We are trying to visiting 5 countries,traveling from Amsterdam to Munich spending 2 nights there then Munich to Prague 2 nigths there to head Viena what it will be the best way to book the trains, I dont understand very well the diference between getting point to point ticket or if will be better getting the Europass? Then how do you have to book Viena in order to get the Glacial Express, can we get it from there. Then my last question where should I end in Switzerland in order to continue the trip and end in Paris? Can someone help me to get this itinerary the best way as possible regarding getting the best train tickets, this page is very informative and I'm sure might be a lot of travelers did something similar as this itinerary. Would appreciate all the advises. Thank you.
Posted by
Basel, Switzerland
8889 posts
You buy train tickets from the company running the trains (same as you buy airline tickets from airlines). You can buy from agents, but that can cost more and they may not offer all routes or tickets.
When you are looking up train times and prices you need to know the name of the station you want to travel to and from (there may be more than one in a city), same as for flying you need to know the airport name. This name will often be in the local language, not English (for example that main station on Prague is called "Praha hlavní nádraží", Munich is "München HBf"). Some websites will work with English names and give you the correct name, some won't.
A train ticket works the same as an airline ticket. It gets you from A to B, and the price depends on how far it is from A to B, and also sometimes on when you buy the tickets and when you are travelling.
One big difference to flying is that for trains on many shorter routes, tickets that are valid on any train. You then just turn up whenever you want, buy a ticket and get on the train.
Longer distance and high speed trains work on the same system as air tickets, you buy a ticket for a specific train, and tickets are cheaper the earlier you buy.
For more info, browse the following website: www.seat61.com
That has much more info than I could possibly put here.
The Glacier Express runs in Switzerland, not Austria.
"where should I end in Switzerland in order to continue the trip and end in Paris" - you don't need to end anywhere, trains go everywhere and all connect up. You need to decide where you want to go in Switzerland (look at a map), then get a train from there to Paris, changing trains as necessary.
Posted by
Honolulu/Seattle, HI/WA, USA
2787 posts
Have you read RS's "Buying Train Tickets" elsewhere on this web site? If so, good. If not it might answer some of your questions.
Posted by
San Jose, CA
1994 posts
The resources noted above will give you much of the information you need. If you want to talk to someone about rail passes, Rick Steves' office has a department that sells them and their phone number is somewhere on this website. I would suggest returning to the home page and searching for that phone number. But keep in mind that their job is to sell rail passes, so they won't be doing the detailed math to tell you if a rail pass would be cheaper than individual tickets.
In some instances flying is a cheaper and quicker way to get between cities in Europe. The website skyscanner.com will allow you to search for low-cost European flights.
I seem to recall that you're traveling soon. If that's the case, and this whole thing is feeling really confusing, you may want to ask a local travel agent to book things for you. That upfront investment of a little money might make for a smoother and more enjoyable trip.