Traveling INSIDE Europe?

I'm planning a trip to Europe. I am flying into Germany %26amp; think I will be purchasing a 5-country eurorail pass so I can travel from germany to france to switzerland to italy to austria and finally land back in Germany. Does this sound good?

Also, once in these countries, what transportation do you use to travel WITHIN the country/city? Thank you!Traveling INSIDE Europe?
Good questions to start asking, but unfortunately the exact answers are pretty tough to give without more specifics.



When travelling within a country, public transit is normally excellent in Europe. The only exception is that there are some regions of Europe that are arguably better to travel with a car (rental or otherwise). Such regions may be the Black Forest of Germany, or throughout the country roads of France. Aside from these exceptions, it is very common to use trains within a country.



As to whether or not a 5-country pass is a good idea, it really does come down to what your itinerary is. If you only plan on taking the train a total of five times or so, it likely is not the most cost-effective method of taking the train. Point-to-point tickets can be inexpensive, especially in Italy.



It is a good idea to price out the cost of point-to-point trips by going to the website of the country from which the train is departing (ie. from Italy to France, you would look at the Italian rail website for a ticket price) and then compare it to the overall cost of a rail pass.



Railpass: http://www.raileurope.com



Regional train sites:



Germany: http://www.bahn.de

France: http://www.tgv-europe.com

Switzerland: http://www.sbb.ch/en/home.htm

Italy: http://www.trenitalia.com

Austria: http://www.oebb.at/en/



Once you have a more specific idea of a timetable, it would be easier to tell you the best and most cost-effective method of travel.Traveling INSIDE Europe?
Eurail passes are good for the trains in the participating systems, but not for public transportation within the cities you might visit. The travel days do not have to be consecutive. You need to know that most international trains, high speed trains and night trains will require reservations and you have to pay an additional fee when using a railpass. Here in Italy, for example, it will cost an additional 10 euro for a high speed train. It is almost always cheaper just to buy individual tickets rather than using a railpass here in Italy. In many cities here, it's very easy to get around on foot. Some places have good metro systems or buses when you need to go longer distances. In Venice, there is the vaporetto (water bus) to get around if you don't just walk.



There is a huge amount of information on train travel and railpasses here: http://www.seat61.com/ . this has much more than there is room for in a single answer here. The site also includes links to the various national train websites where you can find schedules and prices.



Based on your other question, you're planning on a 10 day trip. I would highly recommend that you use the German train site to check the travel times and connections to the places you would like to visit: http://www.bahn.de/i/view/USA/en/index.s鈥?/a> . with your proposed itinerary, you're likely to spend most of your time in train stations and on trains rather than actually seeing much of anything here in Europe. You would be better off cutting back on the number of places and distances.



When you have more details of exactly where you want to go, you can ask again and get more specific answers about how to get around in a specific city.

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Train reservations in europe?

I am an American traveling to Spain and France, this May. Over ten days, I will be traveling from Madrid to Barcelona, then Barcelona to Paris, and finally Paris back to Madrid. I am 24 year old. Should I obtain a eurorail pass? How far in advance do I need to make reservation for the trains? Where do I make reservations? As is the case with every 24-year-old traveler, I am on a budget. Thank you for the help.Train reservations in europe?
A good site with a lot of information on rail in Europe is the site of the man in seat sixty-one:

http://www.seat61.com/

He has a page on rail passes, and whether to buy them, including links to the sites selling them.

Click on rail passes at the top of the page.

Rail passes are often not cheaper.



If you want to use the high speed trains, and I would for a travel like that, you will need to pay hefty surcharges on a Eurail pass, while you can buy tickets right now and spend much less. The same site has the info on where to buy your tickets too.

In any case, you should try the national railway site to check prices and times, Renfe for Spain and SNCF for France, links to be found on above site, just click on France and on Spain in the bar on the left.

Buy as soon as you can, the prices will go up when more seats are sold.

What you pay depends on when you buy and how much flexibility you want.



By the way, are you sure you want to include Paris in your travels, as it is a long way away from Spain and will cost you twice a day of your already short time here for the travel alone, or two overnight travels for which you should consider couchettes and an higher cost. Even the travel Madrid Barcelona will take most of a day, if you also calculate the time you will need to check out of your hostel, travel to the railway station, and on the other end, find your way to your new place to stay, check in and get settled.

