Wednesday, October 23, 2013

Buying train tickets for travel in Europe




First forget everything you know about shopping for airline tickets. There are no “digital travel agencies” that find you the cheapest tickets possible on each route. The sites that purport to do that actually charge quite a bit more than buying direct from the railway. For my upcoming trips from Prague to Amsterdam and then onto Paris I purchased three tickets from two different railway websites in two different countries and will be riding on trains operated by German, Belgian and French railway companies. Confusing? At first, but read along as I explain the methods to the madness.
                I purchased tickets in order of the journeys I’m taking. So Prague to Amsterdam was first. I’ll be taking the City Night Line train operated by Deutsche Bahn, the German railways. My options for purchasing a ticket for the City Night line were the DB website, Czech Railways and Nederlandse Spoorwegen, the Dutch rail system’s website. Both the Czech and Dutch websites were cheaper. But the Czech railways do not offer an e-ticket option that I can print out myself. I could have my ticket mailed to me or I can pay a surcharge to pick it up from a ticket counter. The NS website not only has an English language mirror, accepts US credit cards but also has the option of allowing me to print out my ticket myself. Here is what the ticket looks like:


                Next were the Thalys and TGV trains to get from Amsterdam to Charles De Gaulle airport. The Thalys is a jointly operated by Belgium and The Netherlands so I was able to purchase my ticket from Amsterdam to Brussels on the NS site, though I could have booked directly with Thalys for the same price. I’ll change trains in Brussels for the French operated TGV. The option to buy a ticket on the TGV for that route via the NS website did not exist so I booked directly with SNCF Voyages, operator of the TGV. That website had an e-ticket option but would not take my credit card for some reason. Luckily they do accept Paypal. By booking directly with SNCF I was able to score a discounted "Prems" ticket, special internet only offers available on SNCF's website. The ticket landed me a first class ticket from Brussels to Roissy for LESS than a 2nd class! A plush solo window seat, not your usual Vagabond accommodations, but at a Vagabond price.

                Booking rail travel across Europe can seem daunting at first and you may be tempted to take the easy, but expensive way out.  But  I suggest you visit the website The Man in Seat 61, read it thoroughly and take the time to explore the various rail agency websites to find what works for you. A few points to keep in mind when shopping; make sure the railway has a print at home ticket option, make sure the website accepts your payment type, and it’s easiest to book with the state railway company of your country of origin or destination, i.e. Prague to Amsterdam—Czech Republic or The Netherlands.
                Our next few posts will be about my experiences on the City Night Line and the Thalys/TGV hi-speed rail lines.

Monday, September 9, 2013

Carny

Ever dream of running away and joining the circus carnival? 

Ringling Brothers, Barnum & Bailey is well known for it's circus trains. But did you know that Strates Shows is America's only railroad carnival? With 50 flat cars, 10 sleeping cars and a generator car the Strates train is not as diverse as Ringling Brothers but isn't any smaller. In their heyday dozens of circuses and carnivals traveled by rail, most based out of Florida for a winter quarters. In 1911 there were 32 different circus trains. The Great Depression dealt a near death blow to the circus train with only three remaining by 1939. Post-war prosperity briefly boosted the number to six but advances in trucks and the development of the Interstate Highway System quickly dwindled the shows to two and then only the Ringling Brothers, Barnum & Bailey show.* Numbers separating Carnival from Circus trains have been difficult to ascertain. But another carnival is worth mentioning here. The Royal America Shows which at it's pinnacle in the late 60's was moved on nearly 100 cars. Now only two remain. Ringling Brothers, Barnum & Bailey (with two consists) and Strates Shows.

Co-founder David Bonetti recently filmed the Strates Carnival train in Pennsylvania;





For an in depth documentary done about thirteen years ago follow watch Folkstreams.net "Carnival Train" a nearly two hour long video on the Strates Show. About twenty minutes is exclusively rail related. The rest goes into the history, the culture and the lifestyle of the carnival and the people who make it happen. The carny's.

*Figures and dates from http://www.trainweb.org/circus/golden_years.htm

Tuesday, September 3, 2013

Train Spotting (Rail Fanning) Amsterdam Centraal 24 Oct 12


In Europe it's called "Train Spotting" in the US it's "Rail Fanning" When searching YouTube for videos of trains before traveling abroad it's helpful to know the right terms.Co-creator David Bonetti brings you today's helpful hint. Co-creator Matthew Picciotto demonstrates his mediocre handheld iPad video skills in this short video shot in The Netherlands last autumn.

Welcome to The Hobo Proletariat




Welcome to The Hobo Proletariat; Not just a blog but a community of Vagabonds with a common interest in honest affordable rail travel experiences. The owners of The Hobo Proletariat aren't looking for followers we are looking to create a community.

Fellow Vagabonds are you looking for stories, videos and insights into rail travel for the masses? Do you dream of crossing Russia on the Trans-Siberian and wonder whether to travel by 3rd or 2nd class? Then you’ve come to the right place. We don’t have anything to offer the bourgeois with their first class lounges and private sleeping compartments. But we can tell you which waffles out of the vending machines in a Netherlands train station taste the best. Come aboard as we discover and then share with you tips for negotiating the Moscow subway, a translation guide for the Washington DC Metro conductors and many other adventures.

The videos and photographs we share are all taken with “semi-pro”, “Prosumer” or lesser equipment. After all we aren’t National Geographic or PBS. We don’t have a film crew to follow us around. But we are serious about photography. Some people like golf, some like to collect stamps, we like taking pictures. But as Vagabonds ourselves we don’t have $10,000 to spend on recording equipment.

Our goal when you view our work is to not think “I could never do that”. Our goal is for you to think “I could do that if I only (took a photography class at the community college, cleaned the lens on my phone, took my camera instead of my iPad with me the next time I rode the metro…)" So follow along and when you feel ready to join email us with guest posts or videos.