Page 28 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Europe

26  VISITING EUROPE

Europe by Train between four and 11. Children
under four travel for free. What
Trains are generally a popular, reliable, and comfort able you pay depends on the number
means of travel, and also give visitors the chance to of zones you want to travel in
enjoy the passing countryside. Avoiding air travel doesn’t and the length of your stay.
need to limit destination options – with the Channel Tunnel,
it is possible to travel all the way from Scotland to mainland Eurostar/Eurotunnel
Greece by rail alone, and the number of passes and discounts Connecting London’s St. Pancras
on offer ensure that costs need not be high. International Station to Lille and
the Gare du Nord in Paris, the
Eurostar foot-passenger train
Types of Train passes do not include the service provides the fastest link
All kinds of train serve the supplements payable on many between the two capitals. It also
railroad network in Europe, from of the faster trains: the EC operates to Brussels’ Gare du
the slow local lines of remote (EuroCity), IC (InterCity), and Midi. These journeys take less
regions to fast diesel-powered EN (EuroNight) trains. You must than two and a half hours. A
intercity expresses. For the latter, pay these before boarding – if year-round direct service calls at
such as the French TGV (Train you don’t and are caught by a Lyon, Avignon, and Marseille,
à Grande Vitesse), the Spanish conductor you will then have to while another connects with
AVE (Alta Velocidad Española), pay the supplement plus a fine. Geneva via Lille.
and the German ICE (InterCity The Eurailpass offers unlimited The Eurotunnel company
Express), you usually need to travel in 28 European countries, operates a service between
reserve a seat in advance, and including Austria, Belgium, Folkestone in Great Britain and
they are more expensive. Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Calais in France that has drive-in
There is no such thing as a Denmark, Finland, France, compartments for vehicles. For
pan-European railroad system; Germany, Greece, Hungary, a day trip, it costs a set price per
however, the French operate TGV Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, car with passengers. Daytime
trains to Zürich, Bern, Turin, and Norway, Portugal, Romania, journeys are more expensive.
Milan, where they link up with Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and
Italy’s Pendolino trains; Brussels is Switzerland. It is available as a DIRECTORY
connected to Paris, Amsterdam, consecutive-day pass if you want
Cologne, and Geneva by the to make frequent short hops by Rail Passes
high-speed Thalys network, train, or as a flexipass if you are on Eurail
while Germany’s ICE system a trip with extended stop-overs. ∑ eurail.com
also runs to Bern, Switzerland. It is also valid for some ferries. Official US website.
Overnight trains are popular, Other variations on the ∑ railpass.com
offering couchettes, or bunks Eurailpass include the Saver Tel 877-RAILPASS (US).
(usually four or six per Flexipass, which gives at least Booking and information.
compartment), or the more a 15 percent reduction per
desirable sleepers (usually two person when two or more Voyages-SNCF
or three beds per compartment). people are traveling together. Travel Centre, 193 Piccadilly,
The price of a sleeper tends The Youth Flexipass is an option London W1J 9EU.
to be higher (three times the for those under 26 years of age. Tel 0844-848 5848
couchette price), but it is worth For further information on (US: 1-800-622 8600).
it if comfort is important. national train services and Open 10am–6pm Mon–Fri,
10am–5pm Sat.
passes in individual countries
see the Travel Information ∑ voyages-sncf.com
Rail Passes for section for each country. For Eurailpasses.
Non-Europeans ∑ interrail.eu
For Inter-Rail passes.
The cheapest way of seeing
Europe by train is to buy one Passes for Europeans Eurostar/Eurotunnel
of the many passes available. For Europeans, the best pass is
For non-Europeans, the most the Inter-Rail, which is available Eurostar
popular of these is the Eurailpass from Voyages-SNCF or from Tel 08432-186 186 (UK).
from Eurail, or if you are under main train operators in individual Tel 01233-617 575 (outside UK).
26, the Eurail Youthpass. It is countries. The pass divides 30 ∑ eurostar.com
best to buy these tickets in the countries in Europe into eight For foot passengers.
US or Australia before traveling zones and is for any one who Eurotunnel
because they can be 10 percent has been resident in a European Tel 08443-353 535 (UK).
cheaper than if you wait and buy country for at least six months. Tel 0810-63 03 04 (France).
them in Europe. You can also buy There are discounts for people ∑ eurotunnel.com
these on the Internet through under 26, the over-60s, and for For cars & buses.
Eurail and Voyages-SNCF. These families with children aged

026-027_EW_Europe.indd 26 14/07/16 10:12 am