If you need to be in Paris, it makes more sense to fly home from there and not backtrack to Madrid.



The German railsite is very easy to use for timetable information:

http://reiseauskunft.bahn.de/bin/query.e鈥?/a>
Make reservations for high-speed trains (they are common in Spain, France, Italy) and night trains.

I'm not sure how far in advance you have to book, but I was fine with only 4 hours in advance, in less popular destinations that is...

Normally, you won't have to reserve more than 3 days earlier. Reservations are possible through the internet, at the train operator's site (http://www.renfe.es and http://www.sncf.com/en_EN/flash), or at http://www.bahn.de and http://www.raileurope.com.

You can also make reservations at the train station, where you buy your tickets.



I found out for you the fares you'll be called to pay (reservations included):

-Madrid-Barcelona 159$ (2 hours and 38 minutes, approx)

-Barcelona-Paris 102$ (12 hours approx, night train)

-Paris-Madrid 102$ (13 hours and 23 minutes approx, night train)



Considering the high fees you'll have to pay, you might need a Eurail pass after all.Train reservations in europe?
Your Accounting GURU



The United States of America is the only place on the planet that is dependent on automobiles: The rest of the world goes by train. Europe has an extensive train system, called "TREN" in Italy. You can cross all the countries within hours and there are high speed trains and local trains. No cars are necessary in Europe. Wouldn't it be nice if you could get on a bullet train and go from Raleigh, NC to Atlanta in 2 1/2 hours. Yes, it would. But, we are so fixated on oil. Go figure:



You can buy a EuroRail pass in advance and there are night trains (sleeper cars) available also.



Here is a link: There is another link that I like, but you have to translate it from Italian to English and I did not think you would be up for that..



Oops, I changed it to English for you. The prices are cheaper here. Did you know you can go from Rome to Venice in 4 1/ 2 hours. There is an ancient city in Europe that I hope you get a chance to see called "Bruggee" All of the Volvos, Saabs are shipped from there.



http://www.brugge.be/internet/en/index.h鈥?/a>

http://www.raileurope.com/index.html



Try riding the TGV or ICE trains while over in Europe: You'll love those. I have been totally fascinated with trains since childhood and would much rather be on a train than a car any day. I hate driving

How much does it cost to take a train from rome in Italy to venice? ?

i was checking how much it would cost to take a train from Rome to Venice and it was $91 with Eurorail. I couldn't find another train service i was wondering if anyone new of another cheaper oneHow much does it cost to take a train from rome in Italy to venice? ?
The 80 euro price that Alex quoted you is the standard price for seats in 1st class on a Eurostar. Second class seats on the same trains are only 56.10 euro. Actually, you can also get the same seat for 44.90 at the discounted Amica fare - you need to buy the ticket at least one day in advance.



There are also some options using an Itnercity train. The standard 2nd class fare is 41.50 euro (Amica 30.80). The intercity trains have more stops and take about an hour and a half longer for the trip.



There's also a night train leaving the Roma Tibutrina station at 10:36 pm and arriving in Venice at 5:26 the next morning. A 2nd class seat at the Amica fare is 26.80 euro, but a better option is to get a berth and sleep through the night. The standard price is 56.50 euro or the Amica fare is 45.20 euro. If you do this you wouldn't need a hotel for that night.How much does it cost to take a train from rome in Italy to venice? ?
80 euro:

http://www.ferroviedellostato.it/



(is in english also)

Leaving from? Roma and Leaving from? Venezia

Backpacking for month in europe average expenses!?

i'm backpacking with 2 other friends through western europe for a month. We have our plane tickets, passports, and eurorail global pass all that paid for already. i just am concerned about the average amount of money we will be spending for a month out there, like hostels for each night, food, etc. thanks!Backpacking for month in europe average expenses!?
Hmmm... well, the Euro is pretty much in place everywhere which is good because you won't have to worry about conversion. I did what you did, but only for two weeks. I found that England ate most of my money up, but it appears that you are not going there.



