Trains Planes & Automobiles - BFF EuroTrip Series!

So you are all ready to go, flights are booked, itinerary made, excitement levels are high! Do you know how you are going to get around? Unless you have family you will be visiting that can be your personal chauffeur for the trip, you will need to plan for travel time to, from, and in each city you want to visit. Now comes the difficult part: which do you choose?

Lets compare your choices. You have trains, which in Europe are not only fast and reliable, but a beautiful way to see the countryside and other cities in passing, planes, the ultimate time saver when you are on a tight schedule, taxis, you do not have to work on an specific schedule to catch a taxi but they are not always reliable, or public transportation, which keeps you on a strict time schedule and may take longer to get from point A to point B. The nice part is there is not perfect answer, which means that you can decide if you have money in the budget to catch a quick flight, or if you are in no rush and don’t mind figuring out the bus routes.  But I think this calls for a more detailed discussion that will help you figure out what will be best for each destination.

We are already knee deep into planning! See what we have got so far:

- Choosing your destinations - Check it out here!
- Spreadsheets galore - Check it out here!
- Planning with a Friend - Check it out here!
- Determining your budget - Here it is!
- Buying Airplane Tickets - Read More Here!
- What to Pack - Read Here!
- Trains, Planes, and Automobiles - More below!
- Where to stay? Read Here
- One month to go! (April 21st)
- Itinerary or wing it? (April 24th)

Planes:  With quick and reliable airlines like Eurolines and Ryanair making hops all over Europe, finding a flight to your next stop can be very easy. Looking at a 12-hour train ride? I would suggest taking a plan instead, the extra cost may just be worth the time saved and mean more time enjoying your trip and less time stuck traveling. Look into stopping at a different city too, it may save you a bit to fly into Munich and take the Bavaria ticket that cost 19€ to Nuremberg instead of flying non-stop to Nuremberg and costing 300€ more!

Trains: Trains go practically everywhere in Europe, and if you are a tourist going to major tourist cities then you will most defiantly find easy connections and train routes to get you where you need to go. Tickets for trains need to be booked in advance, if you are trying to save money, and the prices can range anywhere from 19€ to 200€ depending on how far you are traveling, what company you are using, and at what time it leaves. Check the sight ahead of time to determine the best times to leave for your budget and then I suggest arranging your itinerary around that. Be aware that the trains run on a VERY tight schedule and will leave at exactly the time prompted! Extra tip: looking to save some more money? Find a night train! Save on a hotel stay if you book a night train and sleep on your way to your next destination!

Taxi: We have all heard about the taxi schemes and drivers who purposefully get lost because they know you are a tourist and want to take advantage of you. Don’t be totally discouraged though, of course not all taxi companies are like this, but don’t ever drop your guard. Calling for a taxi? Ask what the estimated cost of the ride is before you get in. Did you just wave down a taxi? Use this handy app to determine the estimated cost! (http://www.taxifarefinder.com/de) You also do not need to leave a tip in Europe, though it is normal to round up to the Euro to make things easier on everyone.

Bus/Tram: I must say that public transportation in Europe is amazing, sometimes slightly confusing, but very well thought out. Most cities offer an all day pass to the public transportation systems which normally include buses, trams, and subways (make sure to check the individual cities public transportation website) and tickets can be bought at the airport or central hubs for less than 15€ a day. Don’t look like a tourist though and carry around a big map! Make sure to download the cities app or a pdf map to your smart phone before embarking on your adventure.

Bikes? Another not so common form of transportation is a bicycle. I say not so common because it isn’t something you think about when planning your vacation. Most large cities have bike rental stations where you can pay at the kiosk and rent for hours to a full day, leave the bike at another station when you are done and re-rent at any time, day or night. If you want to enjoy the day a little more and not feel squashed in a bus, try strolling around on 2 wheels instead. Be warned that every country has its own bike laws and you must be careful when biking on roads and follow the bike signs. Many pedestrian areas make you get off the bike and walk it through so you do not cause an accident.

Walking: the old fashioned way. Places like Brussels, and even the inner city of Nuremberg are so tight nit that you can easily walk (if your wearing the right shoes of course) everywhere. If you are a crazy planner like myself, you will know what destination spots are where and how far apart each place is, and you can determine if you will only need to take the bus once, you don’t need a day pass, or if things are just simply too far away and it would be faster to brag a bike. Use Google Maps custom feature to map out your planned stops and it will be much easier to plan ahead to know if you need to purchase tickets now or wait till you arrive.