I have never been on a train before. Is it like it is at the airport where you have to arrive a certain amount of time early? Or, do I just need to make it by boarding time? Also, how early can you board?<BR>Thank you.

In my experience, you go to the station, buy your ticket, and get on the train. If you have a ticket that you purchased in advance, then you go to the platform of departure and wait for the train to come in.<BR><BR>If the train originates at your station, it may be ready to board several minutes before it leaves. If it is a train that comes from elsewhere, the stopping time can be as short as two minutes.<BR><BR>You will need to note which class you are riding, 1st or 2nd, and smoking and non smoking. For an arriving train, most of the locals will be standing where the second class cars stop. <BR><BR>Note that in the larger stations there is a platform, and a track number.<BR>Usually these are in the language of the country, but numbers are numbers. In Germany for example, there is a Bahnsteig or platform and a Gleis or track. The Gleis number tells you where the train is going to be.<BR><BR>For major intercity trains that originate at a large station, I have been able to board the train as much as 30 minutes before departure. I prefer to do that so I can select my seat, unless I have a seat reservation.<BR><BR>Even so, I allow extra time because usually I am not familiar with the station. <BR><BR>Of course, people who know the situation and take the train often will come dashing up at the last minute and jump on.

I think the amount of time in advance you can board will depend on if you are boarding at a terminal point, usually a big city, as opposed to just a stop along the way.<BR><BR>Karen, to follow up on some of Bob's suggestions, these are things to think about, although you don't say what countries you will be traveling in .<BR><BR>If you are traveling on a popular route in Italy, say Venice to Rome, in the crowded summer, and/or on a weekend, you will want to buy a ticket and a seat reservation in advance to assure yourself of having a seat.<BR><BR>Most train stations in sizeable towns have a tourist information office, usually with at least one person who speaks English.<BR><BR>Ticket in hand, before you go to the track (binario in Italy, quai in France) area, in some countries (all?)you need to stamp your ticket in one of the little stamping machines that you see just before the track area. Don't worry, you will see everyone doing it.<BR>It is important as it validates your ticket.<BR><BR>If you have a reserved seat, you need to know at which car to board the train--that will appear on your ticket. If you board at the wrong car and have to trek down the length of the train inside to find your correct seat, you will find your luggage hard to manage in the narrow train aisles.

Hello karen,<BR><BR>Another thing to be aware of is not to board an early train that is on your track but not going to your destination.<BR><BR>For instance, say you're standing at the train station at Zurich, and your train to Interlaken leaves at 13.10 from track 5. There is also a train leaving at 13.00 on track 5 going to Lausanne. So you arrive at track 5 at 12.55, and you see a train, and you assume it is your train to Interlaken -- until you're halfway to Lausanne! <BR><BR>But it's easy to avoid this mistake. Just read the signs on the sides of the train cars -- they list the final destination of the train as well as the major intermediate stops.<BR><BR>I always get to the train station early enough to buy a ticket, find the right track, and familiarize myself with the trains that will be on that track before my train arrives. Usually 15 minutes early is plenty.<BR><BR>s

In Europe I've heard, and seen many people just going to the station, picking up a ticket, and hopping on. I would say as long as you're there 15-20 minutes early you'll be fine.

I think that is a very valid point about not boarding the train too soon if you are at a station other than the originating one. The stopping time, as I said earlier, is often as short as 2 minutes. If a train comes in on your track some 20 minutes before you are scheduled to leave, it probably is NOT your train!!<BR><BR><BR>Even if the train originates where you are, check before boarding if you are considerably early. The cars may be there for temporary parking, or it may be a train going somewhere else.<BR><BR>I had an experience on the Michaelangelo bound from Munich to Rome.<BR>I young man, acting cautiously, thrust a cell phone under my nose and said something I did not understand, but it was obvious I was to talk on the phone.<BR>The person at the other end spoke no English. It was a funny German conversation. I managed somehow to say undertandably that the train went to Rome.<BR>