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Arizona Hotel & Golf Resort Francisco Grande: Arizona Golf Resorts, Hotels Enter your email to get promotion & special event updates. Francisco Grande, the legendary Arizona golf resort, is located halfway between Phoenix and Tucson, and is just 45 minutes from the Phoenix airport and an hour drive from Scottsdale. The Francisco Grande: Arizona Hotel & Golf Resorts offer its guests luxury accommodations, superb food, outstanding golf, and excellent value. This traditional 7400 yard Arizona golf course is one of the most historic in the Southwest and is overseeded every winter and has over 1500 mature trees and three lakes in a parkland setting. This Arizona hotel & golf resort has recently undergone an $ 8 million renovation of its tower hotel rooms and suites, including the golf course and all its dining and meeting facilities. Out of the 107 guest rooms, all 64 tower rooms and spacious suites have been completely upgraded and are overlooking our golf course and pool area. For the value-minded golfer or budget minded group, there are 43 courtyard rooms, which offer all the resort amenities, but have not undergone a major renovation. Every guest room in the tower is oversized and has a large, inviting balcony with expansive views of the golf course and the mountains in the distance. The resort's restaurants, and watering holes provide a variety of casual and upscale dining and entertainment options. The Francisco Grande: Arizona Golf Resorts is like an oasis in the Arizona desert and is the ideal place for vacation getaways, retreats, weddings, conferences, conventions and corporate events. The Arizona golf resort has nearly 10,000 square feet of flexible meeting space equipped with state-of-the-art audio-visual production and presentation facilities. This unique Arizona golf resort weaves a rich tapestry in Arizona tradition, playing host to celebrities and sports stars and accommodating visitors for more than 40 years. Contact us now toll free at 800-237-4238 and ask about our Stay and Play Arizona golf packages or click here to check room availability and book your room or tee time online now. Arizona Resort Reservations Accommodations Dining Directions History Meetings & Events Golf Golf Packages Contact Us Recent News Careers Specials Vacation Packages Links Home Francisco Grande Arizona Hotel & Golf Resort • (800) 237-4238 • (520) 836-6444 • 26000 W. Gila Bend Highway Casa Grande, Arizona 85222

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How to travel by train from London to Europe - a complete guide General information page How to travel by train from London to Europe . . . Home Site map Search site Useful links Railpasses What's new About me E-mail me Guestbook UK UK train travel Channel Islands Northern Ireland Europe Europe by train general info Albania Andorra Austria Belgium Belarus Bosnia Bulgaria Croatia Cyprus Czech Rep. Denmark Estonia Finland France Germany Gibraltar Greece Hungary Iceland Ireland Italy Latvia Lithuania Luxembourg Macedonia Malta Moldova Monaco Netherlands Norway Poland Portugal Romania Russia Serbia Slovakia Slovenia Spain Sweden Switzerland Turkey Ukraine Africa Morocco Tunisia Egypt Senegal & Mali Kenya Tanzania & Zambia Zimbabwe Botswana South Africa Middle East Turkey Syria Israel Jordan Iran Asia India Pakistan Sri Lanka Burma (Myanmar) Thailand Malaysia & Singapore Indonesia Cambodia Vietnam China Korea Japan America Canada United States Cuba South America Australasia Australia New Zealand London to China & Japan by Trans-Siberian Railway or silk route Theend of the Orient Express? European& overseas Railpasses Comments? Feedback? Need more help...? Email the Man in SeatSixty-One..! Sign the guestbook Important note about the information on this site. Thank you for visiting my site... Lunch in London... Breakfast in Berlin There's no need to fly from the UK to Europe. It's remarkably easy, quick and comfortable to travel overland by train from London to just about anywhere: Spain, Italy, Greece, Prague, Helsinki, Moscow... The difficult bit is finding out how to do it and where to buy tickets. That's where 'seat 61' comes in..! This website will tell you the best train times and approximate fares from London to major destinations all over Europe. It will tell you what the trains are like, and how to buy your ticket. Where do I start? Rail travel from the UK to: Albania Andorra Austria Belarus Belgium Bosnia Bulgaria Croatia Cyprus Czech Republic Denmark Estonia Finland France Germany Gibraltar Greece Hungary Ireland Italy Latvia Lithuania Luxembourg Macedonia Malta Moldova Monaco Morocco Netherlands Norway Poland Portugal Romania Russia Serbia Slovakia Slovenia Spain Sweden Switzerland Tunisia Turkey Ukraine Let's start with train times and sample fares from London to your European destination. Simply select your destination country in the drop-down box above, or use the navigation menu to the left. Return to this page for general information. On this page: Where can I buy train tickets to Europe? Couchettes and sleeping-cars Taking your bike How far in advance can I book? Travelling by Eurostar Taking your car - Motorail Can I check train times online? First or second class? Taking your dog or pet Can I check fares online? Child fares Passengers with special needs Can I book any European train from the UK? Luggage Recommended guidebooks Railpasses - for a beginner's guide to European railpasses, including Inter-Rail and Eurail passes, see the railpass page . Where can I buy train tickets to Europe? Back to top Booking online: You can book international train tickets from London or Paris to France, Italy, Spain & Switzerland online at the Eurostar website and the French Railways website - see the can I book tickets to Europe online? section. For most other international train journeys, you'll need to book by phone with one of the agencies listed below. Booking by phone: It's easy to book European trains from the UK once you know who to call..! A number of UK agencies sell European train tickets, although some are better for some journeys than others. Remember that European train reservations open 60 days or for some trains 90 days before departure - you cannot book before reservations open..! Here's a list of the main agencies: Rail Europe 0870 5 848 848 Recommended for booking journeys from London to France, Switzerland, Italy & Spain. Phone lines open 08:00 - 21:00 Mondays to Fridays, 09:00 - 18:00 Saturdays & 10:00 - 17:00 Sundays. Website www.raileurope.co.uk , e-mail reservations@raileurope.co.uk . You can book in person at the Rail Europe travel centre at 179 Piccadilly, London, open 10:00-18:00 Mondays to Fridays, 10:00 - 17:00 Saturdays. It gets very busy in the Summer, so allow plenty of time. Rail Europe is the UK's biggest European rail agency, owned by the French Railways (SNCF). They use the French Railways reservation system, so are good for journeys to France and via France to major cities in Spain, Italy, Switzerland and Austria. Their phone lines are open in the evenings and at weekends, and unlike smaller agencies, the staff are online to the reservation computer during your call, and can quote you train times, fares and availability there and then. A small booking fee is charged (about 6). On the down side, their SNCF reservations system can have problems booking certain trains outside France that the systems used by smaller agencies can do easily - for example, it booked Paris to Rome without a problem, then failed to book a train from Rome to Sicily which Ffestiniog Travel did easily. I have come across staff who are reluctant to sell tickets to more exotic destinations such as Moscow, Istanbul, and Bucharest. Deutsche Bahn has a better reservation system and may have cheaper fares for journeys to Germany, Eastern Europe and Scandinavia. If you have any problems booking through Rail Europe, simply try Deutsche Bahn or one of the smaller expert agencies such as Ffestiniog Travel or TrainsEurope. Rail Europe do not sell rail+sea tickets to Paris or Brussels, only Eurostar. Unlike smaller agencies, they won't get reservations for you by fax/e-mail if the reservations you want are not held on the European computerised reservation system (but this normally only applies to more exotic journeys such as Athens to Sofia - see Can I book any European train from the UK? ). Deutsche Bahn 0870 2 43 53 63 Recommended for journeys from London to Germany, Scandinavia, central & eastern Europe. Phone lines open 09:00 - 17:00 Monday to Friday, closed Saturdays & Sundays. Website www.deutsche-bahn.co.uk .e-mail enquiries to sales@deutsche-bahn.co.uk This is German Railways' excellent UK telesales office, good for tickets from London to Germany as they use German Railways' reservation computer and can access all German Railways' special offers. They are also good for Scandinavia, Austria (via Brussels/Germany) and eastern Europe, including trains to Russia and the Ukraine. As you're booking direct with German Railways, there is no booking fee, although a 3 fee is charged for credit cards, so use a debit card if you can. Ffestiniog Travel 01766 512400 An experienced and capable European rail agency offering Eurostar, European rail tickets, & railpasses. Website www.festtravel.co.uk , e-mail