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Trip Tips
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Rail travel in Europe
can serve as the primary focus of a vacation, be used as a sightseeing
tool on a complete European holiday, or fill the business traveler's need
to go from city to city. There are literally thousands of trains from
which you can choose to get from place to place in style: fast ones,
leisurely ones, day trains, overnight trains and, of course, scenic
trains.
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To ensure that you get the most of your trip,
plan your progress from country to country (or within one country) in a
continuous loop to avoid time-wasting backtracking. Or choose a few main
cities from which you can explore the surrounding areas. Remember that
two hours on a train covers a lot of ground; if you base yourself in one
area for an extended period of time, you can take advantage of the
incredible train coverage and avoid frequent packing and unpacking.
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Train departure and arrival times are displayed
chronologically either on computerized boards or poster timetables using
the 24-hour clock. Here is a sample of how the times will appear to
prevent any possible confusion in transit.
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Midnight depart
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00.00
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1:00am
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01.00
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5:00am
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05.00
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5:30am
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05.30
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11:00am
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11.00
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12:00noon
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12.00
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1:00pm
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13.00
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3:45pm
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15.45
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Midnight arrive
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24.00
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Rail 'n Drive
These value-packed passes combine the best of both worlds: train travel
for long distances, allowing you to stretch out and relax, plus an Avis
or Hertz rental car for ultimate flexibility on shorter trips. The best
part: You can customize Rail 'n Drive passes to meet your needs.
Sample Rail 'n Drive products include: EurailDrive Pass (combines
first-class rail travel in 20 European countries with a rental car for
two or more days); and Eurail Select Pass® Drive (includes
travel by train and car throughout the five Eurail Select Pass®
countries). There are also Rail 'n Drive passes for individual countries,
such as France, Germany, the U.K., Italy, Scandinavia and Spain. All Rail
'n Drive products include VAT (Value Added Tax) and unlimited mileage.
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One point that can't be stressed enough if you
are a first-time European rail traveler: Be prompt!
Europe's railroads pride themselves on their punctuality, so they hold to
their schedule no matter what. In other words, the trains will not wait
for late arrivals. Trains also stop for only a short time to let people
on and off; one- to three-minute stops are not unusual. Board the train
the minute it arrives at the station, and be ready to disembark -- bags
in hand, standing at the door -- when it stops at your destination.
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You can often save considerable money
by booking your flight to an airport with a direct train connection to
your first city of travel -- rather than to the first city itself. (A
flight to Munich, for example, may cost less than one to Frankfurt, and
time spent on a 3 1/2-hour train ride is worth the money saved on the
airfare.) Upon arrival at the airport, you simply collect your bags and
board a train right from the airport -- it couldn't be easier.
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Eliminate any confusion as to how travel days are calculated
on a railpass:
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For trains: A travel day is
midnight to midnight.
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For cars: A travel day is 24
hours from time of pickup.
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3.
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A month on a pass is counted
as a calendar month. For example, a pass that begins on September 15
will expire at midnight on October 14.
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