Travel tips - eurail pass edition
November 15, 2022 2:57 PM Subscribe
What should we know about global Eurail pass travel in winter?
Two college students in my world will be traveling (together) between four western European countries over the course of two weeks this Christmas vacation, trying to make seat reservations when possible.
I am trying to help them think about what they need to know, such as getting from stations to hostels, and what kinds of contingencies to plan for, from train strikes to broken phones.
Any helpful thoughts welcome!
Two college students in my world will be traveling (together) between four western European countries over the course of two weeks this Christmas vacation, trying to make seat reservations when possible.
I am trying to help them think about what they need to know, such as getting from stations to hostels, and what kinds of contingencies to plan for, from train strikes to broken phones.
Any helpful thoughts welcome!
European weather in some countries is highly variable, and Europe is going to be loosely warm in some places and cold in others. Pack layers and a raincoat. Carry an extra layer or two with you because you'll appreciate it when (not if) the weather changes. Especially applicable to Ireland, the UK and places of a similar latitude. Despite UK stereotypes, there's usually too much wind around for umbrellas to be particularly effective; hooded raincoats work better.
Passport checks rarely happen on trains within Schengen, but it has happened to me once. Plus some countries require you to carry ID. For both reasons, it's a good idea to keep your passport on your person and not in your room/luggage.
I have had to explain this to foreigners before: your wallet, if you carry one, is best put in your front jeans pocket. It seems that in some countries you traditionally put it in the pocket where it's most likely to be removed...
If you can find a place to tuck one away, it's not a terrible idea to keep a spare cash/credit card or EUR20 in your luggage, just in case you do have pickpocket problems. Depends on how secure your luggage is.
Almost nothing will be open on Christmas Day. Do not expect to find either a restaurant or an open grocery store unless you've planned ahead. And make sure you have your accommodation booked in advance, because Christmas is often family gathering time and it may affect availability.
Your phone's maps app is much more useful if you download offline maps for where you're going, so that it doesn't depend on your crappy roaming plan. And when it tells you the local transit times, trust but verify.
You are probably allowed to drink at least some alcohol, even if you aren't at home. Don't go overboard.
posted by How much is that froggie in the window at 6:51 PM on November 15, 2022
Passport checks rarely happen on trains within Schengen, but it has happened to me once. Plus some countries require you to carry ID. For both reasons, it's a good idea to keep your passport on your person and not in your room/luggage.
I have had to explain this to foreigners before: your wallet, if you carry one, is best put in your front jeans pocket. It seems that in some countries you traditionally put it in the pocket where it's most likely to be removed...
If you can find a place to tuck one away, it's not a terrible idea to keep a spare cash/credit card or EUR20 in your luggage, just in case you do have pickpocket problems. Depends on how secure your luggage is.
Almost nothing will be open on Christmas Day. Do not expect to find either a restaurant or an open grocery store unless you've planned ahead. And make sure you have your accommodation booked in advance, because Christmas is often family gathering time and it may affect availability.
Your phone's maps app is much more useful if you download offline maps for where you're going, so that it doesn't depend on your crappy roaming plan. And when it tells you the local transit times, trust but verify.
You are probably allowed to drink at least some alcohol, even if you aren't at home. Don't go overboard.
posted by How much is that froggie in the window at 6:51 PM on November 15, 2022
Seat61 is always a good source for info on trains! That link goes to the Eurail page, which they should both read through at least twice. Maybe even save to their phones.
posted by soelo at 7:31 PM on November 15, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by soelo at 7:31 PM on November 15, 2022 [1 favorite]
To expand on How much is that froggie in the window's point about Christmas, it's a two-day holiday in some countries (25th and 26th) and opening hours of stores, restaurants, bars, etc. will vary on both days.
This is another thing that will vary per country, but generally speaking, credit card use is not as widely spread in Europe as it is in the US. At places like convenience stores, grocery stores, and public transportation ticket booths, it's more common to use cash or a debit card. If they don't have a debit card from a European bank or one from an American bank that will work overseas, they should be sure to carry cash. If they do have cards, make sure they're the type with a chip.
posted by neushoorn at 7:11 AM on November 16, 2022
This is another thing that will vary per country, but generally speaking, credit card use is not as widely spread in Europe as it is in the US. At places like convenience stores, grocery stores, and public transportation ticket booths, it's more common to use cash or a debit card. If they don't have a debit card from a European bank or one from an American bank that will work overseas, they should be sure to carry cash. If they do have cards, make sure they're the type with a chip.
posted by neushoorn at 7:11 AM on November 16, 2022
I've never had a European rail pass, but I've taken a lot of trains in continental Europe and an inordinate number in the UK. So on the contingency planning front, I can furnish a list of things that can go wrong with train travel in general, mostly drawn from direct personal experience. It's a worryingly long list, but the good news is that on the whole, the worst that's going to happen is that you get to where you're going late and flustered.
