Eastern and Central Europe (Eyewitness Travel Guides)

18 VISITING EASTERN AND CENTRAL EUROPE

TRAINS AND TICKETS

The rail network in Eastern
and Central Europe features
every kind of train, at every
speed. Among the fastest and
most comfort able are the
InterCity (IC) services, which
link major centres and make
few stops. Faster still are the
Euro City (EC) international
trains which connect big cities
and may run through several
countries en route. Most IC
and EC routes are equipped
with modern, air-conditioned
carriages offering both first-
and second-class seating.
Slightly slower are the
regional express trains, which
operate under differ ent names
in various coun tries. Slower
still, regional pass enger trains
serve the local commu nity
and stop at all stations en
route. These passenger trains
only offer second-class seat-
ing and the carriages are
frequently old and basic.
Tickets should be bought at
the ticket counter in the
station before boarding the
train. Some sta tions have
separate counters for domes-
tic and international trains; it
is best to confirm before
queuing up. Many IC and EC
trains offer seat reser vations
for a small extra cost. It is also
advisable to check whether
regional and inter national
express services have buffet
cars; many do not.

TRAIN ROUTES

The best IC and EC services
are in Central Europe, where
all major capitals and regional
cities are served by fast,
punctual trains. Using the rail
network to tour Austria, the
Czech Republic, Slovakia,

Poland, Hungary, Slovenia

and northern Croatia is very

convenient and problem-free.

However, in South Eastern

Europe, services between

the main cities in Bosnia

and Herzegovina, Serbia,

Romania and Bulgaria are

relatively slow, and visitors

might consi der travelling by

bus instead. In North Eastern

Europe, the capital cities of

Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia

are only connected by bus.

Several railway journeys are

worth making for the fantastic

scenery along the route.

The express train from

Belgrade, in Serbia, to Bar, in

Montenegro, passes through

dramatic mountain terrain.

Much slower, but equally

delightful, is the Bulgarian

narrow-gauge line from

Bansko to Septemvri, which

goes through a bewitching

high land land scape. The rail

routes connecting central

Romanian towns such as

Braşov, Sibiu and Sighişoara

pass through some of

Europe’s loveliest rural coun-

tryside, while travelling from

Vienna in Austria to the

Slovenian capital Ljubljana or

the Croatian capital Zagreb

features some gorgeous

subalpine terrain.

INFORMATION AND

TIMETABLES

Most of the national rail

companies in the region have

websites with relevant time-

table details. However,

information is not always

available in English, and

international rail routes across

the whole continent are not

consistently covered. The

best source of inform ation

on international services is

German Railways (Deutsche

Bahn), whose website pro-

vides a timetable for most

des tinations in Eastern and

Central Europe. Excellent

advice on trans-European

travel can also be found on

The Man in Seat 61, a website

run by dedicated rail enthu-

siasts. In addition, Thomas

Cook publishes a European

Railway Timetable which

covers all the main routes

in Europe. This can be

bought from branches of

Thomas Cook in the UK,

or purchased online.

RAIL PASSES FOR

NON-EUROPEANS

For non-Europeans, the

cheapest way to explore the

region by rail is to buy one

of the many passes available

from Eurail. For those trav-

elling from North America

or Australasia, it is cheaper

to buy one before travelling.

The official repre sentative for

Eurail in North America is

Railpass. Eurail passes cover

Austria, Bulgaria, the Czech

Republic, Croatia, Hungary,

Romania and Slovenia, but

do not extend to Bosnia and

Herzegovina, Estonia, Latvia,

Lithuania, Montenegro, Serbia,

Poland, Slovakia or Russia.

Several kinds of Eurail

passes are available. Eurail

Select covers unlimited first-

class travel in a cluster of

three to five countries of the

visitor’s choice, with passes

valid for periods ranging from

five days to two months.

The Eurail Global pass covers

first-class travel in the seven

countries in Eastern and

Central Europe mentioned

above as well as in 14

countries in Western Europe,

for periods ranging from 15

days to three months. The

Eurail Youthpass is a cheaper,

second-class version of the

Global pass, available to

those aged under 26.

RAIL PASSES FOR

EUROPEANS

For Europeans, the best

option is the Inter-Rail pass,

which can be purchased from

Rail Europe or from the main

train operators in individual

Eastern and Central Europe is covered by an extensive

and comprehensive rail network, but services vary
in speed and comfort from one part of the region to
another. Buses are a popular means of transport through-
out, covering towns and villages that are not served by
trains. Good-quality modern motorways connect the
major cities but, away from the main routes, road
surfaces can be poor. Boat trips are a great way to view
the region’s beautiful scenery, but can be expensive.

Eastern and Central Europe

by Train, Road and Ferry