Travel Insurance - Rail Europe For The Student Traveler

Rail Europe For The Student Traveler

Rail Europe As a Student Passenger
Read Jetsetters Magazine at www.jetsettersmagazine.com
Read this entire feature FREE with photos at
http://www.jetsettersmagazine.com/archive/jetezine/sports02/adventure/trains/raileurope/student/eurail.html

Hitting the Rails —

It has been a time-honoured tradition for the North American university grad to leave his sheltered nest and seek the unknown in a distant land.

Unfortunately, tradition also lends way to cliché.

The early twenties, book smart grad is filled with an ambition to add some life experience to his new set of professional letters. He sits in a dockside café eating hometown food with French provincial names as he writes into a leather-bound booklet some deep insights that he assumes are original. He dreams of having a torrid love affair with some local peasant girl but settles instead for swapping email addresses with some Canadians doing the exact same thing. As entertaining as this prospect seems, it was not my wish. I wanted to carve out my own adventure, and in Europe there is no better way than by train.

The European rail system has been for years second-to-none for accessibility, comfort, and, with Rail Europe, affordability. There are a variety of Rail Europe passes for different prices that can get you anywhere you wish in little time and from city center to city center. North Americans must purchase the Rail Europe tickets before departing Europe (you can't get them in Europe) and well in advance of their trip, and in certain countries the passes are valid on ferries and riverboats. The passes are easy to use and, if taken advantage of fully, are cheaper than most other forms of transportation. Best of all is that trains can get you to remote areas that you would otherwise miss. For the budget-minded the night excursions or hotel trains save you hotel rooms so that you awake the next day in a new country!

Copenhagen —

I landed in Copenhagen and got immediately roped into the standard tourist sites — Tivoli Gardens , the Royal Palace, etc.

I saw an incredible exhibit of Danish design at the National Art (Kunst) Gallery, and I took a bike ride through an area called Christiania, an area started by a group of Danes in the 1960s looking for free love, free drugs, and free rent, and it hasn’t changed much since. I was here when I was thirteen years old, staying with a cousin. Since, the government has made an attempt to clean up Christiania by taking out most of the drugs but the general atmosphere remains. Old military buildings painted in bright colours are home to all sorts of the local free thinkers from vagrants to artists to very accomplished architects. The tour ended at the National Library, also called the “Diamond” because of it’s seemingly transparently beautiful aesthetics. It is a remarkable example of the old world class of an European city (half of the building is the original building of the National Library) and the clean lines and simple concepts of modern Danish design that act to seemingly tell a story with nothing but light.

Munich —

As wonderful of a city as Copenhagen is, the tourist route begins to lose its luster and the rails are calling me East. I've been to Germany before so I wasn’t interested in staying for too long, but the food and beer would be a shame to miss — yet another perk of train travel. Local trains can always be caught if you simply feel like ending up in a small town outside Munich, ordering a heaping lunch and a few giant steins of local brew and making your way out the same day. Needless to say, between Frankfurt and the Hungarian border I was full, comfortably brewed-up, and happy as the beautiful sites of central Europe flew by.

As can be expected, this type of life can take it’s toll on a person’s ability to remain conscious. By chance, when my body and mind were screaming for sleep, I happened upon a rather quiet train car. In fact, at one point a person was asked to keep the noise down behind me. I thought there was going to be some sort of movie starting that necessitated such silent attention until I realized that some of the train cars are specifically designated for the lazy kind of traveler that I felt like being. They are quiet cars and I will snore my praises of them for years to come.

Budapest —

A city full of history, incredible architecture, and beautiful women. As you walk around the city you get a definite stench of the former socialist society coupled with an obvious existence of capitalist growth. The city sits on the banks of the Danube. The Pest side is where you would find a much more built-up city center with malls and shopping areas, not to mention the late night venues. You can imagine my desire to visit the other side of the river.

The other side of the river is the Buda part of the city (are you picking up on the basis of the name yet?). A little quieter and lush, Buda contains some beautiful homes and sites. The Gelhert Hill, marked by a statue that can be reached by hiking paths, offers an incredible view of the city. I was lucky enough to meet a lovely local named Janka and I was invited to a dinner party. Hungarians are often seen as slightly less personable than some western European counterparts. This can be chalked up to a very dry sense of humour. I can attest, however, that this is not the case at all. After a great, home-cooked meal and a few cocktails in a quaint apartment in the hills filled with great people, including Zigga (who I knew for a few days and offered me a lift to the train station), and of course the beautiful Janka; I would say that kindness and generosity are staples in the social diet of Hungarians. They also have an uncanny ability to have a good time.

Again, some relaxation is in order after seeing so many sites.

