OK, I need some train help. What is written and what I am being told are different. I want to take a sleeper train from north Germany to Paris. The trains from North Germany apparently go through Belgium. According to RS website (inferred from what RS says) and EuroRail fine print, I must have a Europass that includes Benelux. However, when I call the help line at EuroRail and "raildude.com", they both say on this night train, you don't need Benelux on my Eurorail pass (I have Germany and France). So which one is it? Anybody know? I tend to believe what is written, not what people say. But 2 different booking agencies tell me different.
Posted by
Vernon, Canada
32349 posts
dave, In order to provide more specific information, it would help to have some idea WHERE you'll be travelling from in "north Germany". It's not a good idea to rely solely on EuroRail for travel information. You may find it helpful to download the free PDF Rail Guide from this website. Click the "Railpasses" tab at the top of the page, and then look in the lower right corner for the web link. With more information, I'm sure the group here can provide the answers you need. Cheers!
Posted by
Lakewood, Colorado
19272 posts
There is one night train to Paris from Hamburg (that's North Germany and pretty far west). It goes via Hannover, Göttingen, and Saarbrucken - nowhere near Benelux. If I look up Amsterdam or Brussels, there does not seem to be any true night trains through them to Paris. Looking at the arrival board for Paris Nord and Paris Est, I only see two night trains arriving in Paris from 6 AM to 11 AM, the one from Hamburg and one from Munich. I'd say Germany and France are all you need. For the truth on train schedules, use the German Rail (Bahn) website.
Posted by
OP
Loveland, colorado, usa
14 posts
More clarification...from Germany, I meant Hanover, Berlin, or Hamburg. I believe it is the same night train. Maybe it does not pass through Benelux. Thanks for the help.
Posted by
Lakewood, Colorado
19272 posts
That train leaves Hamburg and goes through Hannover, then to Göttingen and Saarbrücken. Berlin is east of that route, so a night train from Berlin wouldn't be expected to cross it's path to get to Brussels. Here is a network plan for CNL. There are no CNL trains in Belgium and the ones starting in Amsterdam don't go to Paris. You can book these trains on the Bahn website.
Posted by
OP
Loveland, colorado, usa
14 posts
Thanks for the link. That answers my question!
Posted by
London, United Kingdom
4684 posts
There used to be Hamburg and Berlin night trains that passed through Belgium a few years ago, but they got dropped or diverted via France due to a spat between Deutsche Bahn and the Belgian National Railways over track/haulage fees.