Brussels or bust....
- Thread starter Christine
- Start date
What is the I.C.E. train? Is this a high speeder?
High speed with class! They have SRO or private compartments that are spacious. Between 1st and 2nd class there is cafe were you can buy something decent to eat. And if you are fortunate to ride in a private room the waiter will come and take your order. I was very impress my trip from Frankfurt to Arnhem was very comfortable and the sight seeing was fantastic.
Not hard at all! All of the major Autobahns are there, so you'll have no problem! No, roadsigns won't always be in English. Since you're coming from the US, I'd take a quick look at the European road signs. The ones that you really have to be aware of is who has the right of way on certain streets!
Correct!
In terms of saving money and convenience, yes you'll need a car. Riding the train is expensive in Europe, especially if you don't want to ride regional lines which take forever! ICE is very expensive in Germany and depending on how long you're going you can expect at least a 50 EUR ticket, one way. Within the cities may be a bit more difficult with a car. If you can, try to get a rental with a navigation system. Many of those cities are filled with one way roads that can start to get very confusing. Either bring someone who can read a map very well and very quickly or get a rental with a Navi!
Hmmmm, IDK. Really depends on what you want to doCologne is very expensive and if you will be speaking German, get ready to ask "Wie?!" a lot since the Germans in Cologne speak funny, lol
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Be careful driving on the German autobahns. Typically there is no speed limit on there (unless there is a sign that says otherwise) and many people drive very fast. Here are some rules that Americans (including myself!) tend to forget:
- You can't pass on the right. I was a big fan of this when I lived in the states and I know a lot of Americans who live near me have made this mistake and have gotten tickets from the police.
- No right turns on reds. VERY VERY important! Even if nobody is coming, you're still not allowed to turn until the special right hand turn light comes on.
- When driving in cities, there is a special sign that says which road has the "Vorfahrt". You must abide by these signs and if you take somebody's "Vorfahrt" away, be prepared for a very angry German. Sorry, should have explained what vorfahrt is. Basically, it's the road that has priority over the others
I'm going to go look now for a website with the road signs just so you'll have an idea what they look like
Here's a mention of the I.C.E. train.
I agree, the ICE is very nice to ride in! I ride in it nearly everyday to and from school..Luckily I dont have to go far (only from one station to the next) so it is relatively cheap for me since it is included in my student ticket
The food on the ICE is great..But watch out if you're going on a Friday or Sunday!! The Kiel->München line is crazy full with Young soldiers who are going home to visit their families. Unless you reserve a seat expect to have to stand for a little bit. I am not sure about the other lines, since I have never riden them, but I typically ride from Lichtenfels to Bamberg
For hotels, I'd recommend reading around on tripadvisor. I swear by it since you can see real photos of the hotel and read some good and detailed reviews! Unless there is something major going on in the city (convention, festival, etc) you shouldn't really have a problem getting a hotel.
The food on the ICE is great..But watch out if you're going on a Friday or Sunday!! The Kiel->München line is crazy full with Young soldiers who are going home to visit their families. Unless you reserve a seat expect to have to stand for a little bit. I am not sure about the other lines, since I have never riden them, but I typically ride from Lichtenfels to Bamberg
For hotels, I'd recommend reading around on tripadvisor. I swear by it since you can see real photos of the hotel and read some good and detailed reviews! Unless there is something major going on in the city (convention, festival, etc) you shouldn't really have a problem getting a hotel.
Here's a mention of the I.C.E. train.
Ah thanks... saw that but didn't put two and two togther.. I'm not that bright.
If we end up doing the train thing (instead of car) we probably won't be taking any trains that require a long stay. Most likely we won't venture past Paris and or Cologne but hey if we do that train sounds mighty nice!
I was messing around at lunch and found some Eurail passes for around $350 us that will get us from Benelux - Germany - france. That doesn't sound too shabby.. they did mention extra fees for the high-speed trains though.. I'll bet that's where they getcha for the cash!
Ah thanks... saw that but didn't put two and two togther.. I'm not that bright.
If we end up doing the train thing (instead of car) we probably won't be taking any trains that require a long stay. Most likely we won't venture past Paris and or Cologne but hey if we do that train sounds mighty nice!
I was messing around at lunch and found some Eurail passes for around $350 us that will get us from Benelux - Germany - france. That doesn't sound too shabby.. they did mention extra fees for the high-speed trains though.. I'll bet that's where they getcha for the cash!
Those Eurorail passes definitely won't include high-speed trains like the ICE and Thalys (I believe it's called)! When going through Germany, look for special deals like the Ländertickets. I know they have it in Bavaria and Hessen, but I am not sure about the Köln region. In Bavaria, we have one called Bayern Ticket and it costs around $27 for up to 5 people and you can travel anywhere in Bavaria with regional trains (RE - Regional Express and RB - Regional Bahn) and it's not that bad of a deal. On the Bayern Ticket, it requires that you begin your travels after 9am, and I don't believe that it can be used on Saturday's and Sundays, but I am not exactly sure of that!
Again, that's just for Bavaria but I can't imagine that the other 'states' in Germany don't have them!
If you don't mind only riding regional trains (slower trains) then the EuroRail pass doesn't sound bad, but be sure to read all of the fine print and restrictions!!
BTW, in case you wanted to know: ICE stands for Inter City Express
I lived in Germany for nearly 4 yrs. You are so going to fall in love with Koln especially the huge department store near the Cathedral. Best avoided on a Saturday though!
Driving no problem I drove a brit car on the opposite side of the road all over Belgium, Holland, Germany and France with no problems what-so-ever.
For me personally a boat trip on the Rhine is a must especially if you will be there for Rhine in Flames - I've attached a link that explains what this is all about.
http://www.rlp-info.de/index.php?id=696&L=2
have a fab time.
Driving no problem I drove a brit car on the opposite side of the road all over Belgium, Holland, Germany and France with no problems what-so-ever.
For me personally a boat trip on the Rhine is a must especially if you will be there for Rhine in Flames - I've attached a link that explains what this is all about.
http://www.rlp-info.de/index.php?id=696&L=2
have a fab time.
Well it looks like the Eurail select passes do include the high speed trains.. but there is a catch. There are certain fare classes and if yours is gone you are SOL. I may just end up buying local.
I cannot wait to get out of town (thanks all, btw, for the wonderful advice). Going to purchase the air travel this evening!
Wooot!!!
I cannot wait to get out of town (thanks all, btw, for the wonderful advice). Going to purchase the air travel this evening!
Wooot!!!