A lifestyle expat travel blog about culture, history, Brexit, the Royal Family, travels around the world, Europe, and being British in Berlin!
Posted on July 21, 2019 by thebritishberliner
You obviously know how much I love trains.
Well, actually I love all types of transport:
Buses for very long distances
Flights on budget airlines
Boats on rivers and lakes
You name it.
I’ve probably travelled on it.
But my absolute favourite is the train!
You won’t believe it but I’ve already been to four countries this year and two of them were utterly new ones!
I’ve been to:
NORWAY:
GREECE:
FRANCE:
ENGLAND:
Hopefully, you all know that England is where I originally came from and the hassle that Brexit has bestowed upon us, so I used my British passport in order to travel to Cheshire!
And Brexit has been taking all my attention too.
In fact, I was on TV, on the radio & in the newspaper.
Yep!
The British Berliner is a well-known British-German expert when it comes to the British Monarchy, British Politics and British expat issues in Germany, and of course a popular well-known British person who travels!
I was on Radio One (Radio Eins) too.
This year I’ll also be travelling to Italy, Georgia, Poland & the Ukraine!
ITALY:
I’ve been to Italy about a million times and Italy and I are una canzone d’amore!
My favourite part of Italy is Tuscany, but we’re not going there this time, we’re going to an island.
The island of Sardinia.
I’m not big on hot beaches, but sometimes, you’ve got to get out of your comfort zone, and for me, it’s a very hot beach rather than a windy rainy one!
I’ve never been to Sardinia before, but it should be fun!
GEORGIA:
When I first heard mention of Georgia, I thought it was Georgia – the American state – in the USA.
But it isn’t.
It’s Georgia.
A country in the Caucasus.
A country from the former USSR.
In Europe!
I’m going to be there as a guest of the city of Tbilisi.
In fact, I do believe that even though Tbilisi will never ever beat Berlin in terms of trend and fashion.
Ha! Ha! Ha!
No!!
Georgia is going to be the place to be in 2019/2020.
POLAND:
Poland needs absolutely no introduction as I’ve written extensively about it many times before!
In fact, as far as Poland is concerned, I’m a bit of a notorious star!
And why pray?
Because of an article that I wrote all of five (5) years ago!
And the title of said piece: Going to Poland: 10 reasons not to go!
Poland is one of my favourites places to visit, but this time I’ll be travelling to Łódź for the very first time!
UKRAINE:
I hadn’t actually planned to travel to Ukraine initially, but as I was going to be in Poland anyway and was looking for a new destination, I remembered that Ukraine was just around the corner so to speak, and added it in!
I’ve never been to Ukraine before so I decided to focus on just two cities:
Lviv
And Kiev. Or Kyiv!
Wow!
MY DAD DIED!
I’ve been extremely busy and on top of that my dad died last month, so please bear with me.
Is it any wonder that even though I was featured everywhere, I didn’t have time for the blog itself!
Ouch!
Just know that even though the post might not be published, it’s certainly written!
Booking.comAll the above destinations are in Europe, and plenty of them, I’ll be reaching by train!
But why?
Why the train?
Why not fly?
Well, to Italy and Georgia, flying is the better and by far, quicker option….!
And then again. Perhaps not!
But the fact remains.
I live in Berlin.
In Germany.
And Germany is right in the centre of Europe.
It has airports, train stations, bus stations, bicycle stations, cars and every possible means of transport.
I travel a lot for leisure and pleasure, and many a time, the adventure is in the getting there rather than the destination itself!
And let’s not forget the hassle, long queues and stringent baggage requirements that airlines require these days. Quite frankly, for a 1.5-hour flight you’re looking at arriving the airport (if flying to the UK) at least 2 hours before, if flying inter-continental, at least 3 hours. Not to talk of actually getting to the airport itself!
Luckily for me, Berlin has excellent local public transport that is cheap, efficient, clean, and reliable. I can’t say the same if you’re trying to get to London Heathrow, which is the busiest airport in the world. And equally as complicated, if you don’t know your way around London.
