mommyoffive Posted February 25, 2017 Share Posted February 25, 2017 I am looking into this for our trip. Did you take them? What kind of pass did you get? Did you do it with kids? Did you like it? Did they? Tips? This seems so overwhelming. Where did you go? What place to what place? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maize Posted February 25, 2017 Share Posted February 25, 2017 It has been years since I did this, but trains are a great way to travel in Europe. If you will be travelling overnight, get sleeper berths. I've covered a lot of Europe by train. For kids, it is easier and more fun than car or plain travel--don't have to be buckled in a seat all the time, toilet facilities available, interesting views out the windows. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparklyUnicorn Posted February 25, 2017 Share Posted February 25, 2017 In Germany, France, and the Netherlands, yes. We've done all kinds of configurations. Just bought tickets or bought package deals (hotel/train) or multi trip passes. I like it better than taking the car. It's like air travel with way more leg room and without the strange air. My kids thought it was fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SKL Posted February 25, 2017 Share Posted February 25, 2017 I enjoyed train travel. It is easier and more comfortable than plane travel. We bought one pass that allowed unlimited travel within the EU, but had to buy separate tickets for the non-EU countries. My kids absolutely loved the trains. They liked being able to walk around and go get snacks etc. I liked having a table where I did my work in between looking out the window. I got a ton of work done on that trip. :) If your kids like Harry Potter, they will love taking the train to King's Cross station and finding Platform 9 3/4. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HomeAgain Posted February 25, 2017 Share Posted February 25, 2017 (edited) Yes. It was fun and easy. If you are asked if you would like to choose your seat, do so, otherwise all of you could end up in different parts of the train. (If you're not asked, it's open seating). The kids enjoyed it. I would recommend getting a one-hand fold stroller if you take one so that you can get on and off easier. We did not do a pass. We bought tickets at the station to our destination. Often there are kiosks to pay by credit card and walk you through the process in English. DO make sure to validate your tickets on the platform! There will be small punch machines to do it next to the train tracks. I take it back. In Paris we did get passes. I want to say we got a 5 day pass for each of us, used 4 of the days, and then gave them to bewildered tourists who were trying to go to the airport. LOL But for the most part we just bought tickets to a destination and called it good. (And the metro/bus we always traveled by pass built into the CityPass). Edited February 25, 2017 by HomeAgain Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
umsami Posted February 25, 2017 Share Posted February 25, 2017 It's been awhile, but when I was a junior in college, I had a Eurail pass and we went all over. It was wonderful. I miss the ease of train travel. We had to book sleeping compartments in advance, and I seem to remember paying a surcharge on some of the routes and such. Still, it was great. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J-rap Posted February 25, 2017 Share Posted February 25, 2017 Yes, many times. Most recently, our family of 7 travelled through 4 countries, mostly in Eastern Europe. (We did Hungary, Austria, Bosnia, Croatia.) We could get a pass that pretty much included those four countries. They have so many options now. You can get one-country or multi-country or even all-of-Europe passes. Within those categories, you can get a limited number of rides within a limited number of days (I can't remember what ours was, but something like 6 trips in two weeks, lets say), and multiple other options. After you figure out what countries you'll be in, you can start price-comparing to see if a pass is good deal, and if so which one, or if it makes more sense to just get individual tickets per ride. For us it made sense to get a pass. Sometimes, if you're just going to take a one-hour train ride and you have the pass for a limited number of trips, it might still be in your best interest to pay for that short train ride separately from the pass. Anyway, that was about 7 years ago when we did that. It's possible that it has changed. I remember getting the all-of-Europe pass (it's not really called that -- it's just what I call it) when I went as a college student, and you could ride the train as often as you want as far as you want within Europe, but within 30 days. That was a lot of fun! They still have that pass today, but it's naturally more expensive than the other options. On some rides, even if you have a rail pass, it's still in your best interest to make a reservation ahead of time. In some countries, you can't make a reservation, or sometimes you can't make it until you're actually in the country itself. (We had that problem in Croatia.) If you want a sleeper berth, the cost is generally in addition to the cost of the pass. (though now and then you'll find some economy class berths) This is a good place to start: https://www.raileurope.com/index.html?country_origin=ZA&belboon=0347eb091080042f24003f26,4358558, Have fun! I love planning those trips! