Eurail Passes – train travel

This is for all non-European residents travelling across Europe by train. Eurail passes are basically the same as InterRail passes. The company cooperates with 30 European railways and shipping lines which makes Europe accessible for everyone.

There are 4 types of passes you can purchase:

- Global Pass is valid in 20 countries

- Select Pass is valid in 3, 4 or 5 countries (which ever you decide)

- Regional Pass is valid for one or more countries situated in the geographical area (ex. Scandinavia – includes Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden)

- One Country Pass

Prices depend on the type of the pass; you can choose between continuous passes (valid throughout a certain number of days) or a regular, decide how many days you’re going to travel/use train transportation during your vacation and find the best option.

Youth passes are valid for people under 26 and are cheaper but available only for 2nd class. Adults can buy 1st or 2nd class tickets. What I like about Eurail is that they provide Saver passes – if you are travelling with one or more people, you can get a discount.

You order your passes online and they send it to you by FedEx. Eurail website also provides you with timetables, maps, you can make reservations and a lot of good detailed information. Eurail includes travel with high-speed, scenic and hotel trains. Find out what your options are and take advantage of all the benefits.

Research alternative routes or use domestic trains if you need to save some money. They are slower but cheaper.

If you are planning to travel with a European friend that has to use InterRail pass you can. You are both allowed on most trains. InterRail and Eurail don’t have the same product range so sometimes you can find yourself in a silly situation. Make sure you plan your trip and check all the railroad companies.

For more information about train travel and passes go here.

Stella – European Travelling Advisor

InterRail review – travel by train

Maybe not the first idea that pops on your mind when travelling through Europe but let me change your mind. Europe has over 40,000 railway stations. Yes, you heard right…

Before I go into reviewing a website that I chose to show you today, let me state a few benefits of travelling by train. Train stations are usually situated in the centers of large cities because most of the railways are old and a few hundred years ago, cities were a lot smaller. Newer parts grew around stations. Central stations were and still are railway stations. That knocks out additional transportation from airport, sometimes bus stations etc. When travelling by train you have the possibility to see a lot more of the scenery of the countries you travel through. Imagine that, to actually be able to get to know a lot more places and get a certain feeling; than to just read a paragraph from a paperback guide about it. They are a lot more comfortable that buses and if you take a long distance train or a night train at some point of your trip, you can relax and sleep in couchettes (mixed compartments usually with bunk beds). You can, almost always, take as much baggage as you want; but also think of it in a way…how much can I carry around with me? Trains are not necessarily slow, you can choose high-speed trains, where possible. And, don’t forget, trains are a green choice!

InterRail is a company and a really great website that has all the necessary information about European train travel and provides you with InterRail passes. Passes connect 27+ countries and come as two types: Global and One Country. Global pass is a kind of a general pass; where ever you want to go in Europe, while the pass is valid, you can. And One Country pass is available only for foreigners travelling through one country.

The pass concept is that you buy a number of days during your vacation you want to spend travelling. That means, if you choose 5 in 10 days, 10 days is the period you’ll spend in Europe and 5 of those days you can hop on and off trains with your pass. Or you can just buy a 22 days/ 1 month continuous pass if you want to be more adventurous. For prices go here. Students and generally young people under 26 can get a cheaper pass but it has to be 2nd class. You must order a pass 3 months before your first day of travel and it will be sent to you by mail.

Reservations are not required, but I still would recommend to do so for busy times and routes. They are only required for TGV (high-speed trains) and long distance trains. Baggage is not limited, only by Eurostar and some other hotel trains; always search for that information to make sure.

Your InterRail pass includes even ferry/boat passes where possible. Children under age of 12 get 50% off. Their website also provides all timetables and maps of all railways in Europe. That’s why I love it. They provide all information so you can easily plan your trip. Enjoy InterRail!

*InterRail passes can only be used by European residents. You must have been staying in Europe for more than 6 months on your first day of InterRail pass validity. But, don’t worry, I have found the same train pass for all of you travelling from outside of Europe. I will cover it in my next post.

