Travelling Europe... by train
Europe and train travel just seem to go together like peanut butter and jam, wheat beer and salty pretzels, wine and cheese... you get the picture. With so little space between one country and the next, train is the best way to visit Continental Europe. If you're planning to hit the rails sometime soon, we've got a few tips for you to make sure that your trip goes as smoothly as the rails you'll be travelling on.
Plan your tickets in advance
Train travel doesn't have to be expensive and it will make a huge different if you buy an unlimited rail pass or a single ticket. Plan your itinerary and then see which option is the best for your trip. If you're planning to hop around to many places and spend most of your trip on trains then a rail pass is a reasonable choice. If you're planning to not cover too much ground and spend more time in each place then single tickets are probably a better choice. Buying tickets online is often cheaper.
Always arrive at the station early
Obvious right? Just like boarding your flight, you also need to be at the train station early. It's not as if you just hop on. You need to get your ticket validated then you need to navigate around the station to find the right platform and then find your train, your carriage and finally your seat. Some stations abroad have little signage in English, which could mean it'll take you 10x longer to get to where you need to be.
Pack snacks for the rails
Just like in-flight catering is expensive, so too is the food on the trains. For longer trips, snacks are essential. Some train services offer free nibbles and soda water but others don't, it really depends on the country and the train company. It may even be that while the train you are travelling on is within the borders of a country, say France, they may hand out complimentary snacks but as soon as the trail passes the border into Switzerland, these same snacks will be sold at quite high prices so better to have your own stash.
Have you ever travelled across Europe by train? What other tips would you give first-timers?