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MEmama Posted February 25, 2017 Share Posted February 25, 2017 (edited) It pays to know your itinerary in advance so you can plan your trains/connections appropriately. Many tickets can be bought in advance from home; either print or confirmation out and carry it with you or just show them your confirmation on your phone. Buying in advance allows you to piece your timing together at your leisure and saves tons of time at the stations. This is for longer legs; in town or shorter trips you might want more flexibility. Eta: we like to eat picnic breakfasts/ lunches on the train so we don't have to waste time at our destination eating, or arrive famished. Train food can be yummy too, but I always pack enough so we don't have to rely on it. Our favorite train experience was taking a train ferry. :) Also, be aware that train strikes aren't uncommon. Plan ahead for contingencies. Also, sometimes the strikes might only affect the languages the conductor is willing to speak in and you might have no idea until your train doesn't stop at your station. This is especially disconcerting late at night when you are unsure if there will be a return train at the station after the train you are on finally decides to stop. This may or may not be a positive adventure for you. Also, in Italy, be aware that sometimes the train just stops in the middle of nowhere for hours on end and you will have no idea why. Again, plan ahead. We love travelling by train. Flexibility is always key. :) Edited February 25, 2017 by MEmama Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wintermom Posted February 25, 2017 Share Posted February 25, 2017 Yes, train travel is very easy and very convenient in Europe. Train stations are located centrally in towns and cities, there es public transportation linked well to trains. It's very different than in North America, where train stations in some cities might be convenient, and some really bad, and usually with long delays. I hate train travel in Canada. :cursing: Also, the distances you'd be travelling are MUCH shorter than in North America, so the travel time is also much shorter. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ethel Mertz Posted February 25, 2017 Share Posted February 25, 2017 We took a train from Copenhagen, Denmark to Stockholm, Sweden. It was easy to do and a great way to travel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MotherGoose Posted February 26, 2017 Share Posted February 26, 2017 Italy, Rome to Naples and back. We just bought tickets since it was a short trip. One thing that we discovered is that they don't post the gates for departure until the last minute. Apparently locals know where the particular train will arrive. I was expecting postings like you see in the airport, and well in advance of departure. About 15 mins before departure, it was posted, and we had to rush to get all the kids and all the stuff on board. So find out which gate it's going to leave, and camp out there. This may be an Italian thing, but ask when you get to the station. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommyoffive Posted February 26, 2017 Author Share Posted February 26, 2017 I enjoyed train travel. It is easier and more comfortable than plane travel. We bought one pass that allowed unlimited travel within the EU, but had to buy separate tickets for the non-EU countries. My kids absolutely loved the trains. They liked being able to walk around and go get snacks etc. I liked having a table where I did my work in between looking out the window. I got a ton of work done on that trip. :) If your kids like Harry Potter, they will love taking the train to King's Cross station and finding Platform 9 3/4. :) My kids hate Harry Potter. Can't figure it out, they love Artemis Fowl and Percy Jackson. Now dh on the other hand..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SKL Posted February 26, 2017 Share Posted February 26, 2017 My kids hate Harry Potter. Can't figure it out, they love Artemis Fowl and Percy Jackson. Now dh on the other hand..... My kids were 7 at the time. They had read some HP but they really got more interested after the trip to London. I guess it helped them to understand the context and all that. My youngest read all 7 books over the following 6 months. :P Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mabelen Posted February 26, 2017 Share Posted February 26, 2017 I have taken some trains in England, more in Spain. Last time we were there we even took the high speed train from Madrid to Segovia. Easy and very convenient. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bootsie Posted February 26, 2017 Share Posted February 26, 2017 We have taken trains throughout Europe. We have did with a 2 month old baby and we have done it with teens (and everything in between). Whether it is best to get a pass or point-to-point tickets depends on a number of variables. How many countries are you visiting, how many days will you use the trains, what is the length of your entire trip, how many miles will you be travelling by train, and what are the ages of the travelers. Sometimes you are OK with a ticket, but during peak travel times and for some trains, you must also have a seat reservation. We tend to prefer to visit a few areas and go to some of the smaller villages and see some of the less touristy sites rather than spend a lot of time taking trains to the major tourist cities. Generally train service runs well throughout Europe, but you will notice that punctuality and reliability can vary greatly from country to country. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FriedClams Posted February 26, 2017 Share Posted February 26, 2017 I'm not sure if anyone's added yet, but Google "man in seat 61 blog". Awesome, awesome, awesome advice, tips, pictures, details. Everything you need to know. Love him!!! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommyoffive Posted February 26, 2017 Author Share Posted February 26, 2017 I'm not sure if anyone's added yet, but Google "man in seat 61 blog". Awesome, awesome, awesome advice, tips, pictures, details. Everything you need to know. Love him!!! Thank you. I will look at it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xahm Posted February 26, 2017 Share Posted February 26, 2017 We took several trains in western Europe when my kids were two and three, some with considerable luggage. Mostly out was less stressful than I anticipated. People were always willing to help dh get bags on or off while I stood with the kids (we had 4 months of stuff, and I overpacked a bit). The hardest part was having to find a place to wait since they took so long to announce a platform, and they don't allow you on the platform particularly early. Trains in Eastern Europe were more fun, to me, but that may have been because I was young and single. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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