See
the world in the comfort of rail travel. Railways,
rail passes and rail journeys around the globe.
Train is possibly the single
best way to travel if you can’t afford
a plane ticket or to rent your own car,
enjoy meeting local people and have some
time up your sleeve. There are some fabulous
train journeys including the Orient Express,
the Howrah Mail and the Trans Siberian.
In many countries train
travel is efficient, punctual and relatively
cheap (although bus tickets can be a better
option), but it can be irritating queueing
for tickets, and downright frustrating on
long, painfully slow journeys. Do some research
before you go to compare the different methods
of transport.
We have some more tips here on surviving
rail travel:
TYPES OF TRAINS
In some countries there is one state railway
and also a few private railway companies
and the network can comprise of a variety
of trains that vary in price and speed.
For example in Italy there are Eurostars
which are fast and expensive, Intercity
trains or interRegionale trains which are
about midrange and the Regional trains which
are generally very slow.Note that in many
large cities there are also two or more
main-line stations, although one is usually
the principal terminal or through-station.
Be sure of the name of the station at which
your train will arrive, or from which it
will depart. On some long-distance trains
there is a refreshment service or dining
cars but check before you leave (or take
some food along). Tap waters on most trains
is not drinkable.If you can afford it there
are train carriages with such luxuries as
private bathrooms, coffee machines, microwave
ovens, refrigerators, and a suite with a
double bed and a VCR.
TICKETS
Reservations are generally recommended wherever
you are travelling unless it is one of the
jump on and try and find a seat type trains
(Asia/Africa). In other parts of the world
lining up for tickets is a time consuming
process if you don't use the automated machines
so leave plenty of time to do this. To avoid
long lines at station windows, buy tickets
and make seat reservations in advance at
travel agencies. Some of these agencies
can still make bookings up until just before
the train departs from its city of origin.
Depending on where you are you may also
need to stamp/validate your ticket before
departure. Some train stations have yellow
boxes or something similar for this (ask
the conductor or fellow passengers if you
are unsure). If you don’t validate
your ticket then actively seek out the conductor
as you may get fined. Sometimes local shops
will sell tickets to nearby destinations.
RAIL PASSES
We recommend you look into buying your rail
passes before you leave as they can be more
expensive overseas. Also remember that rail
passes do not guarantee seats on trains.
You still need to book a reservation ahead
of time as many trains are often crowded.
Backpackglobe.com sells train passes to
locations in Europe. We encourage you to
buy your passes through us as any revenue
raised goes directly back into improving
the site. Rail Connection has more details
on the Eurail pass. Europrail offers Eurail
and other European passes.The Eurail pass
is considered by many as the best option
for travelling through Europe as it covers
17 countries and is especially good for
those with limited time. There are 15, 21,
30 and 60 day passes available and prices
vary depending on the countries chosen for
travel. Discounts are available for those
under 26 years.Make sure you check out what
discounts are available to you as a senior,
student or child.
CLASSES
Most trains have a first, second and often
third class and obviously you pay for what
you get. However there are some countries
in which travel by the lowest class is not
adviseable. For example in India westerners
are advised to travel at least second class
(and preferably with 2-tier rather than
3-tier sleeping berths), and women travelling
alone here should travel first class.At
peak travel times, first-class train travel
is worth the difference. Remember to always
make seat reservations in advance, for either
class.
SAFETY
Travelling by night is inexpensive, but
never leave your belongings unattended and
make sure the door of your compartment is
well locked. Train stations are not the
best places to spend the night although
they are generally well attended by police.
