Traveling by rail in Europe is economical and fun; it is the way most Europeans travel. Now that there are several cheap, regional airlines you can also get around Europe by air. But remember that most of these airlines fly from small, out-of-the-way airports. Trains bring you into the heart of the city.
Rail Europe is a one-stop shop for North Americans purchasing Europe rail tickets. From rail passes to single tickets, Rail Europe offers easy, safe, on-line booking. Your travel agent can also book these tickets for you.

One of the most economical ways to tour Europe on your own is with a Eurail Pass. If you are traveling to fewer countries or to just one country, there is a pass for that as well. As a matter of fact, there are so many combinations, Rail Europe has developed a great tool: the Interactive Rail Pass Finder. It takes into consideration the countries you want to visit and offers several different pass suggestions.

To make the most of this tool, it is important to rough out your ideal itinerary in advance: what city you will fly into and return from, where you want to go and how many days you plan to spend in each location. (Remember, it doesn’t cost much more to fly into one city and return from another, and it actually saves money by eliminating the need to plan a circular route.)

Rail Europe also offers rail and drive passes that include car rentals for as many days as you want. If you want to really discover the charming little towns in Europe, this is the way to go.

Another little secret: Rail Europe offers promotions on a regular basis, so check their site early and often to ensure you are getting the best deal on your rail travel.

Be on Time

Trains in Europe are very prompt; they usually arrive and depart when they say they will. They stay in the station for varying times depending on the size of the town. So, in Frankfurt, they may be there for 5 minutes, but in some little town, the stop may only be for one minute. We always get there early to avoid trying to figure things out at the last minute

Finding your train

Finding the right train is easy when you know what to look for. Most stations have timetables on computerized display boards that show departure, arrival and platform numbers. Some smaller stations have posters; timetables can be recognized easily by the background color. As a rule, departure timetables are printed on a yellow background. Arrivals are on a white background. Trains are listed chronologically from 0 to 24 hours.
Next to the time of departure are the names and numbers of important intermediate stops, plus the track and platform number where the train departs.

Finding the right car and seat

Once you have found the right platform, the next step is to locate your assigned car. Your ticket gives that information. The car number is usually located near the door. Some trains will split at certain junctions, one part going one way and the other heading to a different destination, or terminating altogether, so it is necessary to locate your assigned car.

Also, if you have a reservation, you must match the number shown on your ticket with the correct car and seat number.

If you are planning to get off a train at a small town not noted on the side panel, it is wise to ask the conductor which car you should be on before or slightly after, boarding.

To further assist passengers, many train stations will have diagrams located on the platforms that illustrate the location of each car on the train. These diagrams enable travelers to situate themselves on the platform very close to where their car will be.

Each Train Car has an Identification Panel on its side indicating:

• On top: the name of the city where it originated.
• On the bottom: the name of the final destination.
• In between: the names of the most important stops en route. Each car is also marked 1st class or 2nd class by a number “1″ or “2″ displayed on its side. There may also be a yellow stripe under the roof for 1st class, green for 2nd class.
• Beside the door: a digital panel will indicate the car number.

We also learned that the the first class cars are always located near the Bistro (dining) car and usually near the front or back of the train, which is why when the train pulls in, you can see people rushing to get to their car; they don’t know where it is until it arrives. We try to take a place on the platform where we think the middle of the train will be and watch carefully to find our car, then make a dash for it. Not an exact science”¦

Most trains have a little paper brochure placed on random seats that give the entire time-table for that train. Since that paper is in the language of the country you are in, we had at first ignored it. But we realized that you don’t need to know the language to figure it out. It has the name of each city where you will be stopping and exactly how long the stop will last. Some of the really modern trains we rode had a little computer screen at the end of the car that showed where we were in real-time, and when we would arrive at the next stop”¦ a nice feature.

Pack lightly and don’t travel with more bags than you can handle yourself. And the lighter your bags are, the happier you’ll be. Most train stations provide baggage carts, but you still need to load your bags on and off the train. On the trains you are allowed to bring as many carry-on bags as you can place underneath your seat or in the baggage rack above you. Some trains have special racks for baggage, but unless they were checked, you are always responsible for them.

For your next trip to Europe, consider a Eurail pass; you’ll see Europe in a new way and relax along the journey.

