Derek F

"Krist" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
    > Derek F wrote:
    > > Another point there
    > > was that you have to sit in the actual seat that you reserved even when
    > > there are spare seats. It seems that they like to be able to identify
    > > passengers if there is a disaster!
    > More likely to make it easier for the conductor to see who is travelling
    > beyond the validity of their ticket.
    > --
    > Krist
Amtrak have a good system for that where the conductor attaches a ticket to
the overhead rack.
Derek.

Derek F

"Øystein" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
    > "Derek F" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:<[email protected]>...
    > > Most countries are OK but we found problems in Norway
    > True! Bus is often a better alternative in Norway. The prices are much
    > lower, there are often more buses than train per day, you can rech far
    > more destinations by bus than by train, you don't need a seat
    > reservation and many bus routs set up an extra bus if the the first is
    > full booked. Generally the standard is high on Norwegian long distance
    > buses.
    > Check out the bus alternative for other countries as well, you might
    > get a nice suprise!
    > Øystein
Personally I don't like bus travel. In America though I normally by travel
by Greyhound as Amtrak routes do not connect up. We wanted to go from
Niagara to Burlington,Vermont ( no great distance as the eagle flies) To do
it we had to take the train to NYC, stay the night and then get a train to
Burlington.
Derek.

Derek F

"Mark Hewitt" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
    > "Krist" <[email protected]> wrote in message
    > news:[email protected]...
    > > Alan Harrison wrote:
    > > > "Krist" <[email protected]> wrote in message
    > > > news:[email protected]...
    > > >
    > > Even then many railways will not apply a "penalty" if you board a train
    > > without a ticket and go the the conductor immediately and offer to buy
    > > a ticket. You might be charged extra though.
    > >
    > > The penalties for fare dodgers only apply if you are cought dodging the
    > > fare... And that is not the same thing as boarding without a fare.
    > >
    > Mainline services in the UK do not apply a penalty if you purchase a
ticket
    > on the train. However no discounts will be given, you must pay the full
    > single fare.
    > What is unclear however is that many times I board a train and then
    > subsequently get off at my destination without a gripper having come
around
    > to sell/check tickets. What happens if there is then a ticket inspection
at
    > my destination station?
I was on a GNER train from Edinburgh to London. At Durham a group of
students got on. One did not have a valid ticket for that train, it was an
APEX restricted ticket for a later train that day. He was given two choices
pay the full of over £100 or get off at Darlington and wait four hours for
his correct train.
Derek.

Tim

"Martin Stock" <[email protected]> wrote in message news[email protected]...
    >
    > "sean" <[email protected]> schrieb im Newsbeitrag
    > news:[email protected]...
    > > This might be too general but can one generally get train tickets say
    > > an hour before taking off or should you always book ahead when you
    > > can? Or does it totally depend on where you are going to/from?
    > An hour before the train leaves is plenty of time.
    > Of course you have to consider that sometimes there are longer queues at the
    > desks for international tickets.
    > And these tickets are not sold at ticket machines.
    > Most trains (except of few trains like the French TGVs where reservation is
    > compulsory) will always allow you to board the train. Only if the train is
    > full and you've not reserved a seat you may end up sitting on the floor.
    > In the case of Amsterdam - Hannover this risk is low.
    >
    > I'm more the type of "... oh - isn't this the sound of train doors opening?
    > Shit - why can this machine print the ticket not a bit faster?"
    >
    > > I need to travel from Amsterdam to Hannover mid august and it looks
    > > like there are 3 or 4 trains leaving between 8 and 12 in the morning,
    > > so I assume I'll be ok. the order form for the sight (bahn.de) is all
    > > in German so I'd rather not order now. Any general rules to go by?
    > DB is nearly perfect. They ship the tickets virtually to every country in
    > the world. Inner German tickets can be even printed out at home on your PC
    > until 1 hour before departure if you have a credit card.
    > Nearly ... that people not only want to use their timetable (which is
    > available in English, French and Italian) for inquiries, but that they may
    > even dare to order a ticket seems to be beyond DB's imagination.

Click on the 'International' page and you'll be presented with a questionaire
on which you'll be able to tell them this. Oh damn, now everybody knows,
I have less chance of winning the prize.