info@festtravel.demon.co.uk . It can sometimes be better to book through a smaller specialist agency, especially for more far-flung trips or to less usual destinations. Ffestiniog Travel is one such agency, offering a full range of tickets, including Eurostar, rail-sea-rail tickets, railpasses and seat, couchette and sleeper reservations. It is part of the Ffestiniog Railway, based at Harbour Station, Porthmadog, North Wales. Open Monday-Saturday, telephone bookings taken. A small booking fee is charged, about 8%. TrainsEurope 0871 700 7722 An experienced and capable European rail agency offering Eurostar, European rail tickets, rail-sea-rail tickets & railpasses. Website www.trainseurope.co.uk , e-mail info@trainseurope.co.uk . Fax 01354 660444. From outside the UK, call +44 1354 660222 . Trains Europe can make seat, couchette & sleeper reservation for almost any train in Europe except those starting in Portugal, Serbia, Greece, Turkey, Russia, Ukraine, Moldova or the Baltic states. A small booking fee is charged. TrainsEurope have a contact in Romania, so are a good agency to call for trips through Romania to Istanbul, for example. Located in March, Cambridgeshire. Other recommended UK agencies: www.railchoice.co.uk (call 020 8659 7300), www.international-rail.com (Ropley, Hampshire, call 01962 773646), www.rail-canterbury.co.uk (39 Palace Street Canterbury, call 01227 450088, e-mail rail@rail-canterbury.co.uk ), www.spanish-rail.co.uk (Spanish Railways' UK agency for tickets to and within Spain, call 020 7224 0345), www.europeanrail.com (Tavistock Place, London WC1, call 020 7387 0444), www.railbookers.com (e-mail info@railbookers.com or call 0870 730 0720), www.freedomrail.co.uk (Blackpool, call 0870 757 98 98), www.thetravelbureau.co.uk (office in Wombourne, West Midlands). If you live in Ireland... You can book European train travel through Irish Rail by telephone on (01) 703 1885, in person at 35 Lower Abbey Street, Dublin 1, or by e-mail at europeanrail@irishrail.ie . If you live in the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore etc... If you live in the USA or Canada, you can buy European train tickets & railpasses at www.raileurope.com , North America's biggest European rail ticketing agency. There are also agencies in Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Singapore, India, South Africa and other countries - click here for a list of overseas agencies who sell European train tickets and railpasses. Alternatively, you can book many national journeys and some international journeys online, and pick up the tickets at the station. See the next section below... Sponsored links: Can I book tickets to Europe online ? Back to top Many straightforward train journeys in western Europe can now be booked online, although more complex journeys, and most journeys in eastern Europe, cannot be booked online and will need to be booked by phone. Here are the options for online booking: London to Paris, France, Belgium & The Netherlands: Book online at www.eurostar.com You can book train journeys from London to Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam, the most popular destinations in France, any station in Belgium, also Rotterdam and The Hague online at www.eurostar.com . Tickets will be sent to any UK address or you can choose to pick them up at the station on departure. This is the simplest and easiest website to use, although it won't book overnight trains, and the voyages-sncf website described below offers more destinations, allows more advanced control over each booking, will also book overnight trains, and can sometimes offer cheaper options. London to France, Spain, Italy, Switzerland: Book online at www.voyages-sncf.com The French Railways website, www.voyages-sncf.com , is the recommended way to book train journeys from London or Paris to anywhere in France and to major cities in Italy, Spain or Switzerland. Tickets will be posted to any address in the UK or most other European countries, and some other countries worldwide. Tickets can also be picked up at stations in France. Paying in euros on this website (so your own bank converts it to pounds sterling) is cheaper than paying UK travel agency fares which are converted at a less favourable rate of exchange. Using the voyages-sncf website, you can find some amazingly cheap 'prems' fares - for example, Paris to Venice 35 euros in 6-berth or 70 euros in 4-berth, Paris to Marseille 25 euros, Paris to Nice 40 euros overnight with couchette, Paris to Milan by TGV 25 euros. But please read the advice below first, and if you have any problems with this site, book by phone if necessary. The same booking system, with prices in pounds and tickets posted to UK addresses only, appears re-badged for Rail Europe (French Railways' UK subsidiary) on www.raileurope.co.uk and www.tgv.co.uk . First, do your homework : Use www.seat61.com to find the best train times and fares from London to your destination, so you know what you're looking for... Make a note of each train you want to book and the date of departure. Then go to www.voyages-sncf.com . Look for the 'English' button: It's a UK flag at the bottom of the page on the left, not the easiest thing to find..! Choose your country : Select 'Great Britain' if you want the tickets sent to a UK address. If you select 'Great Britain' it will later offer you 'payment online in euros' or 'payment in GBP by contacting Rail Europe in London'. Select online payment in Euros if you want a cheap 'prems' fare in France, as these will not show up otherwise. You may also get a better exchange rate buying in euros than paying their pounds sterling prices. On the other hand, the option to pay by contacting Rail Europe allows you to hold a reservation without payment, calling Rail Europe to pay at a later date, and you can arrange to pick up the tickets from Rail Europe's travel centre in London if this is more convenient. If you live overseas , www.voyages-sncf.com will send tickets to any address in Europe and in many countries worldwide, but not to the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand or Singapore. To get round this, simply book the Eurostar separately at www.eurostar.com , choosing to pick up tickets at Waterloo station in London. Then book the onwards train from Paris at www.voyages-sncf.com , leaving 'France' selected as this allows you to pick up your tickets at the ticket office in Paris or any major station in France. Book your journey in two stages , not one : First book the journey from Paris to your final destination and back, then click 'add another ticket' and book your Eurostar from London to Paris and back as a second separate journey. You can pay for both bookings together at the end of your session. There are three reasons for booking the Eurostar and the onwards train from Paris separately: 1) if you try to book, for example, London to Rome all in one go, it will simply add up the full fares and won't take account of the special offers available from Paris to Rome; 2) you may want to mix and match classes, for example, 2nd class Eurostar London to Paris then 1st class 4-berth couchette or 1st class 2-bed sleeper, on the Paris to Rome leg. You can only do this if you book each leg separately; 3) it allows you to search for an earlier Eurostar connection from London (or a later one back from Paris on your return) if there are no cheap seats left on the recommended Eurostar connection, or if you want to stop off in Paris for a while. Make sure you book the right type of seat, couchette or sleeper : When the page with train times appears, use the 'options' button above each train time to toggle between different types of seat, couchette or sleeper. You'll also need to toggle between 1st class and 2nd class to see all types of sleeper and couchette on a night train. Be careful if it suggests you 'upgrade to first class...' as you could be downgrading from a 2nd class sleeper to an inferior 1st class couchette, or worse, from a 2nd class sleeper to a 1st class reclining seat (!) P lay around & see what this system offers you: If in any doubt you can always book by phone instead . Don't try to use this system for journeys from the UK via Brussels to Germany, Scandinavia, central or eastern Europe, as cheaper fares are often available by calling Deutsche Bahn's UK office . Use other websites (if necessary) to book onwards connections: For example, voyages-sncf.com can book Eurostar and the train from Paris to Rome or Madrid, but may not succeed in booking onwards connections from Rome to Naples or Madrid to Malaga. If so, simply book the main journey with voyages-sncf.com, then book the last leg using another website. For example www.trenitalia.it can book any train within Italy (tickets can be picked up at the station, or there is a ticketless option for the best Eurostar Italia trains), www.renfe.es can book daytime trains within Spain, with ticket pick-up at the station in Spain. There is a list of national railway websites on the useful links page, and many of these will have online ticket sales for journeys within that country. International journeys within Europe... You can book international journeys from France to Spain, Italy, Germany, Austria & Switzerland online at www.voyages-sncf.com - if you select 'France' you can pay by credit card, then pick up the tickets