Stella – European Travelling Advisor

HOTELS & MORE book review

There are more ways to search for your accommodation when travelling that just online. You are absolutely going to go to their website but, before that I have an interesting source I want to show you. Taschen has published a number of books called “Hotels & more”.

Books are divided by sections; each section represents a number of hotels they picked to review located in certain part on the city. Every section has a very clear, hand drawn map with marked hotels. For each hotel you can find out a little history, about their philosophy, design and what they offer. Plus, at the bottom of the site, information on rates, types of rooms, cuisine, history (a note about the hotel building; ex. “A 19th-century building transformed into an unconventional designer hotel with an environmentally friendly philosophy.”), X-factor (a tip you didn’t know such as… “non-smoking hotel” or “hotel’s DJ plays music on Friday and Saturday evenings” etc.) and Interet.

All the hotels are reviewed with photos too. They are big and there are quite a few of them, showing entrance, lobby, rooms, restaurant, bar, terrace, pool and something unique about the hotel itself. You can find hotels to satisfy all tastes, from antique furnished ones to modern minimalistic or crazy designer ones.

But what I like even more about this books is that they are not only hotel guides. What you can find after every hotel review is two pages of interesting recommended places in the hotel souroundings. By that I mean restaurants, bars, clubs, shops (fashion, vintage furniture, markets, city sites, museums and even other hotels!) with a short short story about each place. Also including address, phone numbers, website, and how to get there from your hotel. Really great!

You can use it as a guide itself because it can help you with your hotel choice regarding what you want to have in the neighbourhood. The prices vary, you can find average priced hotels to luxury ones. I would absolutely recommend it to design conscious traveler, not because of the preety pictures, but because I think it’s a really useful and fun source of information. And not only to them, but to every traveler that is interested in cultural life or is just looking for a good hotel to stay in.

Stella – European Travelling Advisor

What do hostels offer?

The good thing about hostels is that you usually get good location for a small price. Nowdays, the hostels are improving more and more their interiors and maintenance. Hostels are cleaner, you don’t need to have sleep-sheets, they provide you with linen and towels. And the number of beds per room has dropped. But, that doesn’t mean you should be careless when you’re searching  for your stay. Many websites provide visitors reviews. There will always be some good and some bad; take facts into consideration.

Rates are different. They depend on the location, quality, number of beds per room. And, some cities are more expensive than other. Make sure you know how many meals do they provide, is there self catering, do they cater for vegetarians etc.

Also, hostels are great for people who travel from town to town and are on a budget  because you can stay only overnight if you wish; as in hotels.

Consider that hostels are usually smaller places, and because they don’t provide as much services, they cost less. You can’t get as much privacy or silence. It is best not to have preconceptions about the site and the services at the hostel. Keep in mind – you are not paying for a five star hotel and it won’t be one. But do appreciate the atmosphere and all the interesting people you might meet.

Stella – European Travelling Advisor

What you didn’t know about hostels

The hostel movement was started by a German school teacher named Richard Schirrmann in the summer 1907 (over 100 years ago!). At that time Nette School began providing overnight accommodation to young travelers. Each night the classrooms were cleared of desks and chairs and thin straw sacks were placed on the floor. It was a custom too, that in the morning, each hosteller helped to put the school back together and clean it up. The idea was, as Mr. Schirmann said: “Suppose that the thoughtful young people of all countries could be provided with suitable meeting places where they could get to know each other! That could and must be the role of our youth hostels, not only in Germany, but throughout the world, building a bridge of peace from nation to nation!”

Today, people from all walks of life, stay in hostels. Not only young people but families with young children and retired people too. Though, when travelling alone, with your friends, if you’re underage, make sure the hostel you’re staying at doesn’t have age restriction. Some of them do because they have bars and restaurants within the hostel.

Most hostels will not accept local residents. Some hostels only accept international travelers and sometimes you even have to have an on-going ticket to prove you are travelling. The logic behind the rule is that if hostels allowed local residents to stay it would not have space to provide accommodation for budget travelers visiting the area. If you plan to travel in your home country and stay in hostels you might want to invest in a passport to prove you are indeed an international traveler.

