Hi there:
Just signed up for our first Rick Steves Tour so new to this forum. We're starting the tour in Venice (in early September) but plan to visit family in Amsterdam first and want to take the train to Venice.
Last time I bought tickets for a train in Europe was in 1987 (way before the internet). Any tips, suggestions, websites, trains, itineraries would be most welcome.
Thanks all!
Judith
Rail tickets are now priced more like airline tickets. You can often save a great deal of money by buying train tickets shortly after they go on sale, if you are prepared to commit to a specific date and time. The cheapest tickets will be non-refundable and non-changeable. If you have some travel legs on local trains (typically traveling to or from small towns), those fares probably won't vary.
If you travel through Germany and do some sightseeing along the way rather than just having one long journey, you may be able to take advantage of some great deals on regional tickets that don't have to be purchased in advance.
Routing yourself through Switzerland will probably increase your transportation cost.
Be aware that by train, the Amsterdam to Venice journey will be an unholy slog of between 14 and 20 hours, not counting delays changing trains. The longer journeys are on night trains. Flying makes more sense.
Yes, fly. Domestic European flights can be very inexpensive. We got tickets for $50 from Rome to AMS...
Use the European train planner of the Deutsche Bahn to see the possible connections. Mind that the route via Paris involves crossing the city from one station (Gare du Nord) to another one (Gare de Lyon). A scenic route goes via Innsbruck and Verona, crossing the Dolomites mountain range at the Brenner Pass.
It is doable in one stretch, but that will be - as noticed above - a very long day on the train. Best is to break your journey somewhere half way in Germany.
A most useful website on present-day European rail travel is the Man in Seat 61.
You really should just consider flying to Venice. The distances in Europe can sometimes be deceiving as Germany, France and Spain are much larger than most people realize.
Thanks, all - with a special thanks to @tonfromleiden for the very useful link to Man in Seat 61. It's perfect.
And, yeah, I know it's a long train ride but we really do enjoy train rides (and not all that fond of flying). We rode from New York to Seattle a few summers ago on the Amtrak (without a sleeper) and enjoyed it immensely. We did include a two night stop at Glacier National Park in Montana. The train stops directly in front of both the west and the east entrances and there is lodging within a few blocks. (But be sure to reserve as early as possible.) During the summers, you can hop on the free shuttle buses to get around the park or hitchhike around the park - which we did quite a bit. Met some really nice folks that way and beat the crowds that can form at the shuttle stops.
But I digress...we also prefer trains so we can minimize our carbon footprint and as a way to see the countryside.
And we'll likely take the suggestions to stop over one night in Germany.
Thanks again!
(And I'm sure I'll be asking more questions as I continue to plan. This is a great resource!)
Judith
A couple of years ago I was looking at an overnight train from Paris to Venice. It looked like a perfect overnight so check to see if it is still running if you want an overnight.
We, too, love trains for the reasons you stated, and more. Your Amtrak trip is one I haven’t taken yet, but hope to and include the stop at Glacier. You will love the site Man in Seat 61. Enjoy!
Train will be fine as long as you can spend a night or two on the way. I respect your wish to reduce your carbon foot print, and it makes a lot of sense in Europe where the trains are so much better ( more reliable in particular) than Amtrak.
You can get really good pricing on trains booked 2-4 months ahead on bahn.de for trains passing through Germany. ( We did this last summer). Amsterdam to Munich would be one leg; overnight in Munich. Then Munich to ??? Depending on whether you have one more night or two to spend on the way. It is a scenic train trip without the tunnels you face if you go through Switzerland.
Lola took the words out of my fingertips. We did AMS to Munich and it was a long ride (7-ish hours, one change of trains), but we will take trains over planes any time. We spent two nights in Munich before our next leg. Note that Munich to Venice is another 7 hours.
Glad to see you thinking about your carbon foot print.
There is no need to break up the journey in Germany (although it can be nice), as there are night trains along the route. I would probably start by taking the train from Amsterdam to Düsseldorf, then a night train from Düsseldorf to Innsbruck and then continue next day by day train. There is also the option of high speed trains to Munich and then the night train from Munich to Venice.
If you have any further questions, the Tripadvisor Train Travel Forum is a good place to learn more.
Night trains are no guarantee of sleep! Read some reviews before you make that decision. We did Venice to Vienna once and got about 4 hours of napping in. It was kind of a fun experience and I can go for a day on 4 hours, but if you NEED sleep and are a light sleeper, you may be miserable.
Brenner Pass is in the Alps
You must be confused with another pass. The Brenner is between Innsbruck and Bolzano (and further on to Verona).
