european rail travel

[skinted54]

I am planning to take my partner on a budget train tour of europe next year want to see rome,berlin,bratislava,budapest plus any other suggestions on route, we are fit 50's dont know where to start any suggestions

[Eve]

Vienna, Bratislava and Budapest are very close. I did Budapest to Vienna and back in a day, 3 hours each way on the train and was a great day.

Bratislava is closer to both and you can also take the hydrafoil as a bit of a change.

Lake Como is very easily reached from Milan and a beautiful place, itself only 50 mins from Switzerland.

Or you could do Rome, (Florence), Venice, Vienna, Bratislava, Budapest.

Or Rome, Florence) , Venice, Milan, Como, Geneva, Zurich, Vienna, Prague, Berlin, Warsaw, Krakow, Bratislava, Budapest.

[koster]

The German Railways website (which is also in English) is great for planning train journeys across Europe. You can put in anything, e.g. Aberdeen to Istanbul, and it'll give you a timetable!

http://www.bahn.de/international/view/en/index .shtml

Great Rail is a company which organises rail holidays:

http://www.greatrail.com

[Buenchico]

Koster has already provided an essential link, i.e. the one to the Die Bahn journey planner. It's the only composite online timetable which lets you plan journeys anywhere across Europe (and even into parts of Asia).

The next thing you'll need isn't a web link; it's on good old-fashioned paper. It's the Thomas Cook Rail Map of Europe. (It's an essential tool for anyone planning a large amount of European travel):
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Rail-Map-Europe-Thomas -Cook/dp/1841576778/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books &qid=1224970822&sr=1-1

Then you'll need to consider the ticketing options.
See here:
http://www.raileurope.co.uk/Default.aspx?tabid =459
and/or here:
http://www.raileurope.co.uk/Default.aspx?tabid =461
Remember that InterRail passes aren't valid in your country of residence, so you'll need to add on the cost of Eurostar to and from Paris or Brussels (or flights to a suitable starting point).

Chris

[ihatetrains]

Hi another very helful site is www.seat61.com