I think that you should budget for 30 euros a night at least on hostels. You need at least 10 euros for food for each meal. Each time you visit the internet cafe is another 2 euros, so do that minimally because that adds up. If you are buying smokes, bring your own from here. If you are drinking booze, buy bottles of wine at the grocery stores from 2 euros and up (be careful though, cheap wine gives me a headache). Entertainment, such as museums and art galleries are generally cheap, but other things like clubs may be expensive for cover charges.



I say that in total, you will probably need to bring at least 5,000 euros to have a comfortable trip. That is more than $1000 a week. Shopping is a whole other ball game. . .



Have a blast!Backpacking for month in europe average expenses!?
Go with the minimum of 50 euros per day per person. The old continent is very expensive.

I want to travel from Bari Italy to Amsterdam. I want to take the Euro rail.?

Where do I go to find out prices? I went to Eurorail.com but could not find any useful information.I want to travel from Bari Italy to Amsterdam. I want to take the Euro rail.?
Eurail doesn't run any trains; they sell passes that can be used on the various national train systems. Bari to Amsterdam is a very long train trip requiring changes. It will take 22 to 26 hours of travel time. There are no direct trains from Italy to Amsterdam right now. You'll need to take the train from Bari to Milan and from there go to Basel or Paris to get a train to Amsterdam using the most efficient ways to go. The Trenitalia site that Bla Bla gave you won't price the whole trip, but is good for trains originating in Italy.



Bari to Milan is 8 to 10 hours on the train. The supplement when you have a Eurail pass is 10 euro on the fast trains. You can see this by using the pull down menu that says more fares on the fares and preferences page that comes up when you select a specific train. You can do the same thing for trains from Milan to Paris or Basel to find the supplement. The supplement to Paris will depend on the train and accomodations. Seats on a day train are a 10 euro supplement, or a berth in a 6 bed compartment would be 25 euro (45 euro for a 4 bed compartment). Then you will need either the French train website http://www.sncf.com/en_EN/flash/ or the Swiss train website http://mct.sbb.ch/mct/en/reisen.htm to continue to price tickets the rest of the way. If you go through Paris, you'll need to take the metro between the station where the train from Milan arrives (Paris Bercy) and the station where the train to Amsterdam leaves.



As much as I like train travel here in Europe, I fly when going to Amsterdam from my home in northern Italy. It's much faster and more convenient. You might want to check options on http://www.skyscanner.net/ . One note: if you do use a rail pass here in Italy, make sure that you make your reservation before getting on the train. There can be a substantial fine otherwise.I want to travel from Bari Italy to Amsterdam. I want to take the Euro rail.?
Try here:

http://www.bahn.de/i/view/GBR/en/index.s鈥?/a>

Any Advice on Backpacking in Eurpoe?

Ok, so me and my sister are going backpacking in Europe this August. We booked our plane and Eurorail tickets. We're going to visit France, Greece, Italy, %26amp; Spain. And we plan on to stay in hostels to save money. Basically I just want know any safety advice, like what should we be aware of and also how to pack as well. We're going to be in Europe for two weeks. Thanks!Any Advice on Backpacking in Eurpoe?
Pack as little as possible. 2 weeks is a very short time- you can really get away with just a few items. Always reserve a hostel bed in advance and only stay in places that you know are decent (from friends or many online reviews). I ended up getting stuck in a sleazy hostel in Paris in what turned out to be a prostitution area. Talk to other backpackers wherever you go- they could have very good advice about your next stop. Be careful of creepy locals.
Yeah, don't!Any Advice on Backpacking in Eurpoe?
My friend did it for 3 months and her best advise was to take the buses in Europe. It saves a lot of money rather than taking a cab or something! Have fun!
Well, for such a short stay, it seems like common sense would be your best defense. There is a great site called www.startbackpacking.com that has links to safety warnings for all over the world.



Also, make sure to keep your passport safe and on you at ALL times, because American passports are in high demand on the Black Market.



Lastly, I don't know how old you guys are, but wearing a fake gold wedding band can help cut down on harassment from the horny local men looking for "easy" Americans. Good luck and have fun!
Take as little as possible with you....lugging around a lot of clothing etc get tedious VERY quickly, especially when you are tired and have been up and about all day. 2 weeks is not a long time...i did part iof Italy in around 12 days so I don;t think you are going to see very much at all....cut out some places..France is large..I spent 5 days in Paris alone and did not see it all!



