Using Subway and Rapid Transit Services

All of Europe's major cities have either a subway or a rapid transit connection to their principal train stations--and usually both. Subways save you steps by bringing you directly into the platform areas in many stations.  Rapid transit trains from the suburbs sometimes let you off on platforms parallel to the one from which you leave.  Almost all major cities have two or more train stations.  Be absolutely certain you go to the correct one.  You don't want to carry your luggage into Paris's Gare d'Austerlitz only to find out your train is boarding at the Gare de Lyon.

 

Finding Your Departure Platform

When you arrive, especially when you are in a hurry, immediately look for departure information.  This could be in the form of numeric signs, clacking digital signs, huge electronic displays, or most common, yellow posters--"Abfahrt," "Avgaende," "Depart," "Partenze," (not the white ones, or the ones printed in red in Holland)-which will confirm your departure time and tell you the number of the departure platform or track (Binario, Gleis, Quai,).

 

Locating Your Carriage

• While you are walking to your platform, look for posters or glassed-in bulletin boards with color-coded cutouts of lined-up train carriages.  You may see these anywhere, but most often right in the center of your departure platform.  It is easiest to pick out your train by its departure time.

 

On the posters you identify the carriage in which you have a reservation by the carriage number.  Often, vertical lines or strings are superimposed to form a grid and a sector letter (A,6,C,) indicates where your carriage now stands or will stand.  

 

• While looking at the train makeup, look to see whether your train is carrying a buffet or restaurant car and where it is located in relation to your carriage.  In French-language Swiss stations, instead of composition boards, the digital de­parture signs above the platforms give you the entire train makeup at the bottom.

 

When your train sweeps in and slows to a stop, begin walking to your carriage. Be sure to check that the signboard fixed to the outside agrees to your destination.

When you are carrying luggage, leave it in the space provided at the entryways of the salon carriages, but guard it carefully at station stops.  When it is light hoist it above your seat to the overhead rack.  When you sit in a compartment, you have overhead privileges.  Etiquette requires that you pile your suitcases in the space in the overhead rack directly above your seat and not distribute them randomly.  This makes it easy to see that your seat is occupied even when you leave for a moment.  With a reservation, you have an assigned seat.  Without one, you must be careful not to sit in one already reserved.  These are marked with paper or plastic strips inserted In seat backs or on the hallway doors.  On the other hand, when there is no slip or it says "non reserve", or nicht reserviert", it is available.  When the seat is reserved from Hamburg to Cologne, you are welcome to sit in it between Mainz and Basel.  In a compartment try to sit next to a window facing forward.  In a salon car, you can better appreciate the scenery by sitting next to a window at the back of the carriage.

 

Important!

Point to Point Ticket Holders

 

If you have been issued a "Point to Point" or single ticket for train travel and  you cancel your trip or do not travel on the ticket for any reason:

 

 

• Prior to departure:   If you cancel your trip and do not travel to Europe, you must return your tickets to our office at least 1 day prior to the validity date (which is printed on the ticket) for applicable refund.  Tickets received after the validity date are non-refundable and we will be unable to assist you.

 

• While in Europe:   If your plans change and you do not travel on the ticket,  you must take the ticket to a rail office (found in any station) and have Unused stamped on the ticket that you will not be using.  Failure to obtain this stamp will invalidate your option to obtain a refund (less applicable penalties)