not all cars in a train go to the final destination so not only you have to be on the right train, you must also be on a right car. If you have a seat assignment, the car/voiture number must match your reservation. On regular trains, you can eventually get to the right car even if you hop onto a wrong car of the RIGHT train. On a long TGV, the front half and back half are NOT connected by corridor. You must at least hop onto the correct half of the TGV train.

I don't remember if you got first class passes. First class cars are not necessarily easy to locate on a long train especially when you are hopping on in the middle of the run. At platforms, there are usually train composition charts on paper or shown digitally. They tell you where the cars are located. Note the repère/Sektor (something like A,B,C,E, etc) noted on the composition chart. Find the repère/Sektor marker on the station and wait for your train.

nytraveler - thanks for the response...

Do you know of any web sites that will actually show the routes, stop by stop ?

I have not found this anywhere as yet.

Go prepared. There's a variety of ways to do this, but since it's your first time, plan it out ahead of time, and it will raise your comfort level. You need to have a train schedule, which lists all of the stops by the train. Flag the stop on which you get on and the stop on which you get off, and remember the name of the station stop right before you need to get off. Most schedules have time of arrival/departure at each station, so you will have some idea when you need to start paying attention.

At train stations, there will be signs that give all of the stops. If you go into the ticket office at the station, they usually have little paper take away schedules, like flyers in boxes. Often, at the end of the car on a train, there's a diagram of the route and the stops along the route, and some trains have paper schedules right on the train (not always in the same place, so I can't point it out to you). Some trains announced the upcoming arrival of a station. The TGVs do this, as do a number of the high speed or premiere trains.

I used to buy the Thomas Cook European Timetable, and would either take the whole paperback book with me so I could plan as I went, or I'd tear out the pages where I was going to go and leave the rest of the book at home (since it covers almost all of Western Europe).

Changing trains in Germany: There are trackside loudspeakers that announce imminent departures with the train type, destination, track # and departure time. Your German needs to be good to get info. this way. In small stations, when you get off you can sometimes see the electronic trackside destination signs for other nearby platforms, or you may need to exit the platform and go into the connecting hallway, where there may be signs or wall schedules, or into the main lobby to look at a departure ("Abfahrt") schedule, where track numbers are listed.

The DB ticket machines will print out an itinerary for you that includes track numbers for all changes of train. These machines are great for spontaneous itineraries with railpasses or when you're buying a point-to-point ticket at the station. Just keep it in your pocket. You can print one for your anticipated return journey as well if you're on a daytrip.

The site greg gave you is the definitive website for all train travel in Germany, and a great resource for all of Europe. As greg said it will show all the intermediate stops. You need to click on the arrow next to the train you want, then click on the arrow by "show intermediate stops"

Guys thanks so much for the above info...especially Greg for that detailed explanation.

I really only have one trip that is likely to trip me up...that's Stuttgart Airport to Strasbourg. I was considering training directly into Paris but I thought I'd break the trip up a bit.

We'll be flying in to Stuttgart - not ideal but these tickets were booked 8 months ago and our plans have changed since then..

I am actually a bit torn....do I train directly into Paris from Stuttgart (arriving Stutt.12.30pm) which will potentially get us into Paris late in the evening or do I get a shorter trip to Strasbourg and see a little bit of a different city ? It would only be an overnight stay...

It's all of the unknowns that make me opt for the shorter trip after a pretty long flight ( NYC/Zurich/Stuttgart) that make me think a shorter journey will be easier. But the other half me says why not just stay on the train another couple of hours and be in Paris !

Oh it does my head in :)

You mean you fly from Zürich to Stuttgart??? Sorry, but that's about as inconvenient and useless as it gets.

Just change the flight to end in Zürich. Zürich to Strasbourg is a shorter and easier train ride than Stuttgart Airport to Strasbourg...

Hi there, you don't need to convince me, I know this.

The problem is the flight can't be changed, so I have to deal with it.

I bought an around the world ticket and my agent said that if I fail to board one of the flights (such as Zurich to Stuttgart), they may cancel the remaining trips (ie my flight out of Europe)....

plus I already have my Eurail pass and Switzerland isnt one of the countries listed, so thats not an option now !

I have just had a look at the timetable for the afternoon journey from Stuttgart Airport to Strasbourg - a lot of trains and some with more stops than others.
They mostly take you to the main station and then onto another train from there.
And - you will find that there is enough time to change - if you have printed out the information and if you make sure to check those digital signs and the paper ones it does all work out.
Also - if you do miss one - the next one s not all that long.
We have done this lots of times and it usually goes well - even when we trooped around with 3 kids!
We do not speak German - but have always been lucky with people answering and helping us - and with the print out showing times of arrival at the place to change you can work it out.
The advice Greg has given is excellent - and do print out the material from the site.

Is there no way you can make one of those flight sectors no longer part of your ticket? On the Oneworld site there is provision for a 'trip break' - but I do realise that this might not be possible now.

Regardless - lots of people manage the train changes - and you can too!

love_travel_Aus, the agent was very vague about whether I could make changes....he used phrases such as "it should be fine" and "I am 90% sure you'll be ok"....didnt leave me brimming with confidence, so why leave it to chance? Yes the flight to Stuttgart is a waste of time but its a very short flight! I'd rather stick to my ticket and know that everything will go according to my booking - no surprises !