at any main French Railways station. You can book international journeys from Italy to France, Germany, Austria online at www.trenitalia.it - tickets can be picked up at the station in Italy. Online booking is also possible for some international trains such as Thalys (Paris - Brussels - Amsterdam / Cologne), CityNightLine (overnight hotel trains linking Amsterdam, Germany. Switzerland, Austria), www.nachtzug.de (overnight sleeper trains between Germany and Austria, Italy, France, Denmark, Poland, Switzerland) and of course Eurostar (London to Paris & Brussels). Train journeys wholly within one country... Journeys wholly within one country can often be booked at the website of the relevant national train operator - many national railway websites now offer online booking, with tickets collected at the station or sometimes even printed out on your own PC printer. This includes www.voyages-sncf.com for France (including overnight trains), www.renfe.es for Spain (not overnight trains), www.trenitalia.it for Italy (including overnight trains), http://bahn.hafas.de (not overnight trains) for Germany, and others - see the useful links page for a complete list of national railway websites for each country. How far in advance can I book? Back to top Reservations open 60 days in advance - you cannot buy tickets before bookings open..! Reservations for European trains normally open 60 days ( 2 months ) before departure and can usually be made until shortly before departure. Reservations for certain services, such as Eurostar, Thalys, the Paris-Italy & Paris-Spain overnight trains, and (from October 2005) French domestic trains open 90 days ( 3 months ) before departure. You cannot buy tickets or make reservations until reservations open. But don't worry - you are unlikely to have any problems getting a reservation on the train you want if you book when bookings open. Can I check European train times on-line? The online European timetable: http://bahn.hafas.de It's easy to check train times for any journey in Europe at http://bahn.hafas.de . This is an excellent online timetable for the whole of Europe provided by the German Railways, probably the best resource for European train travel on the net. To check UK train times, it's best to use the UK system which will show any alterations due to engineering work - see the UK page . For a list of all European railway websites (usually with train times and fares for their own country), see the useful links page . The Thomas Cook European Rail Timetable... Published since 1873, the world-famous Thomas Cook European Rail Timetable has timetables for trains, buses and boats in all European countries, ships to North Africa, Israel & the Mediterranean islands. If you're going to travel a lot, for example with an InterRail or Eurail pass, you should buy one of these to plan your journey - it will save you a lot of time at stations queuing up to ask questions..! It costs 11 from the bureau de change in any UK branch of Thomas Cook, or you can buy online at www.thomascooktimetables.com (look for 'Timetables' then 'European Rail Timetable'). Alternatively, you can buy the special independent traveller's edition online at Amazon.co.uk . Can I check European fares on-line? Fares for journeys wholly within one country: You can usually check fares for journeys wholly within one country at the national railway website for that country - see the list of websites on the useful links page. Some sites will also let you book online. To check UK train fares and book tickets online, see the UK page . Fares for international journeys: You can check fares from London to major cities in France, Spain, Italy & Switzerland, at www.voyages-sncf.com or www.raileurope.co.uk . You can also use these sites to check fares from France to Spain, Italy, Switzerland, Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany & the Netherlands. This system has its limitations - it will not have all the best fares for journeys from the UK to Germany via Brussels, for example. It will tell you that some trains don't exist when they do - for example, it doesn't know about the through sleepers from Cologne to Moscow or the direct couchette car from Budapest to Istanbul. Use this system with care - book by phone if you have any doubt about what the system offers you. You can check international fares from Italy using www.trenitalia.it . You can check Eurostar fares from London to Paris or Brussels either using this French enquiry system or at www.eurostar.com . You can check fares within Germany and on some (but not all) international routes from Germany using the German online timetable, http://bahn.hafas.de/english.html . Fares for the Paris - Brussels - Amsterdam / Paris - Brussels - Cologne 'Thalys' high speed service can be found at www.thalys.com . Fares for DB (German Railways) sleeper trains Paris/Brussels-Berlin, Paris/Brussels-Hamburg, Paris-Munich, Cologne-Copenhagen can be found online at www.nachtzug.de . Fares for the 'trainhotels' from Paris to Madrid and Barcelona can be found on the French system mentioned above (which can also book 'trainhotel' tickets online), but fares for all the Spanish 'trainhotels', including the ones from Madrid to Lisbon, Barcelona to Zurich and Barcelona to Milan, can be found in the international section of www.renfe.es (but no online booking). www.elipsos.com also has fares (but as yet no online booking) for the international trainhotels to and from Spain. The fares shown on 'seat61' are obtained using a combination of all these sources. Where can I find a map of European rail routes? Online rail maps For online maps of the European railway network, see www.europrail.net/maps/maps.html or www.bueker.net/trainspotting/maps.php . The Thomas Cook Rail Map of Europe - buy from Amazon UK Buy from Amazon USA This is easily the best and most comprehensive map of European train routes, showing rail lines from Portugal in the west to Ukraine in the east, Finland in the north to Sicily in the south. Scenic routes are highlighted. It costs around 7.95 from branches of Thomas Cook or you can buy online at Amazon. Well worth buying, especially if you are buying an InterRail or Eurail pass. Can I book any European train from the UK? Back to top A good European rail agency can sell you a basic ticket (without reservation) for most national or international journeys in Europe. However, you will need a reservation for a couchette or sleeper, or for a train shown as 'reservation obligatory' in the timetable. It can help to know which trains can and can't be easily reserved from the UK. The European computer reservation system - a linked series of different railways' computers - covers most of Western Europe and some of Eastern Europe, from Portugal in the west to Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, Slovenia and (as of 2005) Serbia and Romania in the east, and from Sicily in the south to Sweden and Finland in the north, inclusive. The computer reservation systems used by European rail agents in the UK and by ticket offices at railway stations in most of Western Europe can (in theory) reserve seats, couchettes or sleepers anywhere in that area. For example, both Madrid to Lisbon and Lisbon to Madrid can be reserved from London. The computer system can also book trains starting in this area heading outwards - for example, Budapest to Istanbul or Cologne to Moscow. However, it cannot reserve places on trains in countries outside that area (e.g. Bulgaria, Greece, Turkey, Russia) or on trains starting outside that area heading back in, for example, Moscow back to Cologne, or Istanbul back to Budapest. In theory, reservations not reservable using the computer system can be obtained by your agency faxing or telexing the railway station where the reservations are held, but many agencies won't to do this. Rail Europe and Deutsche Bahn will tell you that reservations on such trains are 'not possible', but some smaller agencies will try and get a reservation for you, possibly for an extra fee. You can of course book seats or sleeping accommodation for such journeys at the local reservation office when you get there, although you can buy the basic travel ticket (without reservation) in the UK before you go. There is one more thing you need to know. Different agencies (and different national railways) use different systems to access the reservation and fares information. Some of these systems can't access all the information. Rail Europe's French Railways system is particularly bad for this, and may have problems (for example) with some internal trains in Italy or Spain, the Cologne-Moscow sleeper, or the Budapest-Istanbul couchettes. If this happens, they may tell you the train 'doesn't exist' when it does. If you have any problems, simply shop around - different agencies now use different systems, and some are better than others. Travelling by Eurostar ... Back to top Eurostar is the excellent high-speed train from London to Paris and Brussels through the Channel Tunnel. Most journeys to Europe now start with a trip on Eurostar to Paris or Brussels. All 1st class fares include complimentary drinks and a meal, and all passengers have access to a bar car serving drinks and snacks. Remember that you need to check-in for Eurostar trains at least 30 minutes before departure (15 minutes for