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.
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