Tim



    >
    >

Tim

"Alan Harrison" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
    > "Krist" <[email protected]> wrote in message
    > news:[email protected]...
    > > As a last resort, just hop on the train, and buy your ticket from the
    > > conductor...
    > But before doing so, ensure that this is acceptable for that country and
    > that particular train.
    > In Britain, for example, you can buy your ticket on the train on the Gatwick
    > Express with no penalty, but many other trains, especially commuter trains
    > in major conurbations, are subject to penalty fares for passengers found
    > without a ticket.

and on even more you'll get all the way to the destination without anyone
even thinking of asking to see your ticket.

Tim


    > Alan Harrison

Tim

"sean" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
    > This might be too general but can one generally get train tickets say
    > an hour before taking off or should you always book ahead when you
    > can? Or does it totally depend on where you are going to/from?
    > I need to travel from Amsterdam to Hannover mid august and it looks
    > like there are 3 or 4 trains leaving between 8 and 12 in the morning,
    > so I assume I'll be ok. the order form for the sight (bahn.de) is all
    > in German so I'd rather not order now. Any general rules to go by?

Can you buy Plan&Spar for NL to D (you can for the reverse)?
You'll have to book 7 days ahead to save 25% if it is available

Tim



    > thanks,
    > Sean

Sean

thanks all, seems the worst is that I'll just take the next train if I
don't make the one I want


sean

Krist <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
    > Martin Stock wrote:
    > > "sean" <[email protected]> schrieb im Newsbeitrag
    > > news:[email protected]...
    > >
    > >>This might be too general but can one generally get train tickets say
    > >>an hour before taking off or should you always book ahead when you
    > >>can? Or does it totally depend on where you are going to/from?
    > >
    > > An hour before the train leaves is plenty of time.
    > > Of course you have to consider that sometimes there are longer queues at the
    > > desks for international tickets.
    >
    > Yes, but often people whose trains are leaving within an hour queue up
    > in their own queue, and can get their tickets faster. I once ordered a
    > Thalys ticket in Rotterdam by just pointing at the train (which was
    > already in the station...). I made it on that train without problem.
    > And when your request is simple, like a ticket to a big city across the
    > border you can often buy your tickets at the domestic ticket offices.
    > For example, in Switzerland you can get most international tickets from
    > the domestic ticket windows, but you usually can't get reservations there.
    > As a last resort, just hop on the train, and buy your ticket from the
    > conductor...
    >
    > Last summer I travelled from Split to Bern. I started out carrying a
    > domestic ticket Split - Zagreb, and an international ticket Zager -
    > Ljubljana. The reason was that I wasn't sure that I'd make my conenction
    > in Zagreb, and might have to take the next train to Ljubljana. If I made
    > my connection the fasted rout to Bern would be via Trieste in Italy, if
    > I didn't the fasted would suddenly become a routing via Austria. I
    > wanted my options open.
    >
    > I made my connection in Zagreb (my train was late, but so was the other,
    > or they held the connection, I don't know) with about 10 seconds to
    > spare, and then bought a ticket to Trieste in Ljublijana during my 40
    > min. layover there. Then during my on hour layover in Trieste I bought
    > my ticket to Bern (and my Cisalpino reservation...) Al in all I beat the
    > fasted route suggested by the DB site by about three hours... :-)
    >
    > Had I missed my conenction in Zagreb then the next train would have been
    > an EC to Austria an hour or so later. I'd have bought Ljublijana -
    > Villach in Zagreb, and Villach - Bern in Austria then...
    >
    > I rarely buy tickets in advance. This is the main reason why I still
    > prefer trains to planes, as with planes you really need to plan ahead to
    > much...
    >
    > Greetings,

Ulf Kutzner

Derek F schrieb:
    >
    > Most countries are OK but we found problems in Norway when we had a Scanrail
    > pass. On most long distance trains a seat reservation was needed and as it
    > was the peak Norwegian holiday season we found that we could not get north
    > of Tronheim as the two train a day route was booked up.

Not even on the afternoon train to Mo i Rana?

<http://www.nsb.no/internet/diverse/rutetider/pdf/juni03/71_trondheim_bodo.pdf>

The morning railcar 471 is replaced by a loco-hauled train 461 during
summer season, IIUC. They should be able to add extra cars to it during
peaks.