passengers with certain types of 1st class ticket) to allow for an airline-style security check. Eurostar does not run on Christmas Day. Click here for more information about the Eurostar journey . Eurostar seating plan . The Eurostar website is www.eurostar.com . Eurostar in Paris... Eurostar 2nd class... Eurostar 1st class... Changing trains in Paris: mtro map - www.ratp.fr In Paris, Eurostar arrives at the Gare du Nord, and your connecting train will probably leave from one of the other Paris stations. The Gare de l'Est is a 10-minute walk from the Gare du Nord, but to get to any of the other Paris stations you'll need to take the metro or RER (Express Metro) across Paris. See www.ratp.fr and select 'plans' for maps of the Paris metro and bus routes. Recommended connection times in Paris The minimum connection times shown here are the minimum amount of time you should allow between the scheduled arrival of your train in Paris and the scheduled departure time of your connecting train from Paris. Travelling FROM London If your connecting train departs from the Gare de l'Est (only a 10 minute walk from the Gare du Nord, where Eurostar arrives): 45 minutes, if missing it simply means catching the next one. 1 hour 15 minutes minimum if catching the last train of the day or a long-distance sleeper train which you cannot afford to miss. If your connecting train departs from any other Paris station (usually a 30-40 minute RER or mtro ride from the Gare du Nord): 1 hour if missing it simply means catching the next one 1 hour 40 minutes minimum, preferably 2 hours, if catching the last train of the day or a long-distance sleeper train which you cannot afford to miss. Travelling TO London Arriving on a train at the Gare de l'Est (only a 10-min walk to Paris Nord from where Eurostar departs) 60 minutes minimum, which includes the compulsory 30-minute Eurostar check-in time . if you miss the Eurostar because your train is significantly late, the Eurostar staff should let you catch the next one, as long as seats are available. Arriving on a train at any other Paris station (usually a 30-40 min mtro or RER ride to Paris Nord) 1 hour 30 minutes minimum, which includes the compulsory 30-minute Eurostar check-in time. if you miss the Eurostar because your train is significantly late, the Eurostar staff should let you catch the next one, as long as seats are available. Since the opening of the new UK high speed line, roughly 90% of Eurostars normally arrive within 15 minutes of the advertised time, but it is not unknown for problems in the Channel Tunnel to delay a Eurostar by an hour. If you're connecting with (say) a long distance sleeper train which you can't afford to miss, then better safe than sorry..! Changing trains in Brussels: In Brussels, all long-distance trains use Brussels Midi station, where the Eurostar arrives, so changing trains is easy. However, you may have to queue for passport control as you exit the platform, and the Eurostar may arrive a bit late, so allow plenty of time..! These recommended times are the minimum. Recommended connection times in Brussels The minimum connection times shown here are the minimum amount of time you should allow between the scheduled arrival of your train in Brussels and the scheduled departure time of your connecting train from Brussels. Travelling FROM London If you're connecting in Brussels with a local or non-reserved InterCity train, where missing it simply means catching the next one: 25 minutes. If you're connecting in Brussels with a Thalys or ICE train, where you have a train-specific ticket and reservation: 25 minutes, but preferably a bit more - if you miss it because the Eurostar is late they should let you catch the next one, as long as seats are available. If you're connecting in Brussels with a long-distance sleeper train which you cannot afford to miss: 60 minutes, preferably 90 minutes. Travelling TO London Any connection in Brussels 40 minutes minimum, which includes the compulsory 30-minute Eurostar check-in time. if you miss the Eurostar because your train is late the Eurostar staff should let you catch the next one, as long as seats are available. Travelling by train & ferry... Back to top Most people now start their journey to Europe by Eurostar, but you can still travel to Europe by rail and sea if you prefer. It takes much longer and is less convenient, but there are some low fares, and tickets are usually more flexible than with Eurostar. London to Paris train+ferry+train times and fares are shown on the France page . There is an excellent, cheap, and convenient train+ferry+train service from London to Amsterdam, and this is shown on the Netherlands page . There are also excellent ships direct from the UK to Spain and Scandinavia. If you live in the north of England or Scotland, it can sometimes be a good option to take a direct ferry from Newcastle to IJmuiden (Amsterdam) with www.DFDSseaways.co.uk , Hull to Rotterdam with www.POFerries.com , or Rosyth (Edinburgh) to Zeebrugge with www.superfast.com instead of the train to London and Eurostar onwards. Many European rail booking agencies (but not Rail Europe or Deutsche Bahn) can sell both Eurostar and train+ferry tickets, and can combine train+ferry tickets to Paris or Brussels with onward train tickets to Spain, Italy, Austria, Switzerland, and so on. If you prefer train+ferry travel, simply substitute the rail-sea-rail times shown on the France and Belgium pages for the Eurostar times to Paris or Brussels shown on the Italy, Spain, Germany, Austria, Switzerland pages. First or second class ..? Back to top Second class is perfectly adequate for most travellers throughout Europe. Even in Southern and Eastern Europe, you don't need to pay for a 1st class ticket to travel in comfort, especially on the fast modern air-conditioned expresses. On the other hand, 1st class travel can be an affordable treat. In the UK, first class is only for business travellers on expense accounts, but in Europe it is normally just 50% more than second class. First class rail travel in Portugal, Spain, Italy and Eastern Europe is particularly good value, because their rail fares are so cheap to start with. First class gets you wider seats, more legroom, and fewer passengers per coach. On overnight trains, whether you have a first or second class ticket is almost irrelevant, because your comfort depends on the type of sleeping accommodation you pay for: ordinary seat, couchette, or sleeping-car. A 2nd class couchette is more comfortable (and more secure) than a 1st class seat. A 2nd class sleeper is more comfortable than a 1st class couchette. The options for travelling on overnight trains are explained below. Travelling overnight ... Back to top Many long-distance expresses run overnight. These include modern ' hotel trains ', designed to equal the facilities of a good hotel, and conventional overnight trains branded 'EuroNight' or 'NachtZug' to indicate that they are high quality. There are three ways to travel overnight: In an ordinary seat, in an economical couchette or in a comfortable sleeping-car. For overnight journeys, which of these you choose is more important than whether you buy a 1st or 2nd class ticket. You are better off spending your money on the second class sleeper supplement than on the first class fare..! ...in a sleeping-car: A sitting room by day... ...a bedroom at night. A sleeping-car is the equivalent of a hotel : A cosy bedroom, with comfortable beds, washbasin, and room service. For the daytime parts of a journey, the beds fold away to reveal a sofa. Sleepers come in 1-, 2-, 3- and (sometimes) 4-berth varieties, depending on the route, whether you have a 1st or 2nd class ticket, and the price you pay. If you are travelling alone and don't want to pay for a 1st class single room, you can book a berth in a 2- or 3-berth room and share with other passengers of the same sex. A sleeper costs about 20-39 in western Europe or 11-20 in eastern Europe per person per night for a berth in a 3-berth in addition to the relevant 2nd class ticket or railpass. A berth in a 2-berth costs about 35-49 per night, plus either a 1st or 2nd class ticket or railpass depending on the route and type of sleeper. A single room costs around 70-90 per night and you must have a 1st class ticket or railpass. On an increasing number of routes (e.g. Paris to Madrid, Barcelona, Italy, and Brussels to Berlin), good-value inclusive fares are now charged, covering travel, sleeper and breakfast. Click here for more information about travelling by sleeping-car . A typical 6-bunk couchette... ...or in a couchette: A couchette is rail's answer to a youth hostel or 'pensione': Economical and comfortable, an ordinary seating compartment for six people by day, with fold-out bunks for six people by night, each with sheet, rug and pillow. Male and female passengers normally share the same compartment, and apart from removing shoes and jackets, passengers do not normally undress. A berth in a couchette compartment costs around 13 per berth per night, in addition to a 2nd class ticket or railpass. On certain routes you can pay a higher supplement (about 18) to travel in a less crowded 4-berth couchette compartment. 