Tough Training

LA ROCHELLE, France — Like many other unsuspecting American travelers, I came to Europe with a rather rosy idea of European train travel. Every guidebook that I have ever read expounds on the virtues of the system—travelers can hop on and off trains whenever and wherever they desire at very little expense! When I arrived in Paris, I came equipped with a Eurail flexi pass, allowing me to travel on four days within two months anywhere in France and Spain. A cheap and flexible option, or so I thought.

Train travel in Europe is actually a paradox: It’s only cheap if you book way in advance, and only flexible if you don’t mind paying extra for the privilege and don’t have a set itinerary. High-speed lines seem like a logical choice if you want to travel a sizeable distance, since local lines will take all day. However, because these trains are apparently very popular, rail pass holders must pay an additional fee to reserve a seat (anywhere from 3 to 45 Euros and up). Most trains require a reservation, and it has to be done at a train station, not online. The timetable that comes with the pass isn’t very useful either –the train station agent had to explain to me that she only had two itineraries for the day I planned to travel (I think she thought I was being very demanding for not wanting to arrive in a strange city at 4 a.m.). After wrangling with her for about 45 minutes, trying to negotiate the cheapest itineraries, I came away with three tickets for journeys that take on average 10 hours each, and I still have to book one in Spain because apparently I couldn’t reserve that particular route in France. Europe’s comprehensive rail system is still a great achievement, but navigating the thing is definitely no simple task.


Adrienne Y. Lee ’12, a Crimson editorial writer, lives in Quincy House.