Regards & X-post, ULF

Derek F

"Ulf Kutzner" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
    > Derek F schrieb:
    > >
    > > Most countries are OK but we found problems in Norway when we had a
Scanrail
    > > pass. On most long distance trains a seat reservation was needed and as
it
    > > was the peak Norwegian holiday season we found that we could not get
north
    > > of Tronheim as the two train a day route was booked up.
    > Not even on the afternoon train to Mo i Rana?
<http://www.nsb.no/internet/diverse/r...ondheim_bodo.p
df>
    > The morning railcar 471 is replaced by a loco-hauled train 461 during
    > summer season, IIUC. They should be able to add extra cars to it during
    > peaks.
    > Regards & X-post, ULF
The only way we could go was south. I even thought about a side trip to
Sweden but there was track work going on and some trains had been replaced
by buses. So I could not even get to Hell.
Derek

Ulf Kutzner

Derek F schrieb:
    >
    > "Ulf Kutzner" <[email protected]> wrote in message
    > news:[email protected]...
    > > Derek F schrieb:
    > > >
    > > > Most countries are OK but we found problems in Norway when we had a
    > Scanrail
    > > > pass.

    > The only way we could go was south. I even thought about a side trip to
    > Sweden but there was track work going on and some trains had been replaced
    > by buses. So I could not even get to Hell.

Didn't they accept your Scanrail pass on the replacement buses, or did
you want to travel rail only?

Regards, ULF

Derek F

"Ulf Kutzner" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
    > Derek F schrieb:
    > >
    > > "Ulf Kutzner" <[email protected]> wrote in message
    > > news:[email protected]...
    > > > Derek F schrieb:
    > > > >
    > > > > Most countries are OK but we found problems in Norway when we had a
    > > Scanrail
    > > > > pass.
    > > The only way we could go was south. I even thought about a side trip to
    > > Sweden but there was track work going on and some trains had been
replaced
    > > by buses. So I could not even get to Hell.
    > Didn't they accept your Scanrail pass on the replacement buses, or did
    > you want to travel rail only?
    > Regards, ULF
We wanted to travel by train. The replacement bus service in Sweden seemed
to involve a long wait where we needed to change.
Derek.

Hatunen

On Tue, 5 Aug 2003 21:31:24 +0000 (UTC), "Alan Harrison"
<[email protected]> wrote:

    >Another curiosity of British rail pricing is that it is quite possible when
    >a train goes from A to B via C, the price from A to B may be lower than that
    >from A to C. Yes, there has actually been a case of a railway company
    >imposing an extra fare on someone who wanted to alight at a destination
    >BEFORE the (lower priced) station to which they had booked.

Happens all the time with airline fares.

************* DAVE HATUNEN ([email protected]) *************
* Tucson Arizona, out where the cacti grow *
* My typos & mispellings are intentional copyright traps *

Alan Harrison

"Mark Hewitt" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
    > Mainline services in the UK do not apply a penalty if you purchase a
ticket
    > on the train. However no discounts will be given, you must pay the full
    > single fare.

Mmm, depends what you mean by "mainline", and in any case the lack of
discount may amount to a price difference substantially higher than that
imposed for, say, travelling on the wrong type of train in Italy.

Another curiosity of British rail pricing is that it is quite possible when
a train goes from A to B via C, the price from A to B may be lower than that
from A to C. Yes, there has actually been a case of a railway company
imposing an extra fare on someone who wanted to alight at a destination
BEFORE the (lower priced) station to which they had booked.

Other countries probably have more rational pricing!

Alan Harrison

Derek F

"Alan Harrison" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
    > "Mark Hewitt" <[email protected]> wrote in
message
    > news:[email protected]...
    > >
    > > Mainline services in the UK do not apply a penalty if you purchase a
    > ticket
    > > on the train. However no discounts will be given, you must pay the full
    > > single fare.
    > Mmm, depends what you mean by "mainline", and in any case the lack of
    > discount may amount to a price difference substantially higher than that
    > imposed for, say, travelling on the wrong type of train in Italy.
    > Another curiosity of British rail pricing is that it is quite possible
when
    > a train goes from A to B via C, the price from A to B may be lower than
that
    > from A to C. Yes, there has actually been a case of a railway company
    > imposing an extra fare on someone who wanted to alight at a destination
    > BEFORE the (lower priced) station to which they had booked.
    > Other countries probably have more rational pricing!
    > Alan Harrison
At one time it was cheaper to buy a ticket to a station beyond Gatwick
rather than to it.
Derek.

Miguel Cruz

Derek F <[email protected]> wrote:
    > Amtrak have a good system for that where the conductor attaches a ticket
    > to the overhead rack.

And if you decide to move to a different seat you can just bring the card
with you and stick it above your new seat.

miguel
--
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