1st class couchettes, with four berths per compartment, are rare - they are only operated on a few trains in France, Italy, and on the 'TransBalkan' from Budapest to Istanbul. Click here for more information about travelling in a couchette . Travelling overnight in an ordinary seat is a false economy and not recommended, either for comfort or security. Always budget for at least the couchette supplement for a comfortable night's journey. Types of train: Back to top EuroCity... This is the brand name used for Europe's best international daytime expresses. EuroCity trains are fast, modern and air-conditioned, and have refreshments available. In most countries, a small supplement is payable in addition to the normal fare to travel, which includes the seat reservation fee. EuroNight... This is the brand name used for Europe's best international overnight expresses. EuroNight trains are modern and air-conditioned, and have comfortable sleeping accommodation. Morning refreshments are normally included in the sleeper or couchette supplement. TGVs, ICEs, Thalys, InterCity and Talgos... As well as EuroCity and EuroNight, you will find a whole range train types in the timetable. Some (for example TGV, AVE, ICE) are types of high-speed train. Some are just brand names for a particularly fast or high-quality train service for which a small supplement may be payable in addition to the normal fare. Others indicate a train service run by a special consortium of national rail operators - for example 'Thalys' is a company set up by the French, Belgian, German and Dutch rail companies to run the Paris-Brussels-Amsterdam / Cologne high speed trains, on which special fares apply. Many of these branded trains require payment of a small supplement or a special fare. However, any supplement will be included in the charge for your seat reservation when you book, so you shouldn't need to worry. If you particularly want to know what a TGV, AVE, Talgo, ICE or Thalys is, click here for a glossary of the main train types. Railpasses , Inter-Rail, Eurail... Back to top For a beginner's guide to European railpasses, including Inter-Rail and Eurail, see the railpass page . To check pass prices and buy online in the UK, click the button: If you need a Eurostar ticket or seat/couchette/sleeper reservations to go with you pass,just call Rail Choice on 020 8659 7300 after buying the pass online. To buy European railpasses in the USA or Canada, go to www.raileurope.com . Luggage Back to top Unlike airlines, neither Eurostar nor the other European rail services impose any weight limit on luggage taken with you on European trains. Just remember that you will have to carry it..! Eurostar limits luggage to two large items per passenger, plus a small item of hand luggage. There is room for luggage on Eurostar on the luggage racks and for larger items at the end of each coach. Eurostar passengers may also send up to three items from London to either Paris or Brussels as registered baggage, at an extra charge (approximately 12-20 per item). Visit www.Eurostar.co.uk for details. Virtually all major stations across Europe have a 'left luggage' facility, either a staffed facility or self-service lockers or both. When changing trains with some time to spare, you can leave your luggage and explore the town. Porters are a thing of the past, but most major stations have self-help luggage trolleys. Sometimes these require a coin to release them, which is returned when you return the trolley. Taking bicycles on European trains Back to top You can take your bicycle with you on many European trains, although the arrangements vary on different services. Motorbikes are not carried on any European passenger train, only on the special ' motorail' trains . Getting your bike from London to Paris or Brussels by Eurostar: There are two ways to get your bicycle to Paris or Brussels on Eurostar: Officially, bicycles should be sent on Eurostar from London to Paris or Brussels as registered baggage, at an extra charge of around 20 one-way. The Eurostar website says that there may be a 24 hour delay in making the bicycles available at Paris/Brussels, but to avoid this you can check your bike in at Waterloo a day in advance, so that it will be available in Paris / Brussels when you get there. Visit www.Eurostar.co.uk for details. In practice, bicycles can usually be taken with you as carry-on luggage, free of charge, providing you put your bike in a special zip-up 'bike bag' (available from cycling shops) with its wheels and pedals removed and handlebars turned to reduce bulk. It can then be stowed in the normal luggage rack the end of each coach. Getting your bike from London to Paris by train+ferry: Alternatively, cheaper but a lot longer, you can take your bike with you from London to Paris by train+ferry without the need to dismantle it to put it in a bike bag - see the London to France page for train+ferry times and fares from London to Paris. Bikes are carried free of charge between London and Dover in the guard's van on all trains except those arriving in London before 10:00 Monday-Friday, or leaving London between 16:00 and 19:00 on Monday-Friday. Bikes are then carried free between Dover and Calais on the ferries. Once in Calais, bikes are carried free on both the local trains from Calais to Boulogne, and the connecting express trains from Boulogne to Paris. On the Boulogne to Paris trains, cycles are carried in the special bicycle compartment which is normally in coach 14, marked with a bicycle logo (pictured, right). Beyond Paris and Brussels: Beyond Paris and Brussels, there are two basic options: In practice (meaning sometimes officially, sometimes unofficially), you can take a bicycle with you as carry-on luggage free of charge on just about any train, national or international, if you put it in a 'bike bag', with wheels and pedals removed and handlebars turned. Just remember that it will be a fairly anti-social piece of luggage which may not endear you to your fellow-passengers in a crowded 6-berth couchette compartment. Lugging a bike bag around can be hard work, and so is dismantling and reassembling the bike each time it goes into and out of the bag. Many European trains allow you to carry bikes in the luggage van, sometimes free, sometimes for a small charge. However, most international expresses and many high speed trains don't take bikes at all (other than in bike bags), so unless you go for the bike bag option you may have to travel on slower regional or national services and change trains a few times. The information below may help. For information on travelling with your bicycle within any given country, visit the website of the relevant national train operator - the useful links page has a list of all European railway websites. To destinations in France: You can officially take a bike with you in a bike bag as described above, on any French train, including high-speed TGVs. Dimensions should not exceed 120cm x 90cm. Bikes are carried free of charge in the luggage van on local, regional and most ordinary (non-TGV) express trains (but not during the Monday-Friday peak hours on Paris commuter routes). This includes all express trains between Paris and Boulogne and connecting trains to Calais, which makes the rail-sea-rail service from London to Paris a bike-friendly option, as bikes are also carried free in the guard's van on all London to Dover trains except during the morning and evening rush hours - see the London to France page for details of this service. New from 2002, most overnight trains within France will also accept bicycles in the luggage van if you reserve space in advance and pay a small fee (about 10 Euros), while you travel in a couchette or sleeping-car. On most high-speed TGV trains from Lille and Paris to the Mediterranean, you can put your bike in the luggage van if you reserve a space in advance and pay a small fee (about 10 Euros). To destinations in Belgium: Bicycles can be carried on most Belgian internal trains by buying a 'bike card' for about 4.10 Euros at the ticket office before boarding (visit www.sncb.be for more information). To destinations in Holland and Luxembourg: Bicycles can be carried on the hourly InterCity (non-Thalys) trains from Brussels to Rotterdam, Den Haag, Amsterdam, and from Brussels to Luxembourg on payment of a small fee (about 8.60 Euros) at the ticket office before travelling (more info at www.sncb.be ). To destinations in Germany: Bicycles are not carried on Thalys or ICE, which since 2003 are unfortunately almost the only types of train between Brussels and Germany, other than the overnight train and some local services. However, bicycles are carried for a small charge (about 10-15 Euros) in a special bicycle compartment (marked with a bicycle logo) on the overnight sleeper between Paris / Brussels and Hamburg / Berlin - see the London to Germany page for details of this train. Bikes are carried on the overnight train from Paris to Munich, again in a special bicycle compartment, for a small charge. Elsewhere in Germany, bicycles can be taken on most German Inter-Regio and InterCity trains (but not on high speed 'ICE' trains) for a small charge, providing you make a prior reservation for your bicycle. You can use the online timetable system at http://bahn.hafas.de , ticking the 'carriage of bicycles required' box to find non-ICE train services that carry bikes. To destinations in Switzerland: Bikes are carried on the