Eurotravel Planner

Section: By Train or Car in Europe?

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Entire books are written on this subject, assuming you're a bored househusband of a multi-billionaire. For the rest of us, well, I've found that you either want to go by car or train. Pretty simple, really, and you didn't have to buy my book to here it!

Overview
Either option can work well for you. Going by car can be fun and sometimes exhilarating (think roundabouts the wrong way outside London). It can also be cumbersome and can detract from the experience of traveling, limiting the very freedom you hope for. Worrying about having your car stolen in Italy is a drag. However, if you have mobility problems, this may be a consideration for Europe, which isn't always handicap-friendly.

I used to exclusively use trains in Europe, now I switch off with cars to hit some of the out-of-the-way sites. I highly recommend train travel for a first trip to Europe. Amazingly efficient and always on time, trains hit almost every city you'll want to see, letting you have down time between cities for watching the incredible scenery, writing postcards, reading up on the next city to hit, winding down and absorbing sights from the last city, updating your itinerary, making new friends, having a coffee, grabbing some shuteye, or just relaxing.

Trains also help (read: force) you to pack and travel light, which you'll very much appreciate once you get to Europe and actually have to get around.

If By Train
My first advice columns for travel within Europe involved Italy. This indicated a more involved answer as Italia is a bit more complex to sort out, both in terms of car rentals and train travel. Hence, I've found that focusing on Italy helps us get our bearings for how train and car travel might work for the rest of Continental Europe.

Train travel in Italia is actually very good, whereas driving is funny (and sometimes dangerous) — and your car might very well get stolen. In fact, when I rent cars in Germany or Austria, I have to sign that I'm definitely, positively, not thinking about taking them into Italia! And, if you're always packing and unpacking (in Italy, you DO NOT leave luggage in cars), it takes way too much time from seeing Italy.

I've found that transit times are about the same for train vs. car travel.

Train Safety
It's something you'll encounter and need to be aware of if you travel by train in Italy, Greece, or the Eastern European countries (Czech Republic, Romania, Estonia, etc.) For example, In Italy I generally warn folks to stay away from overnight trains. Especially farther south, there's a lot of property theft as you sleep — almost happened to me on both overnight trains I've been on in Italia. Don't worry, it's not particularly dangerous, just annoying.

Italy's like that — watch your stuff. Myself, several friends, and my father have had stuff taken from pockets, in front of them at their table, walking down a public street, basically anywhere (usually money, jewelry, passports and cameras are stolen). Again, it is not dangerous (i.e. much less so than the U.S.A. as it turns out), just frustrating!

There are ways to make this threat a non-issue. First, of course, stay away from overnight trains in Italy and southern and eastern European countries where possible. When you are on a late train, keep your bags with you and locked, try to keep at least one person awake, and if you are sleeping in a compartment, keep bags beneath you and away from the door and out of sight as much as possible. Consider locking the doors (many compartments have small lever-type locks) or jamming the door closed with a prop.

Train travel safety and comfort both improve as you move upwards towards northern Italy. From France to Switzerland, from Austria to Germany you'll find trains comfortable, modern conveniences. I absolutely encourage you to consider an overnight train if your plans merit it. In the same way the U.S. funds road transportation to the tune of billions of dollars, many European countries fund their public train transit system. In Germany, for example, expect to see cell phone and computer terminals in first class. In Switzerland, be amazed by double-decker passenger trains with lounge-style seating.

Navigating the system
The European train system can look somewhat complex, but it is actually quite efficient, easy to navigate, and works well. Soon you'll quickly be catching trains (just be about 20 minutes ahead at the station to ensure you have time to get to the right track, they change often).

Getting off at the right station is relatively easy as well. Generally, there are several quick tricks to know:

Know the exact arrival time at the station you want. The trains are usually on time, and hit stations on the nose, so you'll know about 2 minutes ahead when to prepare to get off the train, even if you can't hear the announcer.
Second, look for the large printed signs you'll see as you pull into the station. These will point to the correct tracks.
Third, never be afraid to stop a conductor with a friendly "Scuzi!" (in Italy) and state the name of the station you want, and then point outside. They're very good (if not always gracious) about telling you whether you need to jump off or not.
Another tip - almost every station in Europe has large timetables stuck all over the place. The ones in a bright yellow are the departure timetables, and the ones in white are the arrival timetables.

Tickets
As for tickets, the Italy flexipass train pass is pretty good, but you may just want to buy one-way, 2nd class tix for each location if you're only going to a few major cities. This is true for most countries in Europe. Especially if you are keeping your trip flexible and expect to hit just a few destinations, consider buying tickets on the spot at train stations.

In Italy, the bus system is perpetually late, whereas the trains are always on time, and trains tend to be a bit more comfortable for long trips.

Of course, I like the train systems in Europe so much, I tend to stick with them, so I'm biased. If you'll be doing a lot of traveling (from 2 weeks to 2 months or more) you'll want to take advantage of reduced prices for Americans if you pre-purchase rail passes while still in the U.S.!

Rick Steves' Rail Guide is a great set of pages to help you sort out pre-purchasing the various ticket options. He's got graphics that help you quickly establish how much each trip will cost. Remember, if you're from the U.S., you can often get cheap passes in advance.

