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Europe Train Travel how-to answered

Since I will not be traveling any time soon (lot's of circumstances don't work for us right now) I have been traveling vicariously through you tube videos and have been binge watching train travel through Europe searching routes I have been on and reliving my own journeys (Search train travel Paris to Nice, train travel Rome to Florence etc) . The video's also brought back an event I had totally forgotten about, on one of our train journey we were given little goodie bags with some snacks which was a nice surprise and much appreciated. When I travel I am so concerned about the actual journey that sometimes I do not stop to look and really see the train station and these videos have allowed me to see things I never noticed especially the architecture and shops. Making a mental note for our next trip to get to the station early so I can soak it all in.

If you have never taken a train before (and I never had prior to our first trip to Europe) these videos are an excellent way to orientate you for what to expect, how things work, how to buy your train ticket, how to understand the reader boards and how your Bin/track will show up 10-15 min before your train leaves and to see the rush of people going to the same bin/track. Some of the videos also explain how to find your car, then your seat. They show you the difference between 1st class and standard to help you make a better informed decision. They show the meals served, the food car and the restrooms.

Some of the videos show from start to finish arriving at the departing station to the arriving station all the way to the street to grab a taxi. There are lots of website that provide excellent descriptions and vlogs that tell how they navigated, but there is just something about seeing it actually happen that may provide more confidence in the process.

Posted by
4299 posts

My husband watched these on YouTube and accidently came across the #32 bus going from Kantrida to Opatija in Croatia. This is the bus he travelled on to go into the city to university and to the discos during the 70’s. He called a friend from home who lives in Boston now and he watched it too. They then talked. About their younger days. Never know what memories these videos evoke in people.

Posted by
1625 posts

Barbara- exactly! I watch them with my husband and we pause and say "okay now right around this corner is the place we grabbed those sandwiches" or something like that. They really do trigger a lot of memories.

Posted by
10290 posts

Barbara —wow, it’s hard to imagine what that must have been like for them - to see something full of so many memories when the place and the years are far away. Wonderful to think of them sharing that.

Letizia, great recommendation.

Posted by
1223 posts

Great idea, Letizia. I would only add that the you tube videos can help a traveler decide about whether a particular train route would work for an upcoming trip. For example: I am planning a trip to Egypt in January 2022. I was trying to decide whether to take the overnight train one way between Cairo and Luxor. After watching several videos of people showing their experience at length, including the details of their overnight sleeping accomodations (which were, for them, generally positive) I decided to fly both directions (one way Cairo-Luxor, return Aswan-Cairo)!

Posted by
1625 posts

jmauldinuu- agreed! We looked at a video of a train route between London and Edinburgh and the vlogger was showing first class v standard and just by that video we decided 1st class would be better. I am looking forward to exploring different routes throughout the fall/winter months and making my notes.