 Short URL: http://tnot.es/RailTravel
There's something romantic about travel by train, and there are
some great railway adventures to be had throughout the world.
Commuters reading this might disagree, as they sleep walk to work
every morning on overcrowded trains and return in the evening to find their favourite
window seat taken by a grubby traveller who hasn't showered for a week.
I've been the suite-and-tied, nine-to-five commuter and I've been
the curious traveller.
And I prefer being the traveller in need of shampoo and hot water;
sorry if I was in your seat.
Railway Adventures
I'll feature some of the great railway adventures in future
articles, but this space is reserved to help you plan your own departures.
Trains are a great way to travel. They'll pick you up and drop you off
in the middle of major cities, and they travel through some of the best countryside on the
planet. Slide up to the glass and look through your moving lens to the world.
European trains are frequent, you can get a ticket for an immediate
departure and they generally run on time; although you shouldn't take arrival times for
granted in Italy, where major train stations even have a ritardo column for late train
arrivals.
If a train is always late, why don't they simply change the timetable?
Train travel in China and India can try your patience as you struggle
to get a ticket for the next day, and they can be extremely overcrowded.
Oh well, if you're not travelling on business, what's the rush? Sit
back and enjoy the journey.
Car hire is all very well,
but on the train you'll meet more of the country's people; some of the longer train
journeys can even turn into a party.
Making Plans
Once you have your flight ticket,
you'll already know where you'll start.
How much time do you have, how many countries or states do you want to
visit and how much ground do you wish to cover will be questions already half-answered.
More and more major airports have
convenient train connections into the city, and there are numerous train passes to help
you get the most out of your time and money.
For the budget-minded, overnight trains are a
great way to save on accommodation, and you'll wake up in a new city, or even a new
country. The romantic can enjoy a lakeside breakfast on the move, with views of
snow-covered mountain peaks.
To get the best out of your journey, it always helps to have a rough
idea of when the trains will be where. There are some parts of the countryside that really
must be seen in daylight, and you wouldn't want to arrive in a strange place at three in
the morning.
Our featured sites will help you get the most out of rail travel, from
choosing passes and finding out more about countries, to getting information on train
times.
Train times and special offers are subject to change, and you should
always double check at the station in person.
Just because you have a train ticket or a rail pass, does not always
mean that you'll get a seat. If that's important, you'll need to pay a supplement for seat
reservations. On some trains these supplements are compulsory, even if the train is half
empty.
Eurail Global Pass:
North Americans can travel around more then 20 European countries in 1st class for a
fraction the cost of buying individual tickets.
Featured Sites
You may prefer to get on a train at the
start of it's journey, but this is not always possible. Boarding a train further down the
line can mean you'll have trouble finding a seat, and reservations are not accepted once
the train has left it's starting station.
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Rail Passes and Tickets
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