Being that I live in Berlin, makes it an extremely easy way to travel.
In fact, travelling by train through the European continent is one of the most comfortable ways to travel with ease, from one country to the other. And by far, one of the cheapest!
Is it any wonder that one of my favourite forms of transport is the train!
There are many reasons why travelling by train in Europe is a most excellent idea, here are some below:
I bought a twelve-hour (12) direct train ticket from Berlin to Budapest. In first class for €69.00. Second class was just €10.00 cheaper at €59.00! I couldn’t believe it, so I bought it! My child was free of charge!
I bought a seven (7) hour train journey (second class) train ticket via the Hungarian Railways or MAV at a cost of 11,780 Ft or €38.40 to travel from Budapest to Prague. Child included in the cost!
A five (5) hour train journey ticket (second class) to travel from Prague to Berlin in August, was just €29.00!
My child cost nothing at all!
For Switzerland, we took the Sparpreis Europa city night line train, and the eleven (11) hour return ticket journey from Berlin – Lucerne – Berlin, including reserved seating in July. Cost just €98.00. My child was free!
As a matter of fact, our return ticket from Berlin – Copenhagen – Berlin was a mere €58.00! And even though we actually missed our connection on the way home, and had to buy another ticket…it was still a sweet deal!
A few summers ago, I took an international train every weekend, and the price for our son – The Tall Young Gentleman was nothing at all!
His fare was completely and utterly free.
Yep!
Free of charge.
Nada!
In Germany, children under 15 travelling inter-city or inter-country, with their parents, grandparents, or relatives, travel on the German Rail, otherwise known as Deutsche Bahn (DB), train for free!
Note that if you book Spar Preis Europa trains with the German Rail on this version, your children will be free of charge too!
Other European countries do the same and either have free transport for children, or special prices for families too.
On our last visit to the UK, we bought an Advance Single train ticket – via the National Rail – from Manchester Oxford Road to a station in Cheshire. Our adult tickets for a 30-minute inter-city train were £3.00 each, and £1.50 for our child. Our Express Train tickets from Manchester Airport to Manchester Oxford Road (in the city) were just £5.00 each per adult, and £2.50 for our child!
When travelling by European train, there is very little fuss to it, and far fewer delays than flying…
In fact, European Regulation (EC) 1371/2007 on rail passengers’ rights and obligations (2009), state that passengers are entitled to standardised rights in the rail sector in Germany and in Europe.
If there are delays of at least sixty (60) minutes or more, you are entitled to compensation, and if you were to take a taxi, or another mode of transport up to €80.00, you could have that refunded too. Make sure you get the correct documentation at either the train station concerned, from another station, or from the train staff!
Train travel means that there is plenty of room for your luggage. And if you wish to take the kitchen sink with you (within reason), you probably could. No need to worry about how heavy your luggage would be and how much. There is relatively little or no fuss. In many cases, the railway staff would even help you carry your bags!
Now when was the last time that you saw airport staff carry luggage for anyone!
Unlike air or bus travel, there is room to move around, and really stretch your legs. And depending on how long the journey is, they sometimes have some dedicated time for passengers to go outside, buy some refreshments, get some fresh air, take photographs, or get some WiFi!
The European train is a little like the Indian train in the sense that you actually get to meet people. And talk to them.
I mean, you’re sitting elbow to elbow, you’re probably going to an international country, the passengers are either locals or tourists themselves, and to be frank, everyone is quite interested in your journey. And if you’ve got a bottle of booze somewhere.
All the better!
So now to the real McCoy!
Depending on where you are coming from, you need to:
1. GET A TRAIN TICKET:
The cheapest way to ease into buying train tickets through most European countries (not all), is to actually book through the Deutsche Bahn portal on the local German English version not the UK or USA version!