daytime trains from Paris to Basel and on the overnight train from Paris to Basel, Zurich & Chur. A fee may be charged in Switzerland. Bikes are carried for a fee of about 15 Euros on the two daytime trains between Brussels and Switzerland - however, the connections into and out of these trains to/from London are poor, and may require an overnight stop in Brussels. To other destinations: Putting your bike in a bike bag is likely to be your best option. Bikes are not carried (other than in bike bags) on the Paris-Spain 'trainhotels', the Paris-Italy night or TGV trains, or the Paris-Switzerland TGVs. Children - child fares on European trains Back to top In the UK, children under 5 go free, children from 5 to 15 travel at half the adult fare. On Eurostar, children under 4 go free, and a special child fare (currently 30 single, 60 return to Paris/Brussels in standard class) applies to children from 4 to 11. Children over 12 travel at the adult fare. All children under 12 must travel accompanied by an adult, and unaccompanied children from 12 to 16 require a consent form signed by their parent or guardian. In Europe, the age limits for children vary, but you can generally reckon on children under 4 travelling free, children from 4 to 11 travelling at half fare, 12 and over paying the adult fare. The internet sites of individual train companies will have more details. You can use the links to these on my useful links page . Motorail - taking you car by train... Back to top Normal passenger trains cannot take cars - just passengers and their luggage, and in some cases bicycles. However, there are special trains called 'Motorail' services on which you can travel with your car or motorbike. These run on just a few selected holiday routes, usually only on certain days of the week, and usually summer-only. The trains can take ordinary cars and motorbikes, but cannot take caravans, campers, over-height people carriers or 4X4s (However, French motorail have recently ordered some new car carrier wagons capable of carrying overheight 4x4s and people carriers - they were due to enter service for the summer 2004 season). Here is a brief summary of what is available of interest to travellers from the UK: French Motorail: Calais to Avignon, Brive, Narbonne, Nice, Toulouse; Paris to Nice, Geneva, Avignon, Biarritz, Marseille, Tarbes, Narbonne, St Raphael, Toulon and Toulouse. French motorail trains run overnight with couchettes and sleeping-cars on certain days of the week from May to September from Calais to Nice, Narbonne, Avignon, Toulouse and Brive. A one-way trip from Calais to Brive for a car and up to two adults in a 2-berth sleeper costs from 245 to 409 depending on the date of travel (Summer 2004 prices). For a similar trip from Calais to Nice, fares range from 345 to 509. From Calais to Narbonne, a car and up to 4 people (adults or children - it makes no difference) one-way in a private 4-berth couchette compartment costs from 389-545 depending on the date of travel. There are now no Motorail services to Italy or Spain. For times, fares and booking see www.raileurope.co.uk and select 'Motorail', call Rail Europe's Motorail line on 0870 2 415 415 , or visit www.railsavers.com . Belgian Motorail: There are now no motorail services from Belgium - these stopped running in December 2003. Greece & Turkey If you are travelling further afield, Optima Tours run Motorrail trains from Germany/Austria (Villach) to Bulgaria, Macedonia (Skopje), Greece (Thessaloniki), and Turkey (Edirne). See www.optimatours.de for dates, times and booking information. Other motorail services: There are also motorail services within Italy (for example, Milan to Sicily), within Spain (for example Santander to Madrid, Bilbao to Alicante), and within Germany and Austria. To ask about motorail services in Germany/Austria, call the German Railways UK booking centre on 0870 2 43 53 63 or visit www.railsavers.com . Car ferries: Don't forget that there are also direct car ferries from the UK to Spain (Portsmouth - Bilbao with www.poferries.com , and Plymouth - Santander with www.brittany-ferries.co.uk ), and UK to Germany (Harwich - Cuxhaven near Hamburg with www.dfdsseaways.co.uk ). Taking your dog or other pet ... Back to top First the bad news: Eurostar will not carry dogs or any other animals at all, except guide dogs. Most ferry companies will only allow pets if they remain in your vehicle, in other words, they do not allow foot passengers to take pets. So getting your pet across the Channel without a car can be difficult. Hoverspeed used to allow foot passengers to carry pets, but they stopped all Dover-Calais SeaCat sailings as from 7 November 2005. So your only option is to get a friend with a car to buy a cheap day return ferry crossing and drive you and your pet to Calais. Once across the Channel at Calais, dogs and cats can be taken on the normal trains from Calais Ville station to Paris (Gare du Nord). You can check Calais-Paris train times at www.voyages-sncf.com (the English button is a UK flag at bottom left). Beyond Paris, dogs and cats can normally be carried on most trains across Europe, sometimes free, sometimes for a small charge. In sleeping-cars and couchettes on overnight trains, you can generally only take a dog if your party occupies all the berths in a compartment. For example, a domestic animal may be taken on the Paris-Madrid or Paris-Barcelona 'trainhotels' for 37.50 one way, or on the Paris-Rome, Paris-Venice or Paris-Milan sleeper trains for 7.50 one-way, as long as the accompanying passengers occupy all the berths in a compartment. For more information on the transport of accompanied dogs and other pets, search the website of the relevant national train operators - there is a list of links to each operator's website on the useful links page . Passengers with special needs ... Back to top Eurostar can provide assistance to passengers with special needs travelling from London to Paris, Lille or Brussels. If you are confined to a wheelchair, there are wheelchair spaces and wheelchair-friendly toilets on each Eurostar train. There are also special fares for people travelling in wheelchairs and a travelling companion. For more information, see www.eurostar.com . Once on the Continent, some but not all trains have accommodation for passengers travelling in wheelchairs. For more information, start with the website of the relevant national train operators - there is a list of links to each operator's website on the useful links page . Alternatively, try calling Rail Europe on 0870 5 848 848 (lines open 08:00-21:00 Mon-Fri, 09:00-18:00 Sat, 10:00-17:00 Sun). To destinations in France: Take Eurostar to Lille. High-speed TGV trains with wheelchair spaces and wheelchair-friendly toilets run direct from Lille to many French destinations, including Lyon, Valence, Avignon, Marseille, Cannes, Nice, Bordeaux. For train times, see the London to France page. For travel information for passengers with disabilities on French Railways, see www.voyages-sncf.com . To destinations in Germany: Take Eurostar to Brussels or Paris. The Thalys high-speed trains from Brussels to Cologne have wheelchair spaces and wheelchair-friendly toilets. From Cologne, there are wheelchair spaces and wheelchair-friendly toilets on almost all the InterCity (IC) and InterCityExpress (ICE) trains which run to destinations all over Germany. Boarding assistance can be provided at most major Germany stations. The overnight trains from Paris to Munich and from Brussels to Hamburg and Berlin have a wheelchair-accessible couchette compartment with adjacent wheelchair-friendly toilet. For train times, see the London to Germany page. There is a handicap brochure with more information on the Germany Railways website, www.bahn.de . You could also consider travelling by sea - www.dfdsseaways.co.uk sails regularly from Harwich to Cuxhaven near Hamburg. To destinations in the Netherlands: Take Eurostar to Brussels. The Thalys high-speed trains from Brussels to Amsterdam have wheelchair spaces. You can also consider travelling by sea - see www.stenaline.co.uk (Harwich-Hoek van Holland) or www.dfdsseaways.co.uk (Newcastle-IJmuiden near Amsterdam). To destinations in Spain: There are direct ferries from the UK to Spain - see www.Brittany-Ferries.co.uk (Plymouth-Santander) or www.poportsmouth.com (Portsmouth-Bilbao). Unfortunately, there are as yet no facilities on the Paris - Madrid / Paris - Barcelona overnight 'trainhotels' for passengers travelling in a wheelchair. To destinations in Austria: Take Eurostar to Brussels. The Thalys high-speed trains from Brussels to Amsterdam have wheelchair spaces and wheelchair-friendly toilets. The 'CityNightLine' hotel train has a wheelchair-accessible compartment in the 6-berth couchette category with adjacent wheelchair-friendly toilet. For train times, see the London to Austria page. Recommended guidebooks ... Wherever you're going, having a decent guidebook makes a big difference. For the independent traveller, I think easily the best ones out there are either the Lonely Planet or the Rough Guide. Both series of guidebooks are excellent, and you won't regret buying one..! Alternatively, the 'Europe by Rail' guide combines country information with basic train information. Seat61 gets a small commission if you buy through these links, to help support the site. Click the images to browse & buy at Amazon... H otels & guesthouses in Europe... To find a hotel in most European countries, try www.venere.com . On this site, the price you see is the price you pay - no hidden extras - and you simply pay the hotel when you get there. After you've booked, you can change or cancel your reservation in line with the hotel's own change and cancellation policy. Seat61 gets a small commission if you book through this link, to help support the site. Feedback from www.venere.com bookings is always welcome. Another site to try is www.expedia.co.uk . For backpacker hostels in most European cities (either a dorm bed or very cheap private room at rock bottom prices) try Hostelbookers.com . Travel insurance - Direct Line.com Always take out adequate travel insurance, either single trip or annual multi-trip, from a reputable insurer. Shop around for the best deal, but I can recommend Direct Line whom I've used myself. Seat61 gets a small commission if you buy after clicking this link. Page last updated 18 December 2005 Back to home page

