Fodor's Travel Talk Forums - Travel by Train

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Anyone one have a good internet site that will give info about travelling by train to all the different countries? and what to see in the different cities. First time going over and want to see as much as I can.thanks.

Hi j,

All train schedules can be found at http://plannerint.b-rail.be/bin/quer...n?L=profi&

>First time going over and want to see as much as I can.<

May I kindly suggest that you are making first-timer mistake number 1 - trying to stuff too much into one visit?

How long will you be in Europe?
When?

((I))

And get the free European Planning and Rail Guide from BETS (800-441-2387) - a great publication stuffed with answers to your questions - emphasis on rail but also on what to see in each country, rail maps, listing of 100 or so rail passes and its free. Gives sample itineraries.

<<First time going over and want to see as much as I can...>>

A key to "seeing as much as you can"... is learn about a few close-to-each-other destinations (no more than 2-3 places for each 7-10 days you have for traveling), and see THEM - - spending as little time as possible on/in planes, trains, cars and boats.

See where you are more, move around less. Every country in Europe (well, a few less than others: Andorra, Liechtenstein, San Marino, for example) has fantastic things to see, do and experience. "Seeing" London, Madrid, Stockholm and Athens is not inherently "better" than seeing Amsterdam, Maastricht, Ghent and Bruges. One is a different travel experience than another - - the former requires more time in/on trains, planes and the like... than the latter.

Put some time and energy into thinking about what you want to visit, and why. Cuisine? learning a language? phenomenal automobiles and the places that make them or race them? Archaeology? History, art and architecture of the 19th or 13th or 5th century? A pilgrimage to places where people have worshiped their gods, or seen them (their words, not mine) or waged horrific wars in their names? Hiking? Parasailing? Casinos? Fashion? Marijuana? or whisky? To meet a man or woman? or purchase time with one?

The "cities" of Europe are where you will find the biggest train hubs, and airports as well. The countryside of Europe offers equally wonderful experiences, with different angles on virtually every one of the "quests" mentioned above and more. I urge you to include some of both on this, your first time "going over", and every time after that as well.

Trains are a phenomenally useful way to travel between many points in Europe. Air travel withIN Europe has undergone a new renaissance that continues to unfold daily; it is fantastically cheaper for many journeys of five hours or more by train. The website www.whichbudget.com can help you plan longer transportation segments if you feel that your itinerary needs them.

Don't understimate the value of traveling by rental car either.

Best wishes,

Rex

How long is your trip? Do you have any idea which countries or cities you wish to visit?

Rraileurope charges higher fees for tickets than you will pay at the various countries' rail systems. For France, you will want

www.sncf.com

There's an English version, although it isn't always as complete as the one in French.

RailEurope.com has lots of passes - including ones you can't find elsewhere. if you want to see it all, best have a few months and get a eurailpass. but better to check out their interactive maps and plot your course then. they have a selectpass where you can see 3-5 countries - unlimited train travel! Plus if something should happen you have access to them 24-hours a day...

There is also the site often recommended to compare ticket vs. railpass prices -- www.railsaver.com

I don't know that it has tons of other information, but does have a map with rail lines on it. I think the Rick Steves website also has some information on railpasses and train travel.

Here's a real good general website with information on rail travel and other travel info:
http://www.bootsnall.com/eurail/howuse.shtml

http://www.railfaneurope.net/links.html
The above website has icons which will link you to all of the European national rail sites.

It does help to know a little bit about it, like Deu is Deutschland and Che is Switzerland.
Some of the continental sites have an English version, particularly the Austrian, Swiss, German and French.

I find the Swiss site to be very good as is the one for Die Deutsche Bahn - DB.

The Austrian site seems comprehensive as well, particularly for Eastern Europe.

By seeing as much as you can, do you mean how much territory can you cover in 24 hours, or how much can you see once you arrive at your destination? Paris could easily take 7 days, particularly if you include Versailles and Fontainebleau. London is of the same magnitude.

I suggest you take into account that you don't see much sitting on a train. I have ridden trains across Austria, and most of it was a blur of green as we sped along.

Yes, Rick Steves' site, www.ricksteves.com/rail/rail_menu.htm, is good for comparing passes to point-to-point tickets. He also sells passes.

And www.slowtrav.com has detailed instructions on using Italian trains which also apply to other countries: www.slowtrav.com/italy/trains/index.htm.