I only had one real issue with safety when I was in Barcelona when some gypsy woman tried to pin a flower on me and was talking all the itme about it...another woman was coming up behind me, but thankfully it was one of the few times I was travelling with someone and knew what was happening and pulled me away.

I travellled by myself for 85% of my time and usually started early in the day and finished early but in the summer time its not such an issue eg walking around in the dark..just use your common sense....don't advertise things eg camera, expensive jewellery, clothing, keep you bags close ( I used to carry my day pack on my lap on buses/trains etc rather than leave it on my back) and keep it closed and even have a lock or some deterrent to stop pickpockets. Keep expensive things inside the main part of bags and nothing or little in outer pockets that are easily accessed.



The saying is pack half as much and take twice the money you think is a good one....you can always buy some clothes or a little travel umbrella, if you need them as well, make sure your shoes are ready for long days and well tried before you go.
http://www.ricksteves.com/



This guy has all the answers you need- he's bakpacked Europe every summer for 35 years. His book Europe Through the back Door is all about travel skills and tips for first timers. The library will have it if you don't want to buy it . (but I think it's worth the money- his advice will save you money and make your trip and planning MUCH better.



Here's a few thing he talks about- doing laundry while travelling, finding toilets, how to pack, how to read train schedules, hostel skills, eating on the road, finding cool places away fom the crowds, how to find great free things like free museum days, etc etc.



BTW, you are trying to cover WAY too much in 2 weeks. Pick one or two of those countries. It takes about 2 days just to get to Greece unless you fly, and another 2 to get out. You are vastly underestimating the time it takes just to get between cities, never mind countries! It takes several days to see a city, and a day of travel between them- including getting from your hostel to the station, train time, and finding your new hostel in the next city. Use night trains to maximize efficiency- you'll wake up in a new city and be ready to go.



Here's an example- say you're in Rome and want to go to Athens- it's a train to Bari or Brindisi, waiting overnight for the ferry connection, a day on the water, and several hours from the coast of Greece to Athens.



Don't make the mistake of spending all your time on trains to try and "see as much as possible"- you won't you'll just spend your whole trip stressing over train connections, and you'll miss the best part of these counries, which is the smaller cities and towns. Don't go to Naples or Nice or Milan just because you've heard of them- thee are MUCH better places to use your valuable time. If it was my first time and i had only two weeks, I'd personally spend the whole thing in Italy- Cinque Terra, Florence, Venice, Rome, Pompeii, Sorrento, and Capri/Amalfi, or maybe to Sicily (Taormina), with maybe a side trip to Ljubljana (Slovenia), Istria (croatia) or Salzburg (Austria). Greece is amazing, but it takes time to get around- and Athens is not the best part of Greece, not by a long shot- you'd need time to get to the islands or to Peleponnese or something.

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Traveling through Ireland?

I am planning on flying into Dublin next May and I would like to travel West mostly. What is the easiest and/or cheapest way to travel through Ireland. Which cities should I hit? I've heard that Eurorail and other trains are expensive. Also, should I then make my way back to Dublin to fly back to the US or fly out of an airport in West Ireland? Thank you SO much!Traveling through Ireland?
I'd travel by bus - Bus Eireann travel all over the country and their fares are decent enough, certainly cheaper than rail prices. There are also private bus companies in different areas that can be even cheaper, or specialist backpacker services like Paddywagon Tours (not as cheesy as it sounds). I'd go from Dublin directly to Cork (with a stopover in Cashel) and work my way along the coast through Kinsale, West Cork, Kerry (the Ring of Kerry from Kenmare round to Killarney), a night in Limerick city, then Clare (Cliffs of Moher, the Burren %26amp; Poulnabron dolmen, Ailwee Caves, Ballyvaughen) and from there up to Galway city (good for music %26amp; night life) out to Clifden, Connemara, the Aran Islands, onto Mayo, Westport, maybe even Achill Island and finally over to Sligo and Yeats country. From there, it's six of one and half dozen of the other whether you go back to Dublin or down to Shannon to fly home. To do that itinerary properly, you'd need AT LEAST 2 weeks, better with 3. If time is more limited, go straight to Cork, from there to Kerry, up to Clare and Galway. If you can, work some festivals into your visit - see the last website below.