Purchasing your rail pass in .NET framework

Creation ECC200 in .NET framework Purchasing your rail pass

You must buy passes for Eurail and its offshoots before you leave home (You can purchase passes in some major European train stations, but you pay up to 50 percent more) You can buy rail passes from most travel agents, but the largest supplier is RailEurope (% 877-257-2887 in the US, 800-361-7245 in Canada; wwwraileuropecom), which also sells most national passes

Nifty as they are, rail passes aren t the wisest investment for every trip If you re on an extended tour of Europe and plan to travel to several different countries by train, a Eurail pass is generally a good idea However, if you re taking shorter, more focused trips, or if you plan to take only a couple of train rides over the course of your visit, a rail pass may end up costing more than buying point-to-point tickets after you arrive Is any pass right for you The answer is different for every trip, so prepare to do some math After you create an itinerary, you can estimate how much you think you ll spend on individual tickets by contacting

Rail Europe (% 877-257-2887 in the US, 800-361-7245 in Canada; www raileuropecom) for prices Choosing which pass is right for you can be tricky as well For example, you have to travel at least 22 days (24 days with the youth pass) to make a two-month consecutive-day pass a better deal per trip than the 15-days-within-2-months flexipass You have to decide if the extra days are worth it, depending on your travel plans and how much freedom you want to jump trains on a whim

Like the trains themselves, European train stations are generally clean and user-friendly They also offer good snack bars Spending 20 minutes there when you first arrive in a city can help orient you and prepare you for your visit Most train stations are fairly safe, but because they re central clearinghouses for tourists, pickpockets flourish Never abandon your bags, always pay attention, and don t become distracted by hotel touts offering rooms Here are a few suggestions for taking advantage of the train station s resources: Hit the ATM Most stations have a bank or ATM where you can pick up some of the local currency Find the tourist-board kiosk Pick up whatever free info, maps, and brochures you need Visit a newsstand Unless the free map that you picked up from the tourist office is better (a rare thing), buy a map Buy a phone card if you ll be in the country long enough to use it, purchase the local English-language information/events magazine, and buy a local transportation pass or individual tickets for the bus or subway Find the lockers If you want to dump your heaviest bag, find the lockers or the luggage storage office; the cost is generally about $10 a day You ll definitely want to do this if you re only in town for a half-day visit, but even if you re spending the night, it s easier to go hotel hunting without your heaviest luggage Make some calls Find a phone and call around for a hotel, or use the station s hotel booking service See 7 for more hotel advice (You ll save a lot of precious time by reserving your hotel room before you arrive) In smaller towns, the tiny station bar may double as the ticket office Most stations, however, have banks of ticket windows, and more and more of them have automated ticket machines Try to figure out which window you need before getting in the invariably long lines The bulk of windows are for purchasing regular tickets, and a few windows are for people who are only making seat reservations (if, for example, you have a Eurail pass but want to be assured of a seat or couchette)