Which 3 Countries by train?
 

Hello,

My wife and I will be off to Europe next spring...3 weeks in the middle of March, or early April. Would like to visit 3 contiguous countries (one of which cannot be Italy)with a Eurail pass and a car rental here or there. A leisurely pace suits us best. Would appreciate your ideas on where to go, what to do. (special train trips I have known?!) Also, how difficult is it for beginners to negotiate the train terminals?

Thanks Much,
Me and Margaret

It is not difficult to negotiate the train terminals. Die Bahn (German) has an excellent website for getting schedules (options) from one city to another.

Note: a lot of the major cities have more than one train station. You could end up going from train, to bus then across an unfamiliar city, to a second train.

Note Two: We were in one city and looking for a train on track 2. Tracks 3 thru 8 where right in front of us. Long story short, we wanted a short (three car) train. If you go to track 3, go around the back of the train and look a few hunred feet down the platform, then there is track 2 (That was close).

For traveling in March/ April, I would include France for the warmth (and beauty and history). The rest is up to you.

Wow. I really do not understand the question. You really want "us" to pick three countries, based on what? The layout of roads and railroads? Does it not matter what you would be going to see/do/experience there? Is Latvia/Lithuania/Estonia as good an answer as Germany/France/Spain? or Austria/Liechtenstein/Switzerland?

In any event, I predict that a "rail pass" is not what you will want or need, unless you fall for the misguided notion that the more hours you spend on a train, the more you are "seeing" Europe. Point-to-point (ordinary) tickets, PREM fares (in France) and the proliferation of low cost intra-Europe airlines - - see www.whichbudget.com - - all of these have totally changed the face of intra-Europe transportation.

Best wishes,

Rex

And I'm curious: Why not Italy?

Thanks Jean, LOL. I too wanted to ask that question but decided "guess none of my business". But since you were brave to ask I will second the question.

Hopefully it is because gwolf has been to Italy so many times versus having a complete dislike for Italy???? Oh well, again, none of my business.