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Published: July 16th 2007
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G'day. I know its been a while since my last blog, but Ive been a busy boy! After using the Eurail exstensively and getting asked a lot of questions by my readers, I thought it would be a good idea to put all my tips and hints down for easy access. So here goes.....**** You know, I really loved the train system in Europe. Doing international trips, sleeping in the night trains, dining in the restaurants and meeting other travellers or locals was a real buzz. Every country has its quirks and differences when it comes to train network. So I'll start with Switzerland. Switzerland is known for having punctual trains and yes, this is true. If you are 2 minutes late to the station, chances are you have already missed your train ( I kid you not). The upside is you can usually make a tight connection with another train. I strongly suggest purchasing a SwissRail pass specifically for your travel in Swizterland. This is because a lot of the Swiss rail is classed as "scenic rail" which incurs surcharges. Having a SwissRail pass gives you sizeable discounts on these routes. I went on the Galcier Express and also
the Golden Panorama Rail. These trips on the EurailPass are not included, but are part of the SwissRail pass. One option is for about 16 francs you can sit in the front seat of the Golden panorama rail and get the train drivers view (see photos). And even though you need to pay a seat reservation for the Galcier Express (booking essential you cannot get on this train without one) the journey is part of your SwissRail pass. The trains in Switzerland are super clean and tidy and the staff on board are some of the most friendly. Even the booth staff I dealt with at the train stations were among the most helpful and friendly I encountered in Europe. If you want to travel on a 2nd class pass, Switzerland is the one country in which to do so. Their 2nd class is like first class in most other countries. VISA, AMEX and Mastercard are accepted for payments at almost all stations. And also, their no smoking carriages are actually enforced (which is more than I can say for Italy or Hungary tut tut). **** When it comes to the Italian trains I like to use the following saying
"We get there on time but we leave when we like." Almost without exception, the Italian trains (SNCF trains) left at least 15 or 20 minutes late. I kind of got used of got used to this situation. Then they make up time as they go along. The problems with this are making connections with other trains or if you have to check into accomodation by a certain time. From first hand experience, allow at least 30 minutes for connections especially international ones. The staff at the train stations are not super-friendly or overly helpful, so do as much organising as you can yourself. BEFORE you get to the ticket window, know your times, destinations, and have all your documentation ready. (There are exceptions - I met really great staff in Cefalu-Sicily and also Florence). The other major problem in Italian train stations is luggage deposit. Say you have half a day to spare somewhere and you need to check your luggage in, there are no lockers in 99% of staions. This is because of security reasons. I'm a big believer in extra security and can understand why this policy is in place. But in Rome, there was one person
on duty and it was a three hour wait to get your luggage checked in. In Florence & Venice it was a 2 hour wait. So my tip is, if you have the confidence to do so, jump on the Metro, go down 1 or 2 stations and at the smaller stations you can pretty much get your luggage checked straight in and be on your way. Whenever a station name ends in"Termini" or "Centrale" you will know that it is a main station. And one final tip, don't arrive at the station an hour before your train leaves and expect to get your reservation for the train. I STRONGLY suggest having all your bookings and paperwork in order a day or 2 before when travelling on Italian trains. It means you can just sit back and relax and watch everyone else stress out... and get on your train hassle free. And anyway, it is Italy so it's all worth it!!!! **** Hungary has a surprising amount of train lines throughout, so you can get to a lot of places by train. I put my Eurail pass away and paid cash for all my Hungarian railway trips. The prices are
very cheap; for example, I paid $4 Australian (2 Euros, fifty cents) for a 150 kilometre leg of travel. (I dont know if it will still be so cheap when the Euro comes into use in Hungary on 1 January 2008). For over 500 kilomteres of travel it cost me about $14 Australian. For this I travelled from Budapest to Lake Balaton return, then Budapest to Esztergom return - in 2nd class. The trains, like Italy, are often late leaving and once they are behind schedule they get further behind. Most trains leaving Budapest you will have no problems, but coming into Budapest seems to be the issue. ****Train stops are not always clearly marked or announced, so it pays to ask for a printout of the trains stops from the information booth. (Most train stations will print out your stops if you ask nicely - its for extra peace of mind). The other thing is, like most capital cities, there are 3 different stations where you can leave from in Budapest - Budapest Keleti, Budapest Palydor or Budapest Kelenfold. Make sure you are at the right station well ahead of time. Budapest stations have lockers for use, so leaving your luggage involoves no real delay. The booth staff are helpful and most under 30's speak good English. But my biggest tip for Hungary is DONT be scared to ask a local for help. Hungarian people, in general, are so obliging. If you ask for help, they will want to practice their English on you. While the older trains are slowly being replaced with new ones, chances are you will have to travel on at least on "blue bullet". No air conditioning and no dining services. Also the "non- smoking carriages" are by name only. Take water and food on with you and if you really want no smoking, make sure you are near a window that opens. (I did see one zealous lady policing the no smoking policy and see threw 6 men off the train, but no one else seemed to care). All things considered, Hungary is an amazing country and alot of Europeans visit so I say get in quick ....before every man and his dog realises how awesome Hungary is. 'Til next time, Cheers, Crackly. (PS Eurail part 2 and 3 are on the way. Countries include in these blogs will include Spain, France and Slovinea).
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