Travel Guide

InfoHub Specialty Travel Guide, vacation and tourism, weekend getaway, fishing hunting lodges, guest ranches, diving resort, castle hotels, ... Region * : Subregion * : Category * : Forthe ones who seek adventure Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, Colorado The last thing most people think of when Colorado is mentioned are sand dunes, most of us picture the lofty peaks and crystal clear streams of the Rocky Mountains, but located in the south east corner of the state is a desert oasis called Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve… Forthe ones who need safety Trakai castle Lithuania Trakai, the ancient capital of Lithuania situated 30 km from Vilnius. Trakai region features unique relief: the combination of numerous unbelievably pure lakes and moraine hills create a breathtaking sight. There are even ancient legends explaining the exceptional lucidity of the lakes. According to one of those legends… Forthe creative spirits USA: Florida: Key West / Hemingway Home & Museum Greetings to all admirers of Hemingway's talent! Did you know about his home in Florida which is now a museum? If not, you are the lucky ones who will have the chance to read about it! Forthe refined taste buds Ayinger Brau-Weisse Debuts on Draft in U.S. Worldwide media attention was focused on Bavaria following the election of the new Pope Benedict XVI, who was born Joseph Ratzinger in the small town of Marktl am Inn. Several reports have suggested that the new pope enjoys beer, especially Bavarian hefeweizen, and it is quite possible that he favors Ayinger Brau-Weisse… For the ones who love depth Caribbean Explorer I to Long Island, Conception, and San Salvador On Monday morning we made the short crossing to Conception Island. This is where the wall diving started. The first two dives were at Grouper Ledge. Tiger and Nassau grouper cleaning stations were abundant. This is where we saw our first scalloped hammerheads… Forthe ones who like heights Cathedral and Whitehorse Ledges, NH Michael had been thinking about possibly going rock climbing sometime, and he decided there was no time like the present. We found Cathedral Ledge in spite of our guidebooklessness, and hiked in under its awe-inspiring loftiness to the practice slopes on the far north end of the cliff. We found Child's Play, an easy 5.5 on the far right-hand side, and set up a top rope. Forall who want to broaden their horizons Japan in Autumn, Harlan Hague This is a marvelous description of a trip to Japan, country with which the author had fallen in love a long time back, during a three-year sojourn. The very comprehensive trip report depicts nature in autumn, people, as well as many landmarks and unusual events along the way, spicing up the story with lots of vivid pictures that would immerse any reader into the genuine environment of the Land of the Rising Sun. Sendus your story Story archive page Takea quiz Are you a savvy traveler? Take a quiz to find out. You can also gain advice on savingmoney, staying healthy and safe, and enjoying your travel experience to the fullestwith tips from road veterans. Suggestyour own quiz Why not share your traveling experience while challenging other travelers' road savvywith your own quiz? Arts & Crafts Bicycle Tours Boating & Sailing Culture & History Eco & Wildlife Fishing & Hunting Golf & Spa Gourmet & CookingSchools Hiking & Trekking LanguageSchools Naturist Paddling & Rafting RailwayTrips ScubaDiving more... Active Adventure Affinity Desertexpeditions Off-roadAdventure Trekking more... Artistworkshops Gay tours Women tours more... Family Culture& History Castleand palaces Farm stay Railway trips more... Concerttours Language study Military history more... Hobby Nature& Wildlife Antiques Cooking school Photography more... Nationalparks Rainforest Safari more... Romance SoftAdventure Honeymoon Island vacation Singles tours more... Barging Bicycle touring Sea Kayak more... Spiritual Sports Biblicaltours Pilgrimage/Mythology Religion/Spirituality more... Autoracing Sports tours Super Bowl more... more... Hire a personal tour guide in your nexttrip. Amsterdam Jerusalem Reykjavik Ankara London SanFrancisco Bangkok Madrid St.Petersburg Barcelona Milan Tripoli Budapest Moscow Warsaw Cairo Paris Zagreb Resorts Golf Naturist Spa Diving Outdoors Fishinglodge Hunting lodge Guest ranch UniqueStays Castlehotel Eco lodge Atlanta Baltimore Boston Calgary Chicago Dallas Detroit Honolulu Houston Las Vegas Los Angeles Miami Montreal Ottawa Philadelphia Quebec San Francisco St. Louis Vancouver Washington DC more... NatouraTravel & Adventure Tours Experts in Venezuela. Discover Angel Falls, Los Roques, Los Andes, Los Llanos, Amazonregion... InternationalPrepaid Cell Phones International prepaid cell phones with free incoming calls let you stay in touch forless. 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Cruise Vacations Panama Canal

Asia Cruises, Orient Cruise vacations, Vietnam, China, India, Malaysia,Bali, Hong Kong. Welcome to Cruiseweb.com Save Time! Save Money! Call 1-800-377-9383 Book Online ! Search Online ! . Receive E- mail specials! Home Free Quote Discount Cruises Book Online Search Online Cruise Lines Cruise Destinations About Cruise Web Group Cruises Business Meetings Incentive Awards Privacy Policy Cruise Lines: Carnival Cruise Lines Celebrity Cruises Cunard Line Crystal Lines Holland America Line Norwegian Cruise Line Orient Lines Princess Cruises Radisson Seven Seas Royal Caribbean Seabourn Cruise Line Silversea Cruises Windstar Cruises Cruise Destinations: Africa Cruises Alaska Cruises Alaska Cruisetours Antarctica Cruises Asia/Orient Cruises Australia/New Zealand Bahamas Cruises Bermuda Cruises Caribbean Cruises Canada/New England Europe Cruisetours Greek Isles Cruises Hawaii/South Pacific Mediterranean Cruises Mexico Cruises Cruises from New York Northern Europe/Baltic Orlando Cruise Vacations Panama Canal Cruises South America Cruises Asia Cruises & Orient Cruise Vacations Cruisethrough the silken seas ofMalaysia, Thailand and Vietnam. Shop among the skyscrapers of Singapore, HongKong and Muscat.Discover a hint of Hollywood and a dash of Europe in Mumbai or Bangkok. Sailingthe South China Seayou hear the bustle of Asian ports, the low boom of temple gongs. Down under and all over The South Pacific Islands. Gorgeous, exotic islands. As far as the eye can see. As many as the mind can imagine. Islands as massive as Australia, as minuscule as Moorea, as popular as Oahu, as undiscovered as Huahine and as romanticized as Bora Bora. Preview an Orient/Asia cruise vacation with one of ourpreferred cruise line: Asia with Crystal Cruises -Crystal is a luxury linewith six-star quality service, yet with all the amenities and choice of moderncruise ships. Asia with Holland America - HollandAmerica is a premium,elegant, classic cruise line with a semi-formal and yet relaxed atmosphere. Asia with Orient Lines -Orient Lines is apremium line focusing on voyages to exciting destinations around the world,while providingimpeccable service and outstanding value on its intimate sized ships. Asia with Princess Cruises -Princess Cruises is apremium cruise line focusing on passenger choice in dining, entertainment,activities, andaccommodations. Asia with Radisson Seven Seas : - RadissonSeven Seas was voted "Best Small Cruise Line" in Travel & Leisure's fourthannual "World's Best"Awards readers' survey (in 2001 and 1999). Asia with Seabourn Cruise Line -Seabourn is a luxuryline with six-star quality service, yet with all the amenities and choice ofmodern cruise ships. Asia with Silversea Cruises - Silversea Cruises isan award winning six-star luxury cruise line with unmatched, all-inclusivevalue; voted "Best ofthe Best Cruise Line" by the Robb Report in 1999. Photo: Ha Long Bay, Vietnam Pricing &Information? Ourcruise specialists will save you Time and Money! Guaranteed Lowest Price! * - The CruiseWeb guarantees its quoted price will match the cruise line'slowest available priceavailable directly to the public at the time of booking. [* complete details ] Privacy guaranteed: we do not sell or give your information to third parties. Complete the brief form below and a cruise specialist will contact you: First Name * : * Required Fields Last Name * : Email * : Daytime Phone * : Evening Phone * : Optional Fields: Destinations: No Preference Africa/India Alaska Alaska Cruisetours Antarctica Asia/Orient Australia/New Zealand Bahamas Bermuda Canada/New England Caribbean Europe Europe Cruisetours French Polynesia/Tahiti Hawaii/South Pacific Mexico/Mexican Riviera Orient & Asia Panama Canal South America Cruise duration: No Preference 1-7 Night 8-14 Night 15 Night or longer Stateroom Type: No Preference Grand Suite w/ Balcony Suite w/ Balcony Mini Suite w/ Balcony Oceanview Double w/ Balcony Oceanview Stateroom Interior Stateroom Departure Date: Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Day 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 Year 2004 2005 2006 Comments: Yes, I want to receive free "CruiseDeals!" emailspecial offers fromThe Cruise Web. The Cruise Web (sm) is an Official Travel Agency for the Cruise Industry. Cruise Help: 1-800-377-9383 : Mon-Fri 8am-9pm, Sat9am-5pm, Sun 10am-5pm (EST) E-mail / Fax: 1-240-487-0154 / Phone: 1-240-487-0155 Address: 8100 Corporate Drive; Suite 300; Landover, MD 20785-2256 |  CRUISEWEB.COM |  Special Offers | Book Online 24/7 | Search Online 24/7 | Free Quote: Lowest PriceGuaranteed!* |  © 1995 The Cruise Web, Incorporated

