European Timetable Primer and other Europe Transportation Tips

'Mode': AROUND
Category: Other
Getting TO/AROUND: As you might have already discovered, the various European travel sites provide excellent information for your vacation research. Among the more important things you can find online are train, bus, and boat timetables. While these can be very handy, sometimes they're not that easy to read if you don't know what you're looking for. While timetables vary, European schedules usually follow a similar format for days of the week specially designed so the reader does not have to understand the native language. The code is usually a combination of numbers and letters. The translation key is as follows:

a single capital letter (usually "D") or blank = daily
x = "excluding"
1 = Monday
2 = Tuesday
3 = Wednesday
4 = Thursday
5 = Friday
6 = Saturday
7 = Sunday

So for example, "135" would mean Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. In the example from my photo, "D" means daily, "Dx67" means Monday thru Friday (i.e., daily except Saturday and Sunday), "6" means Saturdays only, and "7" means Sundays only.

To further confuse matters, sometimes routes do not run the entire schedule period. If you see a number followed by a Roman Numeral or two numbers separated by a slash, this usually indicates a date, with the first number denoting the day of the month and the Roman Numeral (or second number) representing the month. For example, if a remark says "1. IV. - 31. VIII", that means the route is valid from April 1st (the first day of the fourth month) through August 31st (the 31st day of the eighth month). So in the photo, the second column from the right indicates a boat that departs from Bergen for Sogndal every Sunday from May 1 - June 14 and August 23rd - September 27th at 1630 (i.e., 4:30 PM); while the column on the far right indicates a boat that departs every from Bergen to Rysjedalsvika every Sunday from June 21st - August 16th at 1630. The important take-away is that, while it might look like there are 5 boats departing on a given day, the remarks indicate there are really only 2 per day.

When in doubt, look at the timetable for a key (usually at the bottom) which should indicate what the abbreviations mean. If the instructions are in a language you don't understand, Google has an excellent translation tool online, http://translate.google.com .

Leave a Comment

Website: http://translate.google.com

'Mode': TO
Category: Airplane
Getting TO/AROUND: It is a truism that "getting there is half the fun." However, unless you're able to afford Business Class or a private jet, the saying doesn't work for flights to Europe. Let me share some random thoughts in the 2047 characters I'm allowed.

Many guidebooks recommend using a travel agent. If you know of one who'll do flights without an attached tour or cruise, please give me the contact information. That leaves you with the Internet.

Your choices are the individual airlines or one of the travel websites, such as Travelocity, Expedia, or Orbitz.

UPDATE: An excellent tool to track airfares by destination, date of travel, airline, and website is Fare Compare (www.farecompare.com), powered by the "meta-search engine" Kayak.com. Also consider the other "meta-search engines" (e.g. mobissimo.com), to hone in on the best deals. Browse around the websites, and be sure to use a number of alternate airports and dates. Check back over several days to see if you can find a good price.

As a rule, you need to book at least 21 days in advance to get a decent rate. If you wait longer, you could luck out and get a deeply discounted seat -- or, you could be forced to pay "full fare" ($2000+) or find your desired flight completely booked. Beware: the commercial travel websites will sometimes try to force a bad fare on you. With practice, you'll learn to "trick" the websites into showing the cheaper rates.

One final thought: If you're seeing multiple cities, consider flying "open jaw" -- that is, into one European city and out another, for example, flying into London and out of Rome. This saves time, and is generally not that much more expensive than a round trip ticket. To search for these, click on the "multiple destinations" option on the various websites. If you have any questions, feel free to email me.

Leave a Comment

Website: www.farecompare.com
Other Contact: www.mobissimo.com

'Mode': AROUND
Category: Airplane
Getting TO/AROUND: If you've never been to Europe, or if you haven't been to Europe in the last 5 years or so, you might be surprised at how inexpensive it can be to take a budget flight. For example, a few years ago, I needed to get from Munich to Brussels, and found it was far faster and less expensive to fly than to take the train.

Probably the best way to find budget flights to Europe is to use a "meta-search engine," that is, a website that searches multiple websites for the cheapest fare. I generally use a site called Mobissimo (http://mobissimo.com), but that is by no means the only one out there.

UPDATE: For a very good tool to determine which budget airlines fly where, take a look at the website www.flycheapo.com, which provides a comprehensive list of budget airline routes by destination and airline.

When taking budget flights, be aware that "cheap seats" will sell out early, so try to book as early as is practical. On the other hand, budget tickets are generally non-refundable, so don't book until your plans are firm. Also keep in mind that there can be significant weight restrictions for both your checked and carry-on luggage, with substantial charges for overweight luggage. Be sure to read the fine print on your ticket before purchasing. Finally, be aware that some budget flights will go to/from remote airports. For example, some flights to "Brussels" realy fly to Charleroi (CRL); some flights to "Frankfurt" really fly into Hahn (HHN); and some flights to "Oslo" really fly into Sandefjord (TRF).

Bottom line: Do your homework and know what you're buying. Then go forth and save lots of money!

Leave a Comment

Website: http://www.flycheapo.com
Other Contact: www.mobissimo.com

'Mode': AROUND
Category: Train
Getting TO/AROUND: The Eurailpass has become so well known, it is almost the stuff of legend: Non-Europeans pay a few hundred US$, and then ride around Europe all summer at their whim. Unfortunately, this backpackers' dream has has not been the reality for well over a decade. The good news is, you can still save a lot of money if you take a look at the myriad successors to the old Eurailpass, and pick the one that works best for your trip. Here are some of the basics:

The Eurail Global Pass is the pass closest to the original Eurailpass, allowing 15 days, 21 days, 1 month, 2 months, or 3 months of unlimited rail travel in 18 countries, from Ireland to Finland to Portugal to Greece. Note that not all European countries are covered (most notably Great Britain), and not all trains honor this pass (most notably Thalys and Eurostar trains to/from London).

The Eurail Flexipass offers 10 or 15 "rail days" of unlimited travel in these 18 countries within a 2 month period. Special rules can apply, e.g. if you board an overnight train after 7PM, you can enter the following day on your pass. Check the website and pass instructions for details.

The Eurail Selectpass allows you to get 5, 6, 8, 10, or 15 "rail days" in 2 months valid in 3, 4, or 5 connected countries. Check the website for exact rules and instructions.

In general, lucky travelers under 26 years old can buy a 2nd Class Youth Pass for any of the above combinations for a discount. Us old folks have to buy more expensive 1st Class passes. Adults traveling together, however, can purchase a Saver Pass for a discounted price (sorry young 'uns: you can't get a Youth Saver Pass).

Finally, there are single country and 2-country passes available, ideal for more concentrated travels. Some of these (such as Swisspasses) can be an excellent value.

For more information, check out the Eurail website. Also, Rick Steves has an excellent primer on how to purchase and how best to use railpasses. Enjoy!

Leave a Comment

Website: http://www.eurail.com/
Other Contact: www.ricksteves.com/rail/