Note that for Germany, Austria, Belgium, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Holland, Italy, Luxembourg, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden and Switzerland, if you’re going by train, I don’t recommend that you do so by Interrail or Eurail passes, if you’re only travelling to one country, as the prices are ridiculously expensive and children have to be paid for!
The snag is to book tickets with the national train companies directly, on their own websites, or through the German Rail otherwise known as Deutsche Bahn.
Most websites have an English version. Some can be admittedly slightly hidden, but persevere, or contact them directly by calling, or via Email!
But don’t forget. Not all train companies allow you to pay online, or even to buy local tickets at local prices!
Some train companies only allow you to buy a Eurail ticket if you’re buying from abroad, and which you can only pay for with a credit card. For more info on that click here.. And some do, but you either have to buy the ticket on the train, or have to pay online and then collect the train tickets once you’re in the country itself, or change the language of the website!
For train travel all around the world check out the website of The Man in Seat Sixty-One or Deutsche Bahn.
But remember, if you’re using the Deutsche Bahn website, change the location to Germany and use the English word for Deutschland which is Germany! NOT the UK/Ireland one! And then change the language to English!
2. CHECK ONLINE FOR BEST ROUTES:
Many train companies have their own website which you can access for routes so that you can see where you want to go. Or better yet. Where they actually go, and how to get there!
3. DO YOUR RESEARCH:
I live in Berlin and the Polish border is just under two hours away as such, there are discount prices from the German Railway Service known as Deutsche Bahn or DB. You can get a one-way single ticket from Berlin to Stettin or Szczecin in Poland, for just €11.00. Reduced tickets for €8.30. If you want to make a day of it, a day ticket would be €22.00 and €16.60 respectively. You could use it for every local transport in Stettin and the ticket is valid until 03:00 the next day!
Or you could get the German Regional tickets also known as the Länder-Tickets. These are fantastic bargains as the Berlin-Brandenburg regional one day ticket is only €29.00 and can be used by up to 5 people! That’s right! 5 people can travel on this ticket and they don’t have to be related!
This ticket is valid from 09:00 to 03:00 the following day, and on the trams and buses in Stettin (Szczecin), and can be used to get to the Polish border!
You sometimes see people hustling for ticket holders in Stettin (Szczecin) ‘cos if you have 5 people travelling together that’s €5.00 each. A bargain if ever I saw one!
You can get this ticket from the VBB Verkehrsverbund Berlin-Brandenburg website or DB online. For more information check here and here.
4. NOW YOU’RE IN EUROPE, WHY NOT HOP TO SOME OF OUR NEIGHBOURING COUNTRIES TOO:
It might take you a while, but you can take the train from Berlin to London for as little as €59.00, to Belgium, the Netherlands, France, Austria, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Italy, Denmark, Croatia, Sweden, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovenia, Slovakia, and Poland for as little as €39.00 per single ticket or one way trip!
And they’re not too far away!
And being that this is Europe we’re talking about, it isn’t! Fares can sometimes go as low as €19.00 for destinations such as to Prague for example!
For more information check here.
5. RESERVE YOUR SEAT:
Now as a blogger, I’m always online in some form or the other, and it really surprises me how travellers and tourists leave their train bookings until the very last minute!
Believe me. Don’t do that!
Trains are popular in Europe. And if the destination is on a well-worn track, then the trains will be packed. And if it’s the weekend or a public holiday, you won’t get a seat, and will be forced to stand…!
In the summer, it’s not unknown for teenagers to be sitting on the corridor floor with their mates for a few hours.
But they can cope.
Can you?
Now if you really don’t want to pay for a reserved seat, then the trick is to either go to the very front of the train, or the very back of it. And be quick about it!
However, if you’ve got luggage or kids, somebody from your party ought to sprint in and bagsy a couple of non-reserved seats, or you might as well do the decent relaxing thing, and reserve the seat of your choice, in a compartment that you prefer.
