|
|
|
|
EUROPE
- TRAVELLING IN EUROPE |
|
It's easy enough to travel in Europe, and a
number of special deals and passes can make
it fairly economical too. Air links are
extensive, but also expensive, give or take
the odd charter deal in season, and with the
exception of Britain, where flying is the
cheapest way to reach much of the Continent.
In any case, you really appreciate the
diversity of Europe best at ground level, by
way of the enormous and generally efficient
web of rail, road and ferry connections that
covers the Continent.
By train
Though to some extent it depends on where
you intend to spend most of your time, train
is without doubt the best way to make a
tour of Europe. The rail network in most
countries is comprehensive, in some cases
exceptionally so, and the Continent boasts
some of the most scenic rail journeys you
could make anywhere in the world. Train
travel is relatively cheap, too, even in
the richer parts of northwest Europe,
where, apart from Britain (whose rail
system is in a state of virtual collapse
following privatization), trains are
heavily subsidized, and prices are brought
down further by the multiplicity of passes
and discount cards available, both
Europe-wide ( InterRail for those
based in Europe or the British Isles, Eurail
for anyone based elsewhere) and on an
individual country basis. In some
countries you'll find it makes more sense
to travel by bus, but if you're travelling
further afield buying a rail pass may
still pay dividends. We've covered the
various passes here, as well as the most
important international routes and most
useful addresses; supplementary details,
including frequencies and journey times of
domestic services, are given throughout
the Europe guide in each country's
"Travel details" section.
If you intend to do a lot of rail
travel, the Thomas Cook European
Timetable is an essential investment,
detailing the main lines throughout
Europe, as well as ferry connections, and
is updated monthly. Thomas Cook
also publish a rail map of Europe.
Finally, whenever you board an
international train in Europe, check the
route of the car you are in, since trains
frequently split, with different carriages
going to different destinations.
By bus
For most people on a tour of Europe, a bus
is something you take when there is no
train. There are some countries (Greece,
Turkey and Morocco are the most obvious
examples) where the trains are slow or
infrequent, and the bus network more
widespread. In other countries, Spain and
Portugal for example, the buses are
cheaper, more efficient and genereally a
more comfortable option. But on the whole
in Europe you'll find yourself using buses
for the odd trip here and there, usually
locally, since on long-distance journeys
between major European cities it's
generally slower, more uncomfortable and
not particularly cheap, especially if you
have a rail pass. If you have a limited
itinerary, however, a bus pass or circular
bus ticket can undercut a rail pass,
especially for over-26s. The Eurolines
pass is valid for unlimited travel between
47 cities in Europe and the British Isles
(though, with certain exceptions, it is
not supposed to be used for journeys that
do not cross international frontiers). It
costs £90 (£109 for over-26s) for 15
days between 16 September and 31 May, and
£120/145 between 1 June and 15 September.
For 30-day passes, those prices are £129/162
and £179/222, and for a 60-day pass they
are £162/205 and £195/259.
Alternatively, Busabout run
services for their own pass holders every
two or four days between April and October
(May to September in Spain and Portugal),
taking in the major cities of nine
European countries, with add-on
connections to two more, plus a link to
London and through tickets from elsewhere
in Britain and Ireland. Two-week Busabout
passes are £149 for youth or student
card-holders, £169 for others, rising to
£209/229 for 21 days, £279/309 for a
month, £429/479 for two months, £529/589
for three, and £629/699 for the whole
season. There are also Flexipasses for any
10 or 15 days in two months (£229/255 and
£329/369 respectively), 20 days in 3
months (£429/479), or 30 days in 4 months
(£599/659), with additional days at £25/30.
Busabout passes are available at travel
agents in Britain, North America or
Australasia (for further enquiries call:
in the US tel 1-800/664 4046, in Canada
tel 416/322 8468, in the UK tel 020/7950
1661, in Australia tel 02/9657 3333 and in
New Zealand tel 09/309 8824, or check
Busabout's Web site at www.busabout.com
).
Driving
In order to drive in Europe you need a
full and up-to-date driver's licence
. EC-approved licences, such as those now
issued in Britain and Ireland, are valid
throughout the EU, and in theory elsewhere
in Europe too. North American and
Australasian licences are also in theory
valid for driving in most of Europe (in
Italy, Austria and Spain you need to carry
a translation of this, available from your
national motoring organization), but it is
better to carry an International Driving
Licence, especially if you want to rent a
car. These are required in some East
European countries and are available from
national motoring organizations for a
small fee; you'll need to show your
driver's licence, passport, one passport
photo and proof of age (18 or over). You
should also carry your vehicle
registration document at all times (if the
named owner is not present on the trip
you'll need a letter from them authorizing
use of the vehicle) and, if taking your
own vehicle, be insured. Your existing
insurance policy may already provide
third-party cover for a certain period in
Europe (this is frequently the case with
British policies), but for some countries
you will need to take out a supplementary
policy. As proof of insurance cover, it's
sensible to get hold of an International
Green Card from your insurers - and it's
obligatory in certain countries anyway. In
case of breakdown, you can take out, at
extra cost, extended cover with automobile
associations, although the motoring
organizations of most countries operate
some kind of reciprocal breakdown
agreement with members of most foreign
motoring organizations, so if you are a
member it's wise to have your membership
documents with you as well. Your national
organization can provide a list of
countries with reciprocal arrangements. A
nationality plate should be displayed on
the rear of your vehicle, and a warning
triangle (which must be displayed if you
stop on the road) and first-aid kit are
either required or advised throughout
Europe. A fire extinguisher is obligatory
in Estonia, Lithuania, Greece and Turkey.
