Train Travel in Europe
One important point that you should note is that 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.
Pack lightly and don’t travel with more bags than you can handle yourself. And the lighter your bags are, the happier you’ll be. Most train stations provide baggage carts, but you still need to load your bags on them, and you may have to go up and down a staircase. On the trains you are allowed to bring as many carry-on bags as you can place underneath your seat or in the baggage rack above you. Some trains have special racks for baggage, but unless they were checked, you are always responsible for them. All excess baggage must be checked.
Most train stations have lockers or luggage checkrooms where you can store your bags. Many stations no longer have porters, but if they do, you’ll easily recognize them by their uniform or official badge.
Finding your train
Finding the right train is easy when you know what to look for. Most stations have timetables on computerized display boards that show departure, arrival and platform numbers. Some smaller stations have posters; timetables can be recognized easily by the background color. As a rule, departure timetables are printed on a yellow background. Arrivals are on a white background. Trains are listed chronologically from 0 to 24 hours.
Next to the time of departure are the names and numbers of important intermediate stops, plus the track and platform number where the train departs.
Finding the right car and seat
Once you have found the right track, the next step is to locate the right car. Some trains will split at certain junctions, one part going one way and the other heading in a different direction or stopping altogether, so it is necessary to find the right car.
Also, if you have a reservation, you must match the number shown on your ticket with the correct car and seat number.
If you are planning to get off a train at a small town not noted on the side panel, you need to ask the conductor which car you should be on before or slightly after, boarding.
To further assist passengers, many train stations will have diagrams located on the platforms that illustrate the location of each car on the train. These diagrams enable travelers to situate themselves on the platform very close to where their car will be.
Each Train Car has an Identification Panel on its side indicating:
“¢ On top: the name of the city where it originated.
“¢ On the bottom: the name of the final destination.
“¢ In between: the names of the most important stops en route. Each car is also marked 1st class or 2nd class by a number “1″ or “2″ displayed on its side. There may also be a yellow stripe under the roof for 1st class, green for 2nd class.
“¢ Beside the door: a digital panel will indicate the car number.
For more information, ask your travel agent or go to the Rail Europe Website
