cont...

1. Now, if this pdf is not it and there's more schedules, more train options etc. out there where do I look for that. Do I have to go to each individual countries site (some aren't even in english!) and search out the times and look for cheapest prices?

2. Question about actually taking the trips. Since I am going point to point and not a pass, I can't just hop on and off a train right? So if I buy a ticket from point A to B, can I jump off somewhere in the middle, stay in point C for a few hours then hop onto a later train that goes to point B? Or do I have to actually buy a ticket from point A to C then a seperate ticket from point C to point B. I hope that makes sense.

Summary: I want flexibility in travel. I will not have my trip planned out. I will have a rough idea of my route and gauge it as I go along. I could reserve my tickets a day or 2 in advance if need be. Of course I want it to be as cheap as possible but I don't want to spend hours on the internet looking for tickets, prices etc.

Help make this clearer for me?

You've asked a lot of questions. I'm going to take a while to absorb all this.

First, there is no such thing as a "Eurail network". Eurail is a business entity created by the European national railroads to package and market rail passes. The trains are actually run by the national rail companies (German Rail, French Rail, etc). Each one has their own network in that country.

The Eurail timetable is by no means complete. Your best place for timetables all over Europe is the German Rail website. The German Rail website has fares for all over Germany (except runs entirely in a metro district) as well as fares for train connections either starting or ending in Germany.

Most national rail companies only have fares for trains entirely within their country. You can find links to their websites at www.railfaneurope.net > links. Most of these companies can display in English. Beware: if you try to get fares from French Rail (SNCF) and tell them you are from the U.S., they will switch you to RailEurope, which only has prices for tickets they sell, which are marked up from the prices you would pay in Europe.

You can always buy full fare tickets at the ticket counter at the station. No need to call. You can always get reservations that way. Except for night trains, a few trains are full, but fewer are fully reserved.

You can get the lowest fares in Germany (and some other countries) by buying in advance on the Internet. The full fare prices you would pay by walking up to the window will be higher. Again, in Germany, any full fare ticket is valid until the end of the following day (the same day for tickets under 100km), so you can hop on/hop off.

Hope this helps.

I'll try not to repeat any information in Lee's post.

To add something to question 3, with the exception of night trains, getting a seat on a given train is rarely a problem. I've bought my ticket and hopped on the next train in as little as 5 minutes.

4- Sometimes, the national rail websites are the only source. But, if a given leg of your trip starts and ends in the same country, you can usually assume you have several options to get from point A to point B in a given day. In smaller countries like Belgium and the Netherlands, trains often leave as frequently as on the half hour. Another option: when you arrive in a given city, check the departure schedules (they're always posted) for the next city you want to visit. And if you can't find the information you want (which might happen if your next destination is in another country), there is always a ticket agent fluent in English who can help you.

5- I'll say a big "It depends", meaning it depends on the country, the route and what kind of ticket you bought.

In summary, reserving tickets is rarely necessary. For most trains, the only advantages to buying early are that a discount might be available and peace of mind. I think that once you go to the first train station, you'll see how easy it all is.

jack,

A few suggestions to add to the others....

You might find it very helpful to read the "Rail Skills" section in Europe Through The Back Door". You could also download the free PDF Rail Guide from this website (click the "Railpasses" tab at the top and then look in the lower right corner).

Regarding your numbered questions:

1.) For rail schedules, use the bahn.de website, as Lee suggested. This will indicate times, no. of changes and whether reservations are compulsory.

3.) Buy tickets at the local stations, either from an agent or an automated Kiosk. I've found that buying tickets at least a few days before I'll be travelling has worked well, but on smaller, less crowded regional trains it's possible to buy them a short time before travelling.

Note that with reserved seats, you'll be assigned a Car No. and a Seat No.

5.) Not exactly! If you buy a reserved seat on a fast train, you can not use the hop on/hop off approach. When you board the next train, your previous reservation won't be valid for that one and especially in Italy, you'll be fined on the spot (trust me on that one).

With regional or local trains, you may be able to hop on & hop off - I can't remember the details so Lee or Norm will have to answer that one.

Be sure to learn the words for "Track" in the various countries - Binario in Italy, Gleis in German-speaking countries, etc.

You may enjoy having a look at This Video - it explains the entire process very well!

It's an older video, but still relevant (except for the reference to "Smoking" and "Non Smoking" - most trains in western Europe are non-Smoking these days.

You may also enjoy This Video (it's considerably longer).

Happy travels!