All the countries of mainland Europe drive
on the right-hand side of the road, so
your headlights should be adjusted
accordingly, and priority to traffic
coming from the right is a common rule of
the road. Pretty much every country
included in The Rough Guide to Europe
has a decent network of main roads; only
when you get onto minor roads do the
differences between southern, eastern and
northwestern Europe become really
apparent. In most of Europe motorways are
free, but in some countries tolls
are levied: in Greece, Spain and Portugal
these are fairly cheap; in France they
cost more but the primary roads there are
invariably excellent; in Italy the cost
can be substantial if you're travelling
long distances. Fuel prices vary from
around 52¢/36p for a litre of unleaded in
Poland, or 75¢/52p in Greece, Spain,
Poland and the Czech Republic, to a hefty
$1.20/84p in the UK and almost as much in
Norway and Finland; petrol is also pricey
in the Netherlands, France, Belgium,
Italy, Sweden, Denmark and Germany, while
in Eastern Europe it is generally cheaper.
Leaded petrol is being withdrawn in most
European countries, and is already
unavailable in a few. Diesel is usually
only slightly cheaper than gasoline; in
Britain, amazingly, it actually costs
more.
The alternative to taking your own car
is to rent one on the spot. Compared to
rates in North America, this can be
expensive, and you may find it cheaper to
arrange things in advance through one of
the multinational chains, or by opting for
some kind of fly-drive deal. If you do
rent a car in Europe, rates for a small
hatchback start at £140/$200 a week
(depending on the country and the time of
year) if you book in advance, usually more
if you rent on the spot; we've given more
precise details in the relevant sections
of the guide but in general costs are
higher in Scandinavia and northern Europe,
lower in eastern and southern Europe.
Unlimited mileage deals (as opposed to
those where you pay a charge per kilometre)
work out better value and give more
flexibility. To rent a car you'll need to
present your driving licence, sometimes an
international driver's permit, and should
be at least 21 years of age with more than
one year's driving experience, though
these regulations can vary some countries
like Italy will not rent out a car if you
don't have a credit card to put down a
returnable deposit; if in doubt, check in
advance with the car rental company or
your home motoring organization. Note also
that some firms don't allow you to take
their cars across country borders.
By ferry
Travelling by ferry is often the
most practical way to get from one part of
Europe to another, the obvious routes
being from the mainland to the
Mediterranean islands, as well as moving
between the countries bordering the Baltic
and Adriatic Seas. There are countless
routes across the whole of Europe serving
a huge range of destinations, too numerous
to outline here, so where possible we've
given the details of ferries to other
countries within individual Guide
accounts. For further details of schedules
and operators, see the Thomas Cook
European Timetable , or visit the Web
site www.ex.ac.uk/~mspunter/ifg .
Hitching
If you're not sticking to a definite
itinerary - and, in some countries, even
if you are - hitching can be as
good a way to get around as any, with the
added advantages of being cheaper and much
more sociable. When hitching, it's
important to choose a place where a car
can see you in good time and preferably
has a place to pull over if they decide to
pick you up. Hitching on motorways is
illegal pretty much throughout Europe, in
which case you should try motorway service
stations or slip roads - though success at
these can be patchy. Travel as light as
possible - enormous backpacks tend to put
drivers off - and carry a decent road map.
Always look clean and presentable, and
always, even if you have been waiting
several hours for a lift, smile. Whether
you use a sign or not is up to you:
opinions differ about whether it helps,
but it may put off drivers who could take
you part of the way. Hitching is of course
always a risky business - you never know
quite who will pick you up - and women in
particular should be wary of hitching
alone. As for when to hitch, generally
it's better to make an early start during
the week, when you'll pick up most
long-distance traffic. Germany is by far
the best country in Europe to hitch in,
though the Netherlands and Belgium are
good, as in general are Britain and
Ireland. Southern Europe can be patchy,
while Scandinavia is notoriously bad.
Though it might seem like cheating, there
are a few countries (France and Germany
most notably) which have hitchhiking
organizations that for a fee will put you
in touch with a driver going your way who
wants to share petrol costs. This may seem
to take the excitement out of hitching,
but if you've been waiting several days
for a lift it can be a godsend.
|