Having said that, lots of small rural or regional trains have no possibility to reserve seats at all, so either jump in and turn left, or go upstairs!
6. TAKE REFRESHMENTS WITH YOU:
If you’re on a regional or rural train, no refreshments will be sold on the train. And don’t even think that you can buy “something” at the next station as countryside train stations are either tiny little things, or simply non-existent!
Generally, super-clean-fast-efficient-modern-high speed trains have restaurants and trolley service throughout the train, but you can’t be sure that you’ll like either what they’re offering, or the prices!
‘Best to bring your own stuff if travelling in second class. Refreshments are usually given for first class customers and usually include a small bottle of wine or beer. But not always!
7. TALK TO THE LOCALS:
My fellow travellers were always very helpful and we usually spoke in a mixture of English or German and a splattering of whatever the local language happens to be.
With a lot of hand gestures, acting, drawing, and generally making quite a fool of myself, they usually understood what I was asking! The local travellers always helped us get off at the stop that we usually required too.
Many a time just looking anxious, or “other,” tends to open a conversation. And really, you don’t ever have to worry. The locals will help you. Just ask.
Promise!
In some cases, even the train driver will help you!
8. BE PREPARED:
When travelling through Europe, you’re likely to go through different countries, each with it’s own distinct flavour of technology.
In highly advanced countries such as Germany, Switzerland, Holland, Belgium, and the Nordic countries, technical equipment will be at it’s highest, with power outlets either in between your seats, on the table, or on the side of the wall near the window!
In less advanced nations such as in Eastern Europe and even in Southern Europe, not so much!
There will be WiFi, but it probably won’t work, or will be spotty at best. And there will be no power outlets! On our 15-hour train journey to Hungary, I spent hours searching the train for a plug-hole. And where was it?
In the restaurant, hanging dangerously on the wall of the heavy main train door, or in the toilet!
Er No!
Oh by the way. Europe isn’t a country. It’s a continent, so if you’re travelling on an international train, you must take your passport with you!
Train officials never used to check people in the past due to the European law of Free Movement, but as a result of strengthened alertness due to the increased height of terrorism, and to ensure our safety, they are now. So make sure you have everything in order.
Otherwise, you’ll be escorted off the train and your holiday could end right there!
9. IF YOU MISS YOUR TRAIN STOP, DON’T PANIC:
Once travelling through Poland, I realized that we had missed our train stop as the countryside scene that was I expecting, did not show up on my horizon!
Hmm!
I couldn’t really look outside the window as the window was blocked with passengers in the corridor.
I couldn’t check the train map that you normally see in the corridors either as I couldn’t get to the corridor, and I didn’t have an iPhone in those days.
A girl in her early 20’s noticed that I kept attempting to leave the compartment. She confirmed that I had missed our stop.
OK. I’ll get off at the next stop!
Oh, I’ve missed that too!
And the train was now going East further into Poland, whereas I was supposed to be going to the sea which was in the West!
We got off the train.
Unfortunately, the train officials weren’t really very helpful and pointed at contrasting directions, so I decided to look around the station myself and peek onto other platforms and lo and behold, the connecting train that I wanted was still ON THE PLATFORM!
I checked and double-checked that it was indeed the right train, then we hopped on!
I so bugged the train conductor as per how many stops we had left, and what time we were expected to get to a certain seaside village, as there are no announcements and no destination indicators.
It was a case of watching and counting, each and every train stop…. 75 minutes later, we were there!
10. IF IT ALL GOES BANANAS, USE YOUR HEAD:
There are 101 ways to travel through Europe, and the train is just one of them.
Sometimes it makes sense to choose another form of transport to get to your final destination.
It isn’t the worse thing in the world if you do!
This article is not sponsored, and the excitement of using the train in Europe, is my very own!
For travelling across Europe, or from Germany, please contact: Deutsche Bahn or take a look at my country destination page and book your hotel here!
It’s July!
If you’re not in Berlin, it’s a darn shame!
DISCLOSURE!