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Home List Your Rental Help Home Owner Login About Us Disclaimer More Vacation Rentals World : United States : California : Los Angeles Area Aliso (1) Anaheim (10) Avalon (1) Beverly Hills (5) Capistrano Beach (2) Dana Point (21) Hermosa Beach (7) Hollywood (5) Huntington Beach (19) Laguna Beach (22) Laguna Niguel (1) Long Beach (9) Los Angeles (17) Malibu (14) Manhattan Beach (8) Marina Del Rey (4) Newport Beach (36) Pacific Palisades (1) Pine Mountain Club (2) Playa Del Rey (2) San Clemente (12) Santa Monica (15) Sunset Beach (5) Surfside (1) Topanga (1) Venice (4) Venice Beach (5) West Hollywood (1) Westwood (1) San Diego Area Cardiff by the Sea (5) Carlsbad (29) Chula Vista (1) Coronado (12) Del Mar (14) Encinitas (19) Fallbrook (3) Julian (4) La Jolla (51) Lakeside (1) Mission Bay (5) Mission Beach (71) Ocean Beach (5) Oceanside (36) Pacific Beach (8) San Diego (61) San Pasqual (1) Solana Beach (15) Temecula (5) San Bernardino Area Big Bear Lake (58) Idyllwild (8) Lake Arrowhead (15) Moonridge (2) Running Springs (2) Wrightwood (1) Deserts Blythe (2) Cathedral City (8) Desert Hot Springs (5) Indian Wells (23) Indio (16) Joshua Tree (4) La Quinta (126) Needles (1) Palm Desert (124) Palm Springs (141) Rancho Mirage (30) North Coast Arcata (3) Clear Lake (2) Crescent City (10) Eureka (3) Fort Bragg (2) Gualala (2) Lakeport (1) Mendocino (18) Sea Ranch (2) Shelter Cove (2) Smith River (1) Timber Cove (3) Trinidad (2) Willits (2) Wine Country Bodega Bay (7) Calistoga (3) Healdsburg (10) Jenner (2) Kenwood (2) Napa (19) Petaluma (2) Russian River (21) Sebastopol (1) Sonoma (16) St Helena (5) Yountville (1) San Francisco Bay Area Berkeley (3) California Delta (7) Danville (1) Dillon Beach (3) Half Moon Bay (3) Larkspur (1) Mill Valley (2) Pescadero (2) Point Reyes Station (1) San Francisco (32) San Rafael (1) Sausalito (4) Stinson Beach (3) Tiburon (3) Central Coast Aptos (8) Big Sur (2) Cambria (2) Carmel (10) Carmel Valley (2) Carmel-By-The-Sea (3) Cayucos (3) Grover Beach (1) Lake Nacimiento (3) Los Osos (1) Monterey Bay (3) Morro Bay (3) Nipomo (1) Ojai (1) Oxnard (5) Pacific Grove (1) Paso Robles (3) Pebble Beach (1) Pismo Beach (17) San Luis Obispo (5) Santa Barbara (66) Santa Cruz (23) Santa Ynez (2) Ventura (5) Shasta Cascade Graeagle (3) Hyampom (4) Lake Almanor (1) Mount Shasta (3) Redding (1) Shasta Lake (13) Weaverville (1) Willow Creek (2) High Sierra/Gold Country Arnold (4) Auburn (1) Cold Springs (1) Grass Valley (5) Kernville (2) Mammoth Lakes (24) Markleeville (1) Mi-Wuk Village (1) Murphys (2) Nevada City (2) Pinecrest (9) Pioneer (1) Pollock Pines (1) Sacramento (2) Sequoia (7) Shaver Lake (19) Sutter Creek (1) Twain Harte (8) Wofford Heights (1) Yosemite (10) Lake Tahoe Area Alpine Meadows (2) Brockway (4) Carnelian Bay (4) Dollar Point (2) Donner Lake (7) Homewood (4) Kings Beach (8) Northstar (6) Olympic Valley (1) South Lake Tahoe (90) Squaw Valley (5) Tahoe City (23) Tahoe Donner (45) Tahoe Park (4) Tahoe Pines (2) Tahoe Vista (10) Tahoma (5) Truckee (14) Other Regions California Local Information and Area Highlights Travel to California / California Vacation Rentals From the mountains, to the desert, to the Pacific coast, California is a majestic West Coast state. So much culture, history, and fun define California. Youll need a vacation rental to maximize your trip satisfaction. Everything California There is an incredible amount of diversity in California, from cultures, to climate, to geography, from high-tech to historical. An unimaginable number of things to do and experience in the Golden State exists. So come and enjoy a vacation with everything about California! California Key Areas Northern and Central California includes the North Coast, Shasta Cascade, San Francisco and Bay Areas, Central Coast, Gold Country, High Sierra, and Central Valley regions. The North Coast region contains striking redwood tree forests, like the Redwood National and Stake Parks in Crescent City. State park and forest areas make for prime camping, hiking, and fishing, such as the desolate Six Rivers National Forest in Orleans. You can view lava tubes or waterski at Shasta Lake in the Shasta Cascade region. Ripe vineyards in the Napa Valley area and California wine tours are famous; there is even a one-day event that tours both Muir Woods to see redwoods and wine country. The San Francisco/Bay Area is a wonderful blend of quiet coastal areas like Angel Island State Park and sophisticated city traversed by cable car as an option. San Jose, true to its high-technology nature, offers The Tech Museum of Innovation, with science and engineering exhibits. The Central Valley is steeped in agriculture and has multiple food factory tours available; history is also a theme represented by the San Joaquin County Historical Museum, with a Native American Yokuts display. The 1874 California state capitol building in Sacramento is part of Gold Country, where one can explore Highway 49 just like the miners. Experience the mountain region of the High Sierra, with the incredible views from Mt. Whitney, the highest point in the continental United States, and the Lake Tahoe year-round resort area. Memorable seascapes and resort areas are found on the Central Coast, as is the specialty shopping and dining on Cannery Row in Monterey. Southern California includes the Desert, Los Angeles County, Orange County, Inland Empire, and San Diego County regions. Discover the sand dunes and cliffs eroded through time in the Desert region, set against shiny resort cities and areas like Palm Springs. Take a movie or television tour in the Los Angeles area, or visit Chinatown. Maybe youll decide to stroll or drive down the 20-mile stretch of Sunset Boulevard. Scuba divers and snorkelers probe the underwater shipwrecks of the Catalina Island/Casino Point Underwater Park. Touch more culture of the Far East through the Japanese American Cultural Center. Listen and see live classical, Jazz, and rock artists perform under the stars at the Hollywood Bowl. Orange County, home of Disneyland, is a highly sought-after vacation destination. Crystal Cove State Park has a great combination of beach, surf, and hiking and horseback opportunities, while tubers ride the white-water rapids at Knotts Berry Farm. The Inland Empire region is where you will find the California Citrus State Historic Park, detailing the background of the Southern California citrus industry. Big Bear Lake is a prominent resort area with skiing, snowboarding, golf, and many other activities at play. Peek at the Route 66 Territory Gift Shop in LaVerne, or peer at the centuries of glass at the Historical Glass Museum in Redlands. The San Diego area presents a very temperate climate region with strong Hispanic roots. In North San Diego County lies the largest mission in California, Mission San Luis Rey, built in 1798, where you can tour the church and grounds of the Franciscan Friars of California. Eight casinos around the San Diego region invite gamers, while an excellent variety of restaurant cuisines invite diners. Dont forget about the world-renowned San Diego Zoo! Sites and tours to see Battery Point Lighthouse, Crescent City Grace Hudson Museum and Sun House, Ukiah McCloud River Falls McArthur-Burney Falls State Park Alcatraz Island Paramount Theatre, Oakland Golden Gate Bridge Mission San Juan Bautista Hearst Castle, San Simeon Herman Goelitz Candy Company, Fairfield The Pizza Farm, Madera Empire Mine State Historic Park, Grass Valley The Getty Center Little Grand Canyon, Lake Forest Badwater, Death Valley National Park Orange Empire Railway Museum Del Mar Racetrack VacationRentals.com is quickly becoming one of the largest and most useful specialized travel site on the internet for finding vacation rental homes. With its intelligent search engine, VacationRentals.com is the easiest place for travelers to find and rent unique vacation rentals including cabins, beach house, villas, bed and breakfasts and other vacation lodging. 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