Europe Train Travel

Taking the Train in the Netherlands

The Netherlands is more than just Amsterdam. With the Thalys Train offering half price fares from Amsterdam to Paris, you can see all of the Netherlands on the cheap!

Once you’ve wandered along Amsterdam’s canals, seen the Van Gogh museum why not head south to gritty Rotterdam for the sharp angles of its mainly post-war architecture. Then head west to stately Den Haag (The Hague), stopping at Vermeer’s hometown of Delft on the way. Travel to the far north to explore Groningen, a university town full of lively bars. Don’t forget cosmopolitan Maastricht, sandwiched between Belgium and Germany in the hilly south. Sound like fun?

European Rail Passes can take you there, whether you want to explore the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg, expand into Germany & France or perhaps you want to do it all?

For more information or to book a train journey, visit Railplus.

The legendary Trans-Siberian

Looking for a unique way to see the world’s biggest continent? The Trans-Siberian express is one of the worlds longest and most notorious train journeys that covers the vast area of Russia, Europe, and the Orient.

Whilst there are many packages available from other tour operators on the Trans-Siberian Railway, nearly all will involve travel on the regular Trans-Siberian trains - which have nothing but the most basic facilities. What is unique about this tour programme is that it specialises only in travel by high quality Private Trains. With a range of itineraries ranging between 13 and 15 days you can experience the legendary Trans Siberian in comfort and style.

Few other journeys enable the passenger to relax so completely during their course, and to become lost in the rhythm of the journey as time zones and the urgency to arrive both become meaningless.

The best way to experience the Trans-Siberian Railway is with a little luxury. Unique to Railplus, this tour programme specialises only in travel by high quality Private Trains. With a range of itineraries ranging between 13 and 15 days, you can experience the legendary Trans-Siberian in comfort and style.

Few other journeys enable the passenger to relax so completely during their trip and to become lost in the rhythm of the journey, as time zones and the urgency to arrive at a destination both become meaningless.

For more information about the journey including costs, itineraries and photos, visit Railplus.

More than cheese

Switzerland has so much to offer and, thanks to Railplus, you can see a huge part of it for free.

Purchase a Swiss Pass or a Swiss Fexi Pass through Railplus and enjoy free public transport in over 37 towns and cities, free entry to over 400 museums and exhibitions and a 50% discount on most mountain trains and cable cars, making travelling around Switzerland even more affordable.

The Swiss Pass is for four, eight, 15, 21, 22 days or 31 days consecutive travel, with a 15 day pass costing $520 for an adult and $390 for a youth fare. Youth fares are available to those under 26.  If travelling in a group of two-five adults you can take advantage of an Adult Saver Fare at $443.

A five day Adult Swiss Flexi Pass is $402 and $343/$514 for Adult Saver. Flexi Passes are also available in three, four or six days travel within one month.

Children aged 6-15 years accompanied by a parent travel free of charge with a free Swiss Family Card which is available only at time of booking the passes. Children under five years are free of charge without a seat.

If travelling to Switzerland make the most and contact Railplus on 1300 555 003 or visit, www.railplus.com.au

High speed Europe

Europe just got faster. In sync with the current trend for more airlines to fly passengers directly into smaller cities in Europe (Venice, Milan, Manchester and Nice) comes the news that rail journeys in Europe are smoother and faster than ever. In July this year, seven European high speed train operators announced the start of Railteam allowing travellers to access high speed train travel across the borders of Western Europe.

The network will link over 45 major city destinations covering 6000 km of track by 2010. The seven train operators in Railteam are SNCF (France), SBB (Switzerland), Eurostar (UK, France and Belgium), Deutsche Bahn (Germany), SNCB (Belgium), NS Hispeed (The Netherlands), ÖBB (Austria), and subsidiaries Thalys, Lyria and Alleo. Australian travellers have traditionally proven to be very enthusiastic supporters of Eurail, and little wonder. The time saved transferring by train, compared to delays, hassles and stress associated with car or air travel, and the bonus of using a ‘greene’ form of transport is complimented by continual service improvements including:

Solving missed connections
If for any reason, a traveller misses their connection because of a late running service, Railteam will ensure they can hop on the next train, irrespective of the ticket type they have.
Info hubs
Railteam information points will be installed in five main hubs (Brussels, Cologne, Lille, Frankfurt and Stuttgart), and, in the coming months, at other major stations such as London, Strasbourg, Amsterdam and in the main high-speed train stations in Paris.
Multi-lingual information
Multi-lingual announcements and info boards onboard trains and in stations will ensure international travellers know where, when and how to connect onto other services.

To see timetables and booking options visit www.railplus.com.au now

Relax by rail

Europe by road or rail? For us there is no choice – it’s rail all the way when you can travel city to city and arrive in the heart of an ancient European capital.
Reach your end destination in a relaxed, refreshed state due to the stress free environment train travel provides.

Driving for hours on roads you have never driven on before is mentally exhausting. There is also no need to get intimate with a street directory and spend hours over your journey trying to work out where you are. Or have a massive argument with your nearest and dearest about what caduti massi really means? (Falling rocks, so watch out!!)

Having to stop for toilet breaks can be an issue driving however there is a convenient toilet in the train. On a train you can read a book, take in the fantastic scenery or a have a sleep. Unfortunately if you’re in a car and the driver you can do none of these things. What’s more many trains have bars so you can sip champagne while traveling at 300 km ph!!
Some of our favourite journeys (and railway stations) include:
Paris – Avignon – Enjoy the scenery and cuisine of Provence
Madrid-Toledo - Stay in this stunning world heritage town
Hamburg-Copenhagen Cross the water and borders, and enjoy a ferry in-between
Verona – Lucerne – unbeatable mountain scenery
Research your Eurail pass here
www.railplus.com.au

Switzerland by train, bus and boat

Swiss travel just gets easier with a choice of six different passes which will allow you to tailor your travel to suit your time, your preferred sightseeing and your family requirements. AboutSeniors were lucky enough to sample some of the delightful journeys available, but the options of train, bus and boat on one pass mean you’ll need a longer stay to enjoy the diversity. One of our favourites is the GoldenPassLine, but the Swiss Chocolate Train also sounds unforgettable.

The Chocolate Train is a great one for the grandkids. Travelling from Montreux to Gruyeres to Broc and back in a first class Belle Epoque Pullman car (vintage 1915), you will visit the Gruyeres cheese factory and sample chocolate at the home of Nestle. The six travel options on offer form Swiss Rail include a Swiss Pass, a Swiss Flexi Pass, a Swiss Youth Pass, Swiss Card and Swiss Travel System Family Card. The options are described in detail on the Railplus website then choose ‘Railpass Summary’, then the Swiss option of most interest.