- I've been riding trains all astir Europe for nan past 15 years.
- There are usually awesome deals connected tickets if you look early and excavation astir for them.
- Bringing too overmuch luggage makes things much difficult for you and nan others connected nan train.
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I'm American but besides person citizenship successful Poland and Portugal, truthful I travel to Europe frequently.
Taking nan train is my favourite measurement to get astir nan continent. After all, it's location to immoderate of nan largest train networks successful nan world. As request grows, new high-speed lines look to popular up each year.
But I'll admit that location is simply a spot of a learning curve to making obstruction trips spell arsenic smoothly arsenic possible.
Here are nan astir communal mistakes I spot group making connected European trains — and what to do instead.
Don't presume each train stations are successful "bad" neighborhoods.
I spot excessively galore group changing their full trips astir to debar an early greeting aliases evening train thrust because they're acrophobic to get to nan position erstwhile it's dark, assuming it's successful a "bad" portion of town.
Although it's ever bully to be alert of your surroundings, particularly successful a caller city, I haven't worried astir my information successful aliases astir immoderate of nan European train stations I've been to.
In fact, erstwhile I recreation unsocial aliases pinch 2 of my kids, I usually enactment adjacent stations because it's much convenient — nan area tends to beryllium well-connected to nan remainder of nan city.
On a travel to Vienna past summer, 1 of nan best hotels I stayed in, nan Andaz Am Belvedere, was a artifact from nan train position and a short locomotion to 1 of nan city's most upscale areas, Stephansplatz.
You're astir apt missing retired connected deals.
Great train deals are disposable successful Europe, but they aren't ever easy to find.
Eurail has single-country passes and pricier world passes that spell betwixt 33 European countries, and astir group automatically presume that's their champion action for multiday train travel.
Although that tin beryllium true, I've recovered amended deals by looking beyond nan Eurail Pass.
I erstwhile recovered a family package for a train from Rome to Venice that included first-class seats, snacks, and drinks for 3 for $66. I besides booked 3 roundtrip tickets betwixt Austria and Slovakia (that included section proscription options successful Bratislava) for $22.
Many European trains are reasonably priced, to statesman with. But if you excavation astir online, you tin often find deals that tin thief you agelong your fund moreover further.
Waiting until nan past infinitesimal to make reservations is simply a mistake.
Not each trains successful Europe require you to book a spot successful advance, but immoderate do. And connected definite routes, it's important to way erstwhile reservations open.
When I was traveling from Kraków to Warsaw, reservations didn't unfastened until 30 days earlier my trip. I group a almanac reminder, but erstwhile I logged in, it was already precocious day successful Poland, and galore seats were already booked.
If you miss making a spot reservation, you whitethorn still beryllium capable to get connected a train, but you'll apt person to guidelines until a spot becomes available. It tin beryllium awkward aliases uncomfortable, particularly connected agelong journeys.
Moreover, prices thin to beryllium cheaper nan further retired you book, truthful readying up is usually worthy it.
Don't bring excessively overmuch luggage.
One of nan reasons trains successful Europe are truthful efficient is because they don't really linger astatine each station. But that besides intends passengers request to beryllium prepared to get connected and disconnected quickly.
Having excessively overmuch luggage tin slow this process down considerably. Additionally, location hasn't been a ton of abstraction for luggage connected astir of nan trains I've ridden.
I now recreation pinch a wheeled, carry-on suitcase and effort to support it arsenic ray arsenic possible.