Eurail: First Class All The Way

Friday, 13 March 2009

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Zurich's train station is one of Europe's most impressive

With the increasing costs and hassles of air travel, it is worthwhile remembering there is a great alternative to airport rage found right on the ground--in Europe, anyway. European rail travel is convenient, low-stress, and in some cases, even faster than flying.

I have long been a Eurail Pass fan and have used its variations many times. There are Eurail Passes to suit everyone from freespirited backpacker to well-coiffed socialite; frequently both may be seen on board, enjoying the velvety red seats of a First Class compartment. That's where you will sit with a Eurail Pass.

Hamburg train station is one of Germany's busiest

The advent of the French Train à Grande Vitesse, more colloquially known as the TGV, revolutionised train travel on the Continent, and Europe has never looked back. Say what you will about the French, but they do know their food and their grands projets. They can be thanked not only for creating a national system of high-speed rail travel within their own borders but with spurring other countries to get their rails system up to speed—literally. Now, the Italians have the Pendolino, the Swedes the X2000, the Germans the Intercity Express (ICE), and the Spaniards the Trenes de Alta Velocidad (AVE).

Using a Eurail Pass is simple and offers considerable savings in cost when compared to tickets purchased individually, but there are definitely ways in which to make it an even better bargain. With high-speed trains bringing cities ever closer together, it is easy to make a daytrip to places previously requiring an overnight stay. Paris to Lyon, for example, or Paris to Brussels. Going and coming back in the same day is a huge bargain if you have a type of Eurail Pass that counts days of travel, such as Global Pass and Select Pass.

Niki de St Phalle's sculpture adds colour to Zurich's main train station

Be aware that for IC Intercity and high-speed trains, reservations are compulsory and will cost a few extra dollars. Luckily, First Class is not usually crowded; nevertheless, it is always best to purchase reservations as soon as you are sure of your travel plans, especially if they involve travel on main routes at busy times of the day or week. The German ICE trains are the exception to the reservation rule; unreserved seats are there for the taking, allowing for the indulgence of walking up to the Hauptbahnhof in Hamburg, Berlin, or Munich, picking up a hot pretzel, looking at the Departures board, and asking yourself, "Where shall I go today?"

The UK, bless its insular heart, does not participate in Eurail Pass; Eurostar is also excluded, though it does offer Eurail Pass holders a discount, one of the many available. Certain private rail, bus and ferry travel, tourist attractions, and even Hilton Hotels offer discounts just for having a Eurail Pass.

In some places, railway stations themselves are tourist attractions. The old Atocha station in Madrid was turned into a huge indoor tropical garden when the new station opened directly behind it. Antwerp's Central Station is an one of Belgium's most beautiful, and Nyugati Station in Budapest is a fine example of Art Nouveau restoration after a train overran the tracks and smashed through its delicate glass wall. Every year, Zurich's main station hosts an atmospheric Christmas market, and artwork by famous artists is on display permanently.

Quiet zones make for peaceful travel

Most European capitals are now linked to their major airports by reliable train services that beat the traffic and inclement weather; some airports, like Amsterdam's Schiphol and Charles de Gaulle in Paris, are major train terminals themselves, from which travel to points across the country and beyond are possible, completely bypassing the need to trek into the city centre. It's all so easy.