Hostels come in all shapes and sizes, from twin/double bedrooms to bedrooms for up to 30 people (which is very unlikely to find today anywhere). Most have kitchens so you can do your own cooking and in that way save on restaurants. Bathrooms, depending on the hostel, can be ensuite, shared between rooms or common for the whole floor. Dormitories are with bunk beds or normal beds, sometimes still separated by sex.

*From American Youth Hostels’ “First Fifty Years: Young at Any Age”

Stella – European Travelling Advisor

Apartments & Self Catering Search Example

About 10 minutes ago I made a quick research to show you an example of what can be found and what to look for. I took Amsterdam as my location and this is what I have found:

Apartment no 1

It’s located in the center of the city, near Dam square (main square), 0.1 km from the nearest tram station, 0.5 km to Central Station; though, when in Amsterdam you will most likely want to ride a bike. This information is just to demonstrate you how far or near you are from all the important things. It’s on the first floor with a living room and dinning room, kitchen (all possible appliances you can imagine), 1 bathroom and 1 bedroom. 4 sleeps though. It doesn’t state if the two sleeps are extra and if the are supposed to sleep in the living room. That is something you should ask. If it is, it can be very suitable for two people because this apartment costs €113 per night during mid-week and €134 during the weekend. That makes it as cheap as a regular 3 star hotel but without breakfast. The benefits are obvious, location, space and no hotel can top the look and comfort of this apartment.

Apartment no 2

Also located in the center of Amsterdam, in an uptown residential area with lots of high end shops and restaurants. It’s on the first floor, well equipped with kitchen appliances; living room with flat screen, bathroom with bath and two showers, two toilets and two bedrooms, each with double beds. The master bedroom has a flat screen. More great news, it’s only €113 per night during mid-week and €138 per night during the weekend. This one is ideal if you’re going with your friends. Split the price 4 ways and you get €28-34 per night a person! That’s the price of a night in a hostel or a cheaper hotel. I bet you never thought you could get this kind of luxury for only around €30 per night.

Stella – European Travelling Advisor

*All information found on stayAmsterdam.com

*mid-week is Monday through Thursday; weekend days are Friday through Sunday

Apartments and Self Catering

Why choose apartments and self catering?

Apartments and self catering can be a great choice for anyone. They range from modest to luxurious; studios, apartments and houses. You get more space than in a regular hotel room, a kitchen so you can save on restaurants, make your own meals which is great for vegetarians too, if the city isn’t too vegetarian friendly. Also, if you are travelling with friends, renting an apartment/house is a great idea. You can split the price between you and get a much better accommodation.

One more idea that crosses my mind is that it’s family friendly. You have all your family together, nobody has to sleep on free ends, you can cook for yourselves, it’s more comfortable…

You can find this kind of accommodation in two places: “online agencies” – websites or regular agencies. They gather people who rent privately (usually one apartment/house) and from people who do it professionally (owning apartment blocks etc). There is no rule who does a better job. When you are looking to rent such a stay, you have to know do they rent short-term or long-term. Because, no matter that they rent it to tourists, some of them don’t rent under one or two weeks. In the same way, they price it by day or week. Also, have in mind that, almost as a rule, weekend prices (Friday through Sunday) are somewhat more expensive than mid-week prices (Monday through Thursday). Similar to hotels. Moreover, it depends on the season, popular seasons are pricier than other when booking any accommodation.

Don’t forget to find a box on the website or contact information where you can send your questions (number of keys, how to get there…). You will also find a list of facilities that will help you decide if that really is a good offer for that price and if it meets all your needs. Believe it or not, some of them rent only to certain groups of people so, make sure it’s family friendly or children friendly. They should also state max sleeps, if pets are allowed and where they are located (preferably with a map). If they don’t show a map, search them on GoogleMaps. And, if it says something like “10 minutes from city centre”, don’t buy it. Make sure how far it is looking at a map, and if you can’t estimate correctly, look for public transportation (maps, stations, duration). More time in research always pays out, no matter how crazy it sounds. =)

Stella – European Travelling Advisor

How to book accommodation?