Please note that The British Berliner is a participant in the Amazon EU Associates programme, an affiliate programme designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon, Amazon UK & Amazon Germany.
In short, there are three affiliate link companies connected to this post! Every time one of these services is used, booked, and paid for via my link, I get a little percentage, but at no extra cost to yourself!
A win-win for all!
Note! I never travel without insurance as you never know what might happen.
I learnt my lesson in Spain. And obviously, in countries like Qatar, where technically the risk is higher, I can’t imagine going that far beyond WITHOUT INSURANCE. No siree! You can get yours here, at World Nomads!
So what are you waiting for?
Thanks a million!
See you in Berlin.
If you have any questions, send me a Tweet, talk to me on Facebook, find me on LinkedIn, make a comment below or send me an Email: victoria@thebritishberliner.com
If you like this post, please Share it! Tweet it! Or Like it!
Category: EUROPE, train, train guide, train station, train travel, TRANSPORT, TRAVEL, travel by train, travel guide, travel stories, travel through Europe, travel to Europe, use the train, Visit Europe, why train travel, Why travel by trainTags: European train, European travel, family travel, green travel, how to travel by train, How to use the Deutsche Bahn train, How to use the train, How to use the train in Europe, Interrail, Is it safe to travel to Europe, public transport in Europe, railway, Sparpreis Europa, train, train guide, train journey, train travel, Travel and Tourism, travel by train, travel through Europe, travel to Europe, travelling by train, use the train, Visit Europe, why Europe, why European travel, why train travel, Why travel by train
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I'm a British girl from Manchester living in Berlin with my German husband and my half British – half German son. My blog is a lifestyle expat travel blog and puts a focus on my promotion of culture, history, travels around the world, Europe, Brexit, the Royal Family, British-German life and being British in Berlin - I am The British Berliner!
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My condolences about your dad. From what you’ve written, sounds like he was a lovely dad.
Back in May, I took my 1st train trip in the UK, round-trip between London and Edinburgh. It was a scenic ride through the countryside! My hotel was a short walk from Waverley Station. Aside from the rain, I enjoyed revisiting Edinburgh.
Thank you so much Elisa. You’re very kind.
Indeed he was.
Travelling by train is such a lovely thing to do and using the train through the UK is pretty romantic. And don’t get me started on Scotland.
Gorgeous! 😀
Edinburgh is such a beautiful city, and the Scottish people are simply quite wonderful.
Plain speaking but awfully nice! 😀
I can never get enough of Scotland and have been many times waaaaaay before I actually had my blog, but here’s what I wrote about Edinburgh.
It’s always good to use a webside witch present the offers from many carriers, that way you can choose the best option like at http://www.polishtrains.eu
Absolutely right.
Thanks Martha! 😀
These are some great tips and brought back memories of me taking trains in some European countries. I love the dresses you wore in the pics above as well.
Thanks so much Kim!
Train travel is the best as it’s just so easy and by far, one of the more comfortable ways to use public transport.
p.s. Thanks for the lovely comments about my dresses. I love them too! 😀
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I’m going to Germany in December for my holidays, really hope that this tips can apply to the transportation there! Thanks a lot for this article I will share it with my friends!
Thanks very much Manuel. Of course it will!
The most important tip I can give you is that when booking the German train, use the Deutsche Bahn local website and change the language to English. Don’t bother getting a German Rail Pass. There’s simply no need.
Book your ticket according to where you want to go, it’ll be cheaper and you’ll do just fine! Here’s the link!
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This is a great blog for anyone that isn’t familiar with taking the train. I remember the first time I did it and I freaked out about so many of these things. Hopefully, this can give some people some peace on their first trip! Thank you for being so thoughtful!!!!!
Thanks very much Nina!
That’s quite right. I loooove taking the train but for many who aren’t used to it, it can be quite daunting not only because of the foreign language but even where and how to book tickets too.
I’m very glad you liked it. 😀
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