From: ehr@ecsvax.uncecs.edu (Ernest H. Robl)
Subject: Re: European trains
Summary: Different types of trains
Organization: UNC Educational Computing Service
Date: Sun, 8 Nov 1992 21:31:03 GMT



To follow up on previous comments by posters on both sides of the
Atlantic:

One of the things I try to tell people in the U.S. about European
trains is that there are basically two different types of trains
in Europe, with only minor overlap between the two:  Fast trains
that efficiently connect the major cities and slower trains that go
through great scenery.

The schedules available in the U.S. tend to list only the trains
that fall into the first category.

In Austria, the country that I know best (though I've also been on
trains in several other European countries), the domestic schedule
book for railroads runs around 900 pages of small print.  This is for
an area about the size of the state of Maine.

There are all sorts of slow trains that twist their way through
small mountain valleys -- trains on which you can still open the
windows -- which the typical American travelling only between
cities such as Vienna and Salzburg never sees.

On my trips to Europe, I always try to divide my time between the 
two types of trains.  I admire the fast trains for their technology,
but I like the slower trains for their scenery and the small towns
they take me to and through.

A Eurail pass is equally valid on both kinds of trains.  You can
take a fast train to a city and use it as a base for a few days,
during which time you can explore dozens of nearby branch lines,
either making out-and-back trips on a line or even going on
circular routes which will bring you back to your base city at the
end of the day.  I like the base city concept, since it lets me 
make the scenic trips with just my photo bag -- without having to
worry about the rest of my luggage or having to find a place to 
stay each time.

Since even these branch lines have numerous trains per day, I can
get on and off at will, if I happen to spot an area I like, and
spend an hour or two wandering around an interesting town.

In fact, one of the things I've suggested to a number of people as
a way to save money is to avaoid staying in the larger cities all
together, and to stay in nearby smaller towns.  You can still go
see sites in these cities -- just commute to them by train.

Of course, if you are going to be staying in smaller towns and
exploring branch lines, you need to be a little more adventuresome.
You'll be a little less likely to find restaurants where everyone
speaks English.  But even that shouldn't be a problem.

I hope this post will encourage any first-time European traveller to
venture at least a little off the fast mainlines.  The publication
International Railway Traveler (P.O. Box 35067, Louisville, KY
40232-5067 USA) frequently features such branchline trips.

-- Ernest (who spent part of the weekend looking at some European
railroad books and is now trying to figure out how to afford another
trip soon ... )
-- 
"My other computer is a Nikon N8008." -- Ernest H. Robl
Ernest H. Robl (ehr@ecsvax)  Durham, NC, USA   +1  919   286-3845
                                         FAX:  +1  919   286-1696
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