Trains in Europe are very prompt; they usually arrive and depart when they say they will. They stay in the station for different times depending on the size of the town. So, in Frankfurt, they may be there for 5 minutes, but in some little town, the stop may only be for one minute. We always get there early to avoid trying to figure things out at the last minute

Most trains have a little paper brochure put on random seats that gives the entire time-table of that train. Since that paper is in the language of the country you are in, we had at first ignored it. But we realized that you don’t need to know the language to figure it out. It has the name of each city where you will be stopping and exactly how long the stop will last. Some of the really modern trains we rode had a little computer screen at the end of the car that showed where we were in real-time, and when we would arrive at the next stop… a nice feature.

We also found out the the first class cars are always located near the Bistro (dining) car And usually near the front or back of the train, which is why when the train pulls in, you can see people rushing to get to their car; they don’t know where it is until it arrives. We try to stand where we think the middle will be and watch carefully to see our car, then make a dash for it. Not an exact science…

And finally, be assured that someone will help you. You are not alone in this world and you can rely on the kindness of strangers when you travel by train in Europe.

The two new combinations are Czech Republic-Germany and Germany-Poland, bringing the total number of Eurail Regional Passes to 20. The Czech Republic-Germany pass links Berlin and Prague; the Germany-Poland pass links Berlin and Warsaw.

One important point that you should note is that Europe’s railroads pride themselves on their punctuality, so they hold to their schedule no matter what. In other words, the trains will not wait for late arrivals. Trains also stop for only a short time to let people on and off; one- to three-minute stops are not unusual. Board the train the minute it arrives at the station, and be ready to disembark — bags in hand, standing at the door — when it stops at your destination.

Pack lightly and don’t travel with more bags than you can handle yourself. And the lighter your bags are, the happier you’ll be. Most train stations provide baggage carts, but you still need to load your bags on them, and you may have to go up and down a staircase. On the trains you are allowed to bring as many carry-on bags as you can place underneath your seat or in the baggage rack above you. Some trains have special racks for baggage, but unless they were checked, you are always responsible for them. All excess baggage must be checked.

Most train stations have lockers or luggage checkrooms where you can store your bags. Many stations no longer have porters, but if they do, you’ll easily recognize them by their uniform or official badge.

Finding your train

Finding the right train is easy when you know what to look for. Most stations have timetables on computerized display boards that show departure, arrival and platform numbers. Some smaller stations have posters; timetables can be recognized easily by the background color. As a rule, departure timetables are printed on a yellow background. Arrivals are on a white background. Trains are listed chronologically from 0 to 24 hours.
Next to the time of departure are the names and numbers of important intermediate stops, plus the track and platform number where the train departs.

Finding the right car and seat

Once you have found the right track, the next step is to locate the right car. Some trains will split at certain junctions, one part going one way and the other heading in a different direction or stopping altogether, so it is necessary to find the right car.

Also, if you have a reservation, you must match the number shown on your ticket with the correct car and seat number.

If you are planning to get off a train at a small town not noted on the side panel, you need to ask the conductor which car you should be on before or slightly after, boarding.

To further assist passengers, many train stations will have diagrams located on the platforms that illustrate the location of each car on the train. These diagrams enable travelers to situate themselves on the platform very close to where their car will be.

Each Train Car has an Identification Panel on its side indicating:

“¢ On top: the name of the city where it originated.
“¢ On the bottom: the name of the final destination.
“¢ In between: the names of the most important stops en route. Each car is also marked 1st class or 2nd class by a number “1″ or “2″ displayed on its side. There may also be a yellow stripe under the roof for 1st class, green for 2nd class.
“¢ Beside the door: a digital panel will indicate the car number.

For more information, ask your travel agent or go to the Rail Europe Website

There are several types of passes available, one for just about every situation. The Global Pass can be used for as many as 18 countries for a varying number of days.

Be sure to look at the pass saver if you are traveling with one or more companions. And if you are under 26 there are some youth pass options.

Senior passes offer savings for those over 60 years of age

Multi-country passes are available for traveling among three, four, or five bordering countries.

One Country passes are also available for almost every country in Europe. There are more countries added each year.

For those of you who want to take a train to a city or town and then have the flexibility to drive around the countryside, you may want to consider the Rail and Drive pass.

Point to point tickets are available if you just want to travel from one point to another. As an example you could fly into Paris, take a train to Nice or Milan, for instance, and fly home from there. Or You fly into Rome and buy a round trip ticket to Florence and fly home from Rome. There are so many options!

A few things to consider: When traveling with a pass, you will need to pay for seat reservations on the premier trains such as Euro Star and the TGV. When traveling on a overnight train, the charges are based on the type of accommodation you prefer.

Frommers has a great guide to the merits and pitfalls of buying your tickets in Europe or before you go abroad.