I have some advice as well, but this is a very long reply, so I'll post that separately.
posted by ManyLeggedCreature at 8:02 AM on November 16, 2022 [2 favorites]
I have some advice as well, but this is a very long reply, so I'll post that separately.
- The train is cancelled:
- due to strike action. There will probably not be a replacement bus service. Best to try to avoid planning travel on strike dates.
- due to planned engineering works. There may be a replacement bus service, on which you may or may not be able to take bulky luggage.
- at short notice, potentially while you're actually on it: this can happen for all sorts of reasons. If the problem affects more than just the one train, there may eventually be a replacement bus service, or you may be expected to find an alternative route on the railway network, or you may be expected to find another means of transport altogether.
- You get off in the wrong place:
- because the train has been rerouted at short notice, and your stop is no longer on the route
- because you mishear the "next station" announcement and get off too early... or too late
- because you fall asleep and miss your stop.
- The train is heavily delayed, potentially leading to missed connections.
- You get on the wrong train:
- because you assumed the trains from this platform all went to the same place, and you were wrong
- because you assumed that all trains to destination X stopped along the way at Y, and you were wrong
- because the train divided en route, and you were in the wrong part of it
- because you went to the wrong platform
- because you went to the right platform, but missed a last-minute platform change announcement.
- You miss the train:
- because your connecting train is delayed
- because the train is too full to board
- because you got the departure time wrong
- because you didn't allow enough time for finding the platform in a big station
- or for any of the usual reasons people miss or are late for appointments.
- There's a problem with your seat reservation:
- You didn't make one, and you're on a train that requires one (or, related, a train that isn't valid for your pass unless you pay a supplement)
- You accidentally got on a train earlier or later than the one you booked a seat on
- You boarded the wrong carriage, and it turns out you can't make your way through the train to the right one, either because the aisle is full or because there's no internal connection to the carriage you need
- Someone is in your reserved seat
- You're accidentally sitting in someone else's reserved seat.
- There's a problem with your luggage:
- The train has no space for luggage, or it's full already, or the only space is an overhead rack, so you end up having to either take up a seat for your luggage, or stand in the door vestibule with it for the whole journey
- Someone steals your bag or picks your pocket
- You forget that you put your bag in an overhead rack and leave it on the train.
- You do something wrong:
- You have a standard-class ticket, and accidentally sit or stand in first class
- You do something else you're not supposed to: eat or drink where it's not allowed, talk or take a phone call in a silent carriage, smoke in a non-smoking carriage etc.
- Your phone is lost, stolen, broken or flat, so you can't show your pass when required
- You don't recognise that you are being asked to show your pass, because you don't speak the language and the ticket inspector is in plain clothes (common in e.g. Germany), so you misinterpret the interaction.
posted by ManyLeggedCreature at 8:02 AM on November 16, 2022 [2 favorites]
Advice for travelling on unfamiliar trains:
Follow cues - if there's an announcement you don't understand, and then everyone else in the carriage gets up and grabs their stuff, or everyone on the platform makes a beeline for the exit, you probably want to do the same thing. Especially if they seem to be grumbling.
When you know which countries you want to travel in, download train travel apps that cover them (e.g. the NS Travel Planner app for the Netherlands, or the DB Navigator app for Germany). That should give you access to live train running information, planned engineering works, timetables and so on.
Check the name of the stop before yours... and the stop after, so that you know if you've overshot.
But also, when you know which train routes you want to take, download offline maps that cover them; GPS works without data, so in most cases you'll be able to follow your progress on the map, giving you a bit more advance notice of when you're going to reach your stop. Also, if the train does end up cancelled somewhere along the way, you'll have a map of the place you've had to get off.
Keep an eye on your belongings if you can. Don't leave your phone, wallet or passport sitting in plain sight while you delve through your bag or fall asleep.
Mostly, all you can do is pay attention. Double-check train times, platform numbers, whether or not you need a seat reservation, which carriage your seat is in etc. Ask someone if you're not sure.
posted by ManyLeggedCreature at 8:03 AM on November 16, 2022
Follow cues - if there's an announcement you don't understand, and then everyone else in the carriage gets up and grabs their stuff, or everyone on the platform makes a beeline for the exit, you probably want to do the same thing. Especially if they seem to be grumbling.
