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From: ray@vger.UUCP (Ray Swartz)
Newsgroups: net.travel
Subject: Re: Need Eurrail Info
Message-ID: <365@vger.UUCP>
Date: Sat, 8-Mar-86 22:46:26 EST
Article-I.D.: vger.365
Posted: Sat Mar  8 22:46:26 1986
Date-Received: Mon, 10-Mar-86 20:21:52 EST
References: <2682@pucc-h> <5170001@acf4.UUCP>
Organization: UC Santa Cruz, CIS Dept.
Lines: 31
Summary: Re: Eurail Passes

Here's my two cents:

I too loved the freedom a (first-class) rail pass gave me in
Europe.  You will meet real people that become "travelling"
friends (incredibly intense experiences in a very short time)
and get invited to stay places you can't even imagine.

However, some caveats.  When you travel by train, you are really
at the whim of the train system.  If you happen to be travelling
in an area with some labor unrest there is a good chance that there
will be train strikes.  During one of these I spent 4 hours in tunnels
on a "50 minute" trip.

This can be are real problem if you have gotten off the well travelled
path (i.e. 1 train every other day, or so).  While rural towns are
picturesque, some of them can get real boring after a week of enforced
immobility.  The constant trips to the train station waiting for a train
that isn't going to show can be a *very* frustrating experience
(that will bring guffaws when you recount it at home!).

Also, some countries don't have a well developed train system.
Greece and Yugoslavia provide little to the train traveller.
In addition, not all boats honor the pass (and finding this out
too late -- is there any other way? -- can be costly).

All in all, I recommend it wholeheartedly.  Just be sure to
arrive early and to confirm all information you get about
trains by 2 independent sources before you begin planning on
it.

Ray Swartz