09/06/2024
Lesson 4 from traveling in Europe for 6 weeks: Transportation.
We traveled by air, rail, ship, cab, bus, and funicular! It was mostly easy, but some important tips:
How to find things:
1. Google Maps was our go to. It will show how to get from place to place, and even which buses or metro to take, and present some options. Of course, it does it eat up a lot of data. Different subject on phones / internet later. **Very smart move is download the Google Maps for cities you are visiting in case you have no connection and it uses less data.
2. Rome to Rio is a great website and free app that gives you all the transportation options between points and the cost. This let's you sort out whether to use cab, bus, metro, ferry, or air. Very helpful.
3. Waze. In some areas Waze works better than Google Maps. Good to have both.
4. Strikes. You have to watch for transportation worker strikes that can impact your travel. Just pay attention to the news and plan accordingly. They are frequent, but often only for a couple of days.
Air:
1. Searching for flights / prices: Google Flights is my first stop to shop and price. Scroll down to the calendar when you select days to see options / pricing. Others that work differently that I also like are Skyscanner and Momondo.
2. Timing: Most of time it's very good to get the airport 2 hours early, particularly for the big airports. There are airports where you may walk 45 minutes or more to get from one gate to another. Security lines can also be very long. In Dublin you actually go through US customs while still in Dublin, so you will basically have to go through double the steps to get on the plane.
3. Luggage: The lighter you can travel the cheaper it is, even in the US. But many low cost carriers in Europe really tag you for anything beyond a small carryon because the fares are super cheap, like sometime $20 (really). If you pack right you can live out of small backpack for days. One trick is to roll your clothes rather than fold them. Much tighter, less wrinkles, and takes up less space! Having a dryer sheet in luggage or backpacks also keeps things smelling fresh. Also keep a couple plastic trash bags. Great for separating dirty clothes or if something is wet/damp that must be packed. Having a small umbrella is also very handy. Put an Airtag or Tile in you luggage so you can find it if the airline looses it. If you bag is damaged the airlines must give you money or a new bag, just report it immediately when you pick up the luggage. On trains you carry and store your own bags, buses as well. Also a great idea is to have a small bag scale so you can weigh the bag and not get hit with airline over weight charge. Cheap on Amazon.
4: Trains: Stations can be a roadside stop, or massive in big cities. There is no security check typically and no customs within the Euro Zone unless going outside. You don't need to get to the train station super early, but they can be very large, plus you have to account the the length of the train and platforms. Unless you know it well, best to be an hour early to big stations. Know your train company (their are many different ones), number, and departure time. They will be listed on boards, but they often do not post which platform until 15 minutes before departure! And the doors may not be open; you may have to press a button to get them to open. Same thing at stops. They are very brief and you must be ready to get off and push the button. If the train company you are using has an app, it makes it much easier. We only had electronic tickets, and they typically check them during the trip (but sometimes not). Fines for no ticket are high, and your ticket must not just be purchased, but validated!! It's not really hard, just something to know. Trains go all over Europe and are typically reasonably priced. There are also many high speed trains. One advantage over air travel is the trains drop you right in the middle of the city / town.
5. Buses: Normal people in Europe take buses everywhere, not just in cities. It's not like you feel the need to have a gun like in America. We only used buses this time in the cities. Most city buses use contactless payment (credit cards or phone) to tap when you get on. Google where you going to check, but that was the norm. There is also typically a max daily fee and usually when you tap it's good for 60-90 minutes or so even if you need to change buses. Google maps is very helpful here, and some cities also have boards at bus stops showing times. If you get a paper ticket or some type of pass make sure you know how to validate it before riding. Fines for not tapping or not having a validated ticket are high. In Switzerland a free transportation pass is often included with your stay so ask. If you are in London, or anywhere with a double decker bus it is super cool to ride on the top level in the front. Scary like a roller coaster, but super cool. There are "Hop on/ Hop off" buses in the cities that have a different pass system, but we just used the normal public transport to get around because it was cheaper. They can be good for tourists though because they include commentary and go to tourist spots.
6. Metro (subway and overground): Very similar to buses and in many places the systems are same or linked. Most use a system that you tap your credit card (or phone) when you enter into the station and will tap again when you are going out. Some only do a single tap to get in, or have machines in the stations for a ticket. In general, they are very efficient. At rush hour times they are often packed like sardines. Be very careful of pickpockets on Metro. Google will help on which trains to take. We also found that several times you were going to have to use stairs elevators / escalators were either very hard to find or broken. Just like in the US, they can be the best way to get around because no traffic or lights.
7. Ferry: We were on 3 ferry's. For 2 of them we bought tickets online through their specific site, which we had to show on boarding. The other we bought at ticket office next to the ferry. Google maps also showed these schedules. They can be a great way to just sightsee versus paying a lot more for a 'boat tour'. Just depends on what you are looking for. We did a private boat tour in Dubrovnik that was expensive but totally worth it. And obviously there are times that you cannot get there without a ferry (islands) or it is the quickest way. We did like them all and found them very relaxing. But you must plan and make sure you know the schedule because they are not as frequent as buses or metro! Also good to get there about 30 minutes early in case of line or you may end up without a seat (we were fine). We also traveled by cruise ship and river boat, but that is another subject.
8. Cabs: We did have a couple of prebooked transports from the airport and to an excursion at the beginning when we had our family with us. It is nice to get off a plane and have someone waiting with you name on a sign. And necessary if you have more 4 people, particularly with luggage. We used Tripadvisor.com to find good rated ones and use it for lots are research about places to stay, food, tours, etc. We also used Uber several times. Uber doesn't serve all areas, so just check. If you've never used Uber, we have found it to be overall good and you know the fare in advance versus getting in cab in a foreign country and getting screwed over. But if you traveling very early in the morning or late at night Uber may be very delayed or unreliable, and more expensive. If you have to get in a regular cab, always ask the fare before you go anywhere.
Lastly, what the hell is a funicular! It's basically a train that goes up a steep incline. Beats the hell out of walking! For tourist it's cool too, and often takes you to places with amazing views. Tickets are usually purchased in person or at machines in the stations. https://www.treehugger.com/fabulous-funiculars-from-around-the-globe-4863745
Get out there, and learn to use public transportation when you can because then you get a better taste of the culture, and it's cheaper than taking cabs or Uber most of time (not all). Long post, but hopefully useful!
These incline railways range from precipitous mountainside crawls to unique underground excursions.