When you have chosen your accommodation, whether it’s a hotel, B&B, apartment or anything else, you are at a certain website; whether it’s the hotel’s website or on one that enables booking for more accommodation providers, common for private stays. Usually, you will find a type of form that you will have to fill out. Such as:

- Check in & Check out dates / Date of arrival & Number of nights

- Number of guests / Number of rooms

- Which hotel you  want to stay in (that concerns only the ones that have a chain of hotels, of course)

That is how you check availability. Then you have Book Now button or something similar that takes you to another page where you fill in your information (name, surname, address, country, phone number, email address…) and credit cart information if you have to pay for booking. Usually it’s a small fee or a small percentage of the price of your stay.

On the website, you have to be able to find

- a description, with pictures

- facilities

- room prices

- address & contact information

- booking and payment details ( IMPORTANT! You need to know if you need to pay in advance and is there a reservation/cancellation fee )

Also, when you’re booking your stay, you will find a box where you can ask questions if you have them. Especially when you’re booking a private stay, don’t hesitate to ask the owner everything you want to know; about meals, surroundings, transportation (how to get there, nearest station…), how many guests there are, do they have any requests from you as guests etc. Really think about that one.

If you’re booking a private stay, there is a big chance that you will exchange a few emails before. So, use the opportunity to ask everything that comes to your mind. And, ask them how will you make your payment (reservation fee). It’s done by the post office of sent directly to their bank account. They will explain you everything if you don’t know.

I will do a video later on to show you examples.

Stella – European Travelling Advisor

How to search for bed&breakfast?

You have two choices when you search for B&Bs; you can search them online or offline. Let’s first focus on online research since it’s the fastest and the easiest way.

Let’s suppose you’re searching for B&B in a certain city. Your first step should be finding the official website of that city. Usually, they have the similar layout and therefore the same type of information. About the city, accommodation, transportation, maps, night life, shopping, restaurants&bars, festivals, etc. In general, those sites are the best because they are constantly updated; they have to be because it’s in their best interest to present themselves the best way they can.

Next choice would be to Google (or any other search engine you use) them using certain search terms. Use “city bed&breakfast”, “*area bed&breakfast” or “city accommodation”. You will find sites that have information and booking about numerous B&Bs or other types or accommodation too, and certain B&B sites. Go for the first option, you can always jump to their website later. Useful websites have to look good and be loaded with good, quality information. What you need to find on them is a little search engine where you can set your criteria including rates, area (part of the city), category (hotels/B&B/private stay/hostels) and dates of your stay. You should be able to compare prices and find the best option. Pictures are key. They have to be on the website. If there aren’t any pictures, I don’t even bother looking what it says. Because, if they can’t show a picture I don’t know what I’m buying.

Don’t forget to do your offline research. Go to the bookstore and look for travel guides. In them you will find a section about accommodation usually categorized as expensive/moderate/inexpensive and area where they are situated. With a little review and basic information such as webiste, telephone number, address, average price and amenities, it shouldn’t be disregarded, moreover because they are edited every year. Use it as a recommendation from the best and what you find interesting, search on the internet.

Stella – European Travelling Advisor

* area meaning the place where you are looking for B&B outside large cities. ex. Provence, Antrim…

bed&breakfast history

Bed&breakfasts have a long way back in history. The term originated from the UK, after World War II when numerous foreigners needed a place to stay. So, the locals came up with the idea to open up their homes for them as well as to serve breakfast to those overnight guests.

That was the starting point of B&B development. At first, it was very slow. Mostly throughout UK and Ireland later followed by the rest. But, in last two decades, the number of bed&breakfasts has exploded. Today they can be found all over the world. Even in Italy where people refused to accept the concept because of their customs. No matter where you might be going, you will find them; from provincial retreats with homemade meals and beautiful scenery to always increasing popularity of city B&Bs.

Stella – European Travelling Advisor

*It is important to know that bed and breakfasts match other types of lodging in terms of cleanliness and comfort, most go even beyond average standards. Moreover, the B&B hosts are always a good source for detailed local knowledge and great help for planning a trip.