This also helps you plan how long it takes to get to each city. The 5,6, or 8-day Eurail or Europass options are nice, as they let you just sort of go where you want. It's also a bit cheaper if you are traveling with someone (15% discount). These passes are also nice because you don't have as much hassle at the train stations and can just sort of hop on to the trains. You should make reservations at least a few days in advance for overnight travel and try to get a sleeper car berth (safer, better rest, basically a bit cheaper than a hotel). Rail Europe handles U.S. reservations for European train sleeper cars.

If you're not sure how much travel you expect, but will probably only need a few trips (say Rome-Florence and back) then I'd suggest simply purchasing tickets at the train station. I would also suggest the very well put together site for the Italian Train network at http://www.fs-on-line.com/. Go to the "timetable" listings for reservations, schedules and ticket purchases online.

For all of Europe, Die Bahn (the German Railroad system) http://bahn.hafas.de/bin/query.exe/en has the best site to use for checking available routes, costs (within Germany), and transit times that I've found on the Internet.

One of the stupid paradoxes in Euro-Train planning is that you don't get the very useful timetable schedule from Eurail/Europass until you buy your tickets! But, it's a great guide serving to give transit times and schedules between the vast majority of stations throughout Europe. It's included with most Europass purchases.

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If by Car
Four wheels can be great fun in Europe (and especially economical if you're traveling with a few friends). Continental Europe drives on the same side of the road as the U.S., so no sweat. If you're in England, prepare for some miscues as you figure out which side of the road to stay on (hint: use the word "left" as a mantra as you drive, and consider having a friend or two to navigate and keep you straight as you drive).

Cars are best used when you want to hit back-country towns and out-of-the-way places in a small, localized region (say, the Salzkammergut lake region of Austria or along Germany's Romantic Road). Otherwise, use trains and relax! Again, for first trips to Europe I recommend all train travel, and after that you can often mix the two together (one week of cities by train, then hire a car for the next week). If you are just in Italy, perhaps consider skipping the car unless you are touring locally in the Tuscany region and really want one.

If you are planning on renting a car in Europe, here's the nutshell encapsulation of my car hire experiences:

1. I've rented cars several times in Europe (England, Wales, Ireland, Germany, and Austria), and it's been a relatively consistent experience.
2. Big cities have better rental rates.
3. Try to rent before you leave the United States (If you're American, of course) as it's often much cheaper.
4. If you haven't quite confirmed your itinerary, a car can give you some freedom, or it can be a noose around your travel plans. Consider carefully what types of places you might head to, and whether a car is a help or hindrance there. If you are hitting big cities, leave the keys at home.
5. Rentals are geared for a weeklong stay in Europe for some reason — I've always paid 4 days and received 3 free (i.e. the weekly rate is cheaper than the 5-day rate). So, if you only need a car for 3 consecutive days, it's not going to be a super deal. If you're considering using it for a week, it becomes a downright bargain (much cheaper than renting in the U.S.). In Germany in 1999, I paid $210 US for a one-week rental of a BMW 5 series.
6. Never, NEVER leave anything in your car when you will be gone more than a minute or two — ESPECIALLY in Italia. Either the car or your stuff will be gone when you return. Don't believe me? Check the Craig's Family Website for a bummer of a tale...

When I rent cars in Germany or Austria, I have to sign that I'm definitely, positively, not thinking about taking them into Italia! So, I'm not kidding and neither are the rental car companies.
7. I've used both Avis and Hertz, and they're quite professional and inexpensive over in Europe. Use their websites to great advantage in comparing rates for different lengths of time, cities, and types of vehicles throughout Europe. Consider actually calling to confirm your reservations, however.
8. Mapquest has great European driving directions for many major European cities - and is okay for trip-planning to see how far it is between major cities (i.e. 10 ½ hours and 555 miles between Rome and Munich). Go to the site, click on Driving Directions, then click on Europe.
9. Smaller cities are often better for convenient parking. A lot of small cities depend on tourism now and you can park without too much of a problem. However, don't always expect to have parking at your hotel. The reverse is also true. It's tougher to park (and drive) in big cities, but a proper hotel will often have parking available or will be able to tell you where to park.
10. Big cities (Rome, Paris, London especially) are a nightmare to drive in. Good luck. Preferably, rent the car on your way out of, say, Munich, to wherever you are going. This also saves money if you flew into Rome initially or are flying out of there. Tour Rome on foot and public transit, then rent the car as you leave, no wasted time!

Here's some extra advice about leaving luggage in your car. (I really recommend you don't do this.)

1. Don't if you can at all avoid it.
2. Don't bring anything of value with you that you want to keep.
3. Bring blankets to cover it, and keep it in the trunk.
4. Watch who sees you when you get out of your car, and keep your car in a very public place.
5. Keep a day bag, so you don't have to rummage through the trunk.
6. Try to leave some luggage at the hotel, and come back for it later - again, use a daybag for overnight clothes if you're on a short trip away from your main hotel/city.
7. Go to a train station (estazione) in the towns you are visiting. Most of them have a luggage storage area, although they are not all overnight storage areas.
8. If you buy some momentos, ship them back to the States (or wherever you are from).

I hope this helps give you some thoughts on how to proceed. Okay, enough about this, let's hit the rails 'n' road!

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