City trains only require that you have a valid ticket while on some high speed trains a reservation is highly recommended.  High speed trains usually run greater distances so having a reserved seat is a must.  You can play it by ear and travel without a seat reservation but if the train gets full, you may be asked to move and if you cannot find another open seat, you could end up standing in the area between cars for your entire journey.

You will find that high speed train travel is highly efficient, especially between long distances making day trips possible where driving would take too much valuable time.  For example, it's quite easy to take a day trip from Rome to Pompeii via high speed train.  The train departs Rome and goes directly to Naples and back taking anywhere from 60-90 minutes depending on the train.  At the Napes train station, there are hourly departures on a special train that will take you to Herculaneum and then on to Pompeii in about an hour.

As we are providing travel tips, I have to mention the Naples Rail Station.  In general, the station is like any other train station but I do have to mention the restrooms.  The women's was a pay restroom with an attendant and required all women pay a nominal fee to enter.  Having an attendant meant that things were kept clean and spotless.  I know it was very clean as I asked my wife about it when she exited.  Now for the men's.  The men's restroom did not have an attendant and it was free to enter.  I clearly remember this being the most disgusting restroom I had ever been in.  I did not want to touch a thing or even walk across the floor it was so filthy.  I have been in toilets in India where there was only a hole in the ground with a hose and this was much worse.  This really shows the difference between restrooms requiring a nominal fee to enter compared to those that do not.  So the next time you are required to pay a fee, remember my story.  Things may have changed since I was there last in 2008.  Hopefully if you go, they have cleaned things up and you will have a much better experience than I did.  On a final note - I survived, it's all good and I have another travel story to tell! 

Be sure to read our page on Trains Tips & Tricks

City Train - Datchet, England	High Speed Train - Cologne, Germany

These trains require a seat reservation and you must arrive early for time to pass through security prior to boarding.

www.Eurostar.com

For example, you may fly from London to Lugano (a smaller location in Switzerland but actually has the 5th busiest airport in all of Switzerland) on a small jet or prop plane.

An alternative is to fly a Low Cost Carrier such as Ryan Air form England to Milan Italy where Lugano is about an hour away by train.  We have flown directly to Lugano as well as taken the train to Milan which is a nice scenic ride with stops at Lake Como.

The great thing about Europe is that the distances are short and you can usually find different travel alternatives.

Airport - Lugano Switzerland

Traveling between the Greek Isles by ferry is by far the most practical but in some cases if you are traveling between islands that are separated by a great distance, flying may be a better alternative.

With a ferry, you simply board and do not have the same early arrival requirements and security precautions you will find with air travel.

High Speed & Regular Ferries found throughout the Greek Islands

Not everything is accessible by train and here is a good example.  If you plan on touring the Rhine or Mosel River Valleys to visit different castles, a car is essential.  Although trains connect most of the towns along the rivers, reaching the castles can still be quite a distance from the station.  In fact some castles would take you hours to reach when walking so having a car is essential.

Our advice is to rent a car when required and travel by train when not.  In Europe, it's very easy to rent a car in one location and return it in another; however they may be additional fees to do this.  For example, you could rent a car at the Frankfurt airport when you arrive and use it to drive through the River Valleys before returning it at another location along the way.  Once returned, you can switch to riding the rails.

Cost & Insurance

Cars can be very inexpensive or extremely expensive depending on the options you choose and especially when it comes to selecting the insurance.  You may find car rental rates for 10 Euros/day which sounds great, especially if you plan to use your own insurance.  Keep in mind that it can be a real mess should something happen and you have to deal with the rental agency and your own insurance company.  Although you may be covered by your own personal insurance, you could still be required to immediately pay large fees should you be involved in an accident regardless of if it's your fault.  The car company may find a scratch on your car and require you to pay hundreds to fix it while there is no way to prove you were not responsible.  You will have to work with your own insurance company when you return from your trip to be reimbursed.  To be safe, you may want to consider purchasing the car agencies insurance so that you are completely covered, but it can be very expensive; upwards of 100/Euros day in some cases.  Your inexpensive rental car has now become quite costly, but you will have peace of mind knowing that you are completely covered for anything that should happen.

Be sure to read our page on Automobiles Tips & Tricks

Windsor, England

We purchased this deal with the optional stop in Iceland on our outbound flight where we stayed for a couple of nights before heading to our European destination.