Rail travel in Europe

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Trains can be a preferred mode of transportation because of the spacious design of its cars, the scenic routes, and the overall comfort of the train ride. Some people prefer to take trains because they do not require long waits at security like at airports.

Train rides in Europe can vary greatly depending on the country the ride is in, the workers' unions, the conditions and complexity of the rail system. Although trains are now becoming more costly than a cheap flights operated by Easy Jet or Ryan Air many people find rail travel a better mode of transportation, because delays and cancellations are uncommon, frequency is higher and riders do not have to show up at the train station two hours in advance like airline passengers. Also, most European train stations are located near city centres, which are often inconvenient to reach by other modes of transport due to their compact nature. The one problem with rail travel is security. Unlike airlines few passenger trains screen passengers or their luggage, which, could potentially hold a bomb.

All trains have coach seating or often labeled as 2nd class in the local language. Most long distance trains travelling from one large city to another large city will have first class seating too.

The only trains that have sleepers are trains that will take until the next morning to reach their final destination like the Brussels to Warsaw route or a Munich to Berlin route.

	rail travel in europe Travel Guide : 1 Tickets and Passes 1.1 Discounts 2 Stay Safe 3 On Board 4 Passenger rail companies 5 Routes/Lines 5.1 International 5.2 Historical/ Scenic

Tickets and Passes

Be aware that it can be very expensive in some countries to travel by train. Especially high speed trains can be as expensive ? but more convenient ? than flying.

If you can, book in advance. In many countries you may benefit from a substantial discount. Reserving a seat, on the other hand, will usually incur a small surcharge - in these countries, you will have to decide whether or not the train will be empty enough for seats to be readily available

To save money on multiple destination trip look into purchasing Inter Rail passes (For Europeans only) or Eurail passes(For non-EU citizens/residents).

Discounts

If you stay a long time in the Netherlands it might be interesting to get yourself a 40% discount card for 50 euros. It is valid for 1 year and 3 other passengers can also travel with a discount.

In Germany you can try to hitchhike in the weekends, when there is the Schoenes Wochenende ticket, on which 5 people can travel. Just ask couples or groups of 3 or 4 people if you can go with them!

Stay Safe

If possible, never bring valuables onto trains. Theft is often reported on trains and the only way to protect yourself and valuables is to stay alert and in possession of valuables at all times, even when using the restroom. Theft is less of a problem on high speed trains where passengers routinely take laptops on their journeys. Additionally, travel in well lit areas of the train and if possible in the same car as the conductor.

In Eastern Europe there have been reported incidents of "gassings." This is when a theif enters a cabin and sprays a "perfume," which causes the inhabitants of the cabin to fall asleep and awake several hours later with the possessions stolen.

Always, report suspicious characters to the conductor and move to a more populated and lit area.

On Board

Trains offer a wide variation of amenities. Some trains offer airline style entertainment systems (when working and when the passenger has a seat). Others offer very little by way of facilities, some not even offering toilets. Train toilets are also to widely varying standards; some may not flush and others may be extremely unhygienic, while others are spotless and extremely modern.

Passenger rail companies

• Deutsche Bahn is Germany's rail company 1 (http://www.bahn.de)
• Trenitalia Is a rail company in Italy2 (http://www.trenitalia.com)
• SNCF is the one of the major train companies in France. 3 (http://www.sncf.com/) (English version available by clicking on flag)
• SNCB/NMBS Operates in Belgium 4 (http://www.b-rail.be/main/E/) (English)
• Eurostar Italia Operates in Italy and is not associated with the Eurostar train that connects London, Paris, and Brussels.
• PKP (Polskie Koleje Panstwowe) Opeates in Poland. PKP website in English (http://pkp.pl/english/index.php|) Train schedules in English (http://rozklad.pkp.pl/bin/new/query.exe/en?|)
• Spain5 (http://www.www.renfe.es)
• The Netherlands6 (http://www.ns.nl)
• Switzerland7 (http://www.sbb.ch)
• Austria8 (http://www.oebb.at)
• Sweden 9 (http://www.sj.se)
• Finland 10 (http://www.vr.fi)
• Norway 11 (http://www.nsb.no)
• Denmark12 (http://www.dsb.dk)

Routes/Lines

International

Eurostar 13 (http://www.eurostar.com) - Offers services to/from the following cities: London (UK), Ashford (UK), Calais (France), Lille (France), Paris (France), Avignon (France), and Brussels (Belgium)

• Thalys 14 (http://www.thalys.com) -Services between Paris, Brussels, Cologne and Amsterdam.

• CNL 15 (http://www.citynightline.ch) -(CityNightLine) Night trains from Zürich to Amsterdam, Hamburg, Copenhagen, Rostock, Berlin and Dresden. Also from Dortmund to Vienna.

• Cisalpino 16 (http://www.cisalpino.com)-High speed trains between Italy, Switzerland and Germany.

• EuroCity

• Trans-Manchurian Travels from Moscow to Beijing, China.

• Trans-Mongolian Travels from Moscow to Beijing via Ulaan Baatar, Mongolia.

Historical/ Scenic

• Trans-Siberian Railway Travels from Moscow to Vladivostok via Ulan Ude and Irkutsk.

For tickets and schedules check 17 (http://www.poezda.net/en/index) (English)

• Trans-Manchurian See international routes section.
• Trans-Mongolian See international routes section.

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