My original plan was to be exploring Bavarian towns but then my girlfriend (will be wife next week) got this whole Paris idea in her head ! There went my Bavarian exploration !

So I will need to make one or 2 train swaps ...however if I can survive the Sydney train network, I am sure the European ones will be a pleasure. Ask any of my fellow Sydney-siders, the local trains here are amougst the worst in the world, including 3rd world countries (this is no exaggeration).

Tony; There is an airport shuttle from Stuttgart airport to Baden Baden. Then you could stay overnight in Baden Baden or take a direct train to Strasbourg.

Hi iris745....we need to overnight in Strasbourg because are in paris night after ...

Strasbourg will be a very short trip...just arrive in the early evening then get the train to paris at lunch time the next day...just a way to break up the trip...will be nice just to have a wander around, even just for a few hours.

And we have already paid for these damn Eurail passes so I plan to take the train everywhere !

ttt

Stuttgart Airport to Strasbourg ought to involve no more than 2 changes - one at Stuttgart Central Station and then either a direct train or a connection with one change at either Baden-Baden, Offenburg, or Karlsruhe if you don't find a direct train from Stuttgart. I would not select a connection with four changes.
Avoid connections with a change in Appenweier because the train station there requires a bit of walking and may be confusing to navigate - there are actually two different stations on two different train lines, not far apart but you have to walk from one to the other.

If you can do Sydney trains you will be fine - and hope the wedding goes well!

quokka, thanks for that info....i will be printing out this thread and taking it with me for referral and you info will come in handy for sure !

Do I need to make a reservation for my trip from Stutt.Airport to Strasbourg ? Its a bit tricky as I dont know exactly how long it will take to collect my bags and clear customs etc...

>Do I need to make a reservation for my trip from Stutt.Airport to Strasbourg?

No, you don't.
You can only reserve a seat on long-distance trains (ICE, IC, EC) and even then it is only optional.

You will have no problem at all. The stations are clearly marked everywhere and changing trains is very simple.

You should reserve and buy your tickets from Strasbourg to Paris off the www.voyages-sncf.com site in order to save up to 80% off the full fare. You can reserve 90 days ahead of time, which some people take to mean that you have to be up at midnight with a stopwatch in hand, but actually most of the discounted tickets are still available two weeks before the departure date if it is not high season or the weekend of a school holiday. Naturally, times like a departure on Friday evening are a lot less likely to have discounts than other times.

kerouac, using the site www.voyages-sncf.com, where is the option to book if you already have a Eurail pass?

What I am seeing here is all "full fares"....I thought if you had a pass you only had to pay a reservation fee?

thanks Tony

Sorry, I didn't know you were using a Eurail pass. I have no idea how to book trains when you already have the pass. I suppose it would be indicated on their website.

The Eurail website tells you a bit more about making reservations. It seems from that that you can only do them online for German and Swedish trains.

Have a look at this:

http://www.railplus.com.au/europe-by...-reservations/

It seems to suggest that you can reserve a seat for the train you want - less than $20 Aus per person - but we have never done this in advance so cannot advise it either way.

Maybe someone who has booked from abroad can comment?

We have always reserved out seat for our 'next' journey as we arrive at the station on our current journey - usually a day or two before.

This might be a busy route - and are you flexible with times?

Otherwise I did try bahn.de but can't work this out!
Maybe someone can help if you ask on a new thread - how do I reserve my seat on this route - when I have a pass?
You might however find that you get another run of people saying don't use a pass - and that is tiresome!

Look forward to hearing how you go.

imagine that given I will be traveling by train in Germany / France for the first time>

Some great primers for train travel in Europe and Germany and France in specific - info-laden and not just an add to cart button - www.seat61.com; www.budgeteuropetravel.com; www.ricksteves.com

And in Germany at least if you do miss one connection there should be another train within 30 mins or at least an hour if not sooner so no big deal.

Also, we are traveling in the first half of Feb which shouldn't be an overly busy time.

I can't imagine them turning Eurail pass holders away from a half empty train because we dont have a reserved seat.

can't imagine them turning Eurail pass holders away from a half empty train because we dont have a reserved seat.>

Well they might in France IME - where on some popular TGV lines there is a strict limit on the number of passholder fares allowed on each train - i have heard from several folks that they were told there were no passholder seats available but they would sell you a full fare ticket on that train.

You should make any France reservations thru the agency that sold you your Eurailpass if you want to be sure to get on that train - i just returned from France and found many TGVs i wanted to take with a pass they said not available - but yup they were selling full price tickets on those trains when i asked.

This is a really bad thing for railpass holders in France (and seemingly only France) so book as early as possible IME

And February is just as busy as any other month with locals and business types who ride these trains - the tourist thing on trains in Europe is a trickle - and in France many schools close for two weeks in February and this can also add to families traveling.

I have boarded a nearly empty TGV train without a reservation and was charged the seat reservation fee plus a hefty fine.

i may end up just buying full fares on the 2 french journeys we have.

I have pretty much written off the passes as a "lesson learned" so I wont expect them to cover all of my needs.

That said, there must be another way of making booking a reservation other than through the travel agency i bought the pass from. They simply bought the passes on my behalf although they had zero knowledge about them...and to be honest, this particular agency ( STA Travel ) I wouldnt trust to book a bus to the end of my street, let-alone anything more complicated.

So I will just buy extra tickets where i need to.