When you know which countries you want to travel in, download train travel apps that cover them (e.g. the NS Travel Planner app for the Netherlands, or the DB Navigator app for Germany). That should give you access to live train running information, planned engineering works, timetables and so on.
Check the name of the stop before yours... and the stop after, so that you know if you've overshot.
But also, when you know which train routes you want to take, download offline maps that cover them; GPS works without data, so in most cases you'll be able to follow your progress on the map, giving you a bit more advance notice of when you're going to reach your stop. Also, if the train does end up cancelled somewhere along the way, you'll have a map of the place you've had to get off.
Keep an eye on your belongings if you can. Don't leave your phone, wallet or passport sitting in plain sight while you delve through your bag or fall asleep.
Mostly, all you can do is pay attention. Double-check train times, platform numbers, whether or not you need a seat reservation, which carriage your seat is in etc. Ask someone if you're not sure.
posted by ManyLeggedCreature at 8:03 AM on November 16, 2022
Post covid contactless payment has become very prevalent all over Europe. Sure, smaller shops, especially in less popular spots may require cash. But I haven’t had to use much cash in any of the places I‘ve been to in the last three years. Make sure they have cards with chips and no foreign transaction fees and that their card providers know they are travelling abroad.
Absolutely get all the transit apps, you can buy local transit tickets on them, using cards to pay. No need to try to understand the ticket machines. In most of them, you pick a journey and it tells you your ticket options.
Your young ppl should assume that restaurants, shops and sights are closed on 25/12 just about everywhere. In many countries also on 26/12. Unless they have confirmed a particular place in a particular location is open, assume it is closed. In most of Europe, 24/12 is the big day and stuff will start to close at lunchtime/early afternoon. They should plan to have some provisions in case they struggle to find an open restaurant or shop on those days.
In many places, 1/1 is also a public holiday with Sunday opening hrs. In some places there may also be other public holidays- 2/1 in Switzerland, 6/1 in many catholic places, this can vary even within the same country.
They should have travel insurance and know when and how to contact provider in case they need medical care.
They should figure out how to keep their phones supplied with data. Consider buying a local sim that will cover them for all the countries they plan to hit. Because every single problem they will encounter will be much easier to overcome if they have data and can use their phones. Google maps will literally tell you how to walk, drive or travel by local transit to anywhere at all. Buying a sim on arrival works well in some countries and not at all in others. They should check how it works in the country they fly into a couple of weeks before they leave so they can order a sim if required.
posted by koahiatamadl at 9:21 AM on November 16, 2022
Absolutely get all the transit apps, you can buy local transit tickets on them, using cards to pay. No need to try to understand the ticket machines. In most of them, you pick a journey and it tells you your ticket options.
Your young ppl should assume that restaurants, shops and sights are closed on 25/12 just about everywhere. In many countries also on 26/12. Unless they have confirmed a particular place in a particular location is open, assume it is closed. In most of Europe, 24/12 is the big day and stuff will start to close at lunchtime/early afternoon. They should plan to have some provisions in case they struggle to find an open restaurant or shop on those days.
In many places, 1/1 is also a public holiday with Sunday opening hrs. In some places there may also be other public holidays- 2/1 in Switzerland, 6/1 in many catholic places, this can vary even within the same country.
They should have travel insurance and know when and how to contact provider in case they need medical care.
They should figure out how to keep their phones supplied with data. Consider buying a local sim that will cover them for all the countries they plan to hit. Because every single problem they will encounter will be much easier to overcome if they have data and can use their phones. Google maps will literally tell you how to walk, drive or travel by local transit to anywhere at all. Buying a sim on arrival works well in some countries and not at all in others. They should check how it works in the country they fly into a couple of weeks before they leave so they can order a sim if required.
posted by koahiatamadl at 9:21 AM on November 16, 2022
Also, sorry, elephant in the room: the obvious contingency to plan for is Covid. Questions they need to know the answers to:
posted by ManyLeggedCreature at 8:22 AM on November 17, 2022
- Where do we look to get up-to-date guidance for each of the countries we're visiting?
- Are there entry restrictions anywhere we're going? (Probably not.)
- Are there any restrictions still in place within any of the countries? (More likely. For instance, Germany requires FFP2 (N95) masks on public transport.)
- Where do we get tests from in each country, and what are they called? (Perhaps easiest to bring a couple of boxes along.)
- What are the self-isolation rules in each country?
- What are our immediate next steps going to be if one of us tests positive?
- How will we cover the costs if we need to extend our stay in Europe?
posted by ManyLeggedCreature at 8:22 AM on November 17, 2022
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posted by Ardnamurchan at 4:36 PM on November 15, 2022