Read this entire feature FREE with photos at:
http://www.jetsettersmagazine.com/archive/jetezine/sports02/adventure/trains/raileurope/student/eurail.html

By David Lazzarion, Canada, Correspondent, Jetsetters Magazine at www.jetsettersmagazine.com

About the Author

David Lazzarino, Canada Jetsetters Magazine Correspondent. Join the Travel Writers Network in the logo at www.jetsettersmagazine.com

| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |

Bryce Canyon - A Stunning Us Travel Destination
Bryce Canyon is not a canyon. It is the spectacular edge of the Paunsaugunt Plateau, a place where intricately carved towers and archways of stone shimmer in a dazzling array of colour under the bright sun.The state of Utah in the United States is home to many beautiful National Parks, and Bryce Canyon National Park ranks as one of the most magnificent and awe inspiring.15 million years ago the earth in this region began to shift, forming a series of plateaus. The Paunsaugunt is an extensive plateau, with the Paria River gradually eroding away the edge to form Bryce Canyon.The rock in Bryce Canyon is composed of layer after layer of sediment deposits, deposited millions of years ago when the area was at the bottom of a lake. Now the Paria River has exposed the layers, allowing a...(more in Travel Insurance)

The Lowdown On China Travel
The fragrance of fish, lobsters…, the sturdy Great Wall, the broken hush of winds by the Martial Arts, the grand museums and unpretentious down to earth people…welcome you to the third largest country on the globe-China. China is universally known not just for any single reason. The country has earned remarkable name not just in electronics and technology but it also surpasses many countries in its receiving tourists' attention. The charisma of China is such that people from all over the world e...(more in Travel Insurance)

History Of Travel Luggage
From the beginning to today! Travel luggage is an important part of every traveler’s wardrobe. There are many models, sizes, styles, colors, materials and prices associated with the luggage currently on the market. There are even vintage and collectible luggage pieces available! Whether you are going to be gone for a day, a month or a year, you will most likely need to help of luggage to keep your items together and organized. Travel luggage is designed for professionals, sportsmen, men, women, kids and even animals! There are a ton of models that can be bought today, but in the old days, the choices weren’t as plentiful.For as long as man has traveled, there has been a need to take items with them. Christopher Columbus would have carried a trunk/chest that housed his clothing and nav...(more in Travel Insurance)

Beautiful Barcelona - Easy Travel Guide
Beautiful city of Barcelona, capital of Catalonia (a Spain's province), is situated on on the shore of the Mediterranean sea and bordered at either end by 2 river deltas. Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after its capital city Madrid. Barcelona has a population of 1.5 million, over 4 million including suburbs. The varied, eventful history of the city dates ba...(more in Travel Insurance)

Travelers With Disabilities: The Untapped Market
When most people think about accommodating people with disabilities in their business they get a scared feeling in their gut and their mind scrambles to search for that all-important date when the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) went into effect. It doesn’t have to be that way! When business owners open their eyes and start to realize that there are literally billions of dollars to be made in the accessible travel market, I believe we will start to remove the fear associated with the ADA. There are currently more than 50 million people with disabilities in the United States and 180 million worldwide, representing the single largest untapped tourist ma...(more in Travel Insurance)

8-tips For Packing And Traveling Lite
How-to Pack and Travel LiteIn this day and age of traveling cephalalgia, there are a few packing tactics to employ. To cut out an extra thirty to forty minutes at the arriving airport, start with packing small luggage. Since carry-ons can not...(more in Travel Insurance)

Travel Kashmir At Cheapest Price
Set like a jewelled crown on the map of India, Kashmir is a many faceteddiamond, changing character with the seasons - always extravagantly beautiful.Three Himalayan ranges, Karakoram, Zanaskar and Pir Panjal - snow capped,majestic, frame the landscape from northwest to northeast. They are the birthplace of great rivers which flow through the kashmir valley.RajTaringini the chronology of the Kashmir Kings written by Kalhana eulogises the beauty of Kashmir as follows:"Kasmira Parvati Paroksh; Tat Swami ch Maheswara". Meaning Kashmir is as beautiful as Goddess Parvati mani...(more in Travel Insurance)

A Photocopied Travel Letter To Home
As we drove from Traverse City, Michigan to Tucson, Arizona, I wrote a series of letters, and photocopied them to send to family and friends. This was the first of the three.Travel Letter #1Saturday, 12/13/03 - Good morning. Welcome to our vacation form letter. We're in Arizona now. The sun is shining and it will be in the sixties today, which should melt the ice on the windows soon. Ana's foot doesn't seem to be broken, as we thought, so we took a long walk in the desert last night. We saw a coyote, probably the same one I chased the other day, and there were javelina tracks everywhere.The library in Safford has books in Spanish, so Ana is enjoying reading now ...(more in Travel Insurance)

Rail Europe For The Student Traveler
Rail Europe As a Student PassengerRead Jetsetters Magazine at www.jetsettersmagazine.comRead this entire feature FREE with photos athttp://www.jetsettersmagazine.com/archive/jetezine/sports02/adventure/trains/raileurope/student/eurail.htmlHitting the Rails —It has been a time-honoured tradition for the North American university grad to leave his sheltered nest and seek the unk...(more in Travel Insurance)

Pet Friendly Travel Ï¿½ 10 Tips For Hassle-free Travel With
In the United States alone, over 60 million households have one or more pets. Pet owners in 15 million of those households travel with their p...(more in Travel Insurance)

The Lowdown On New Orleans Travel
The beautiful city cuddled around the curve of the Mississippi River, known for its cuisine, music and culture, is the metropolis New Orleans. This vibrant city summons many a visitors every year. Its more than a few attractions are cherished by tons of people across the globe.Getting Acquainted With the PlaceNew Orleans is quite an old city that has a profound sense of art and architecture, culture and people. Certain historic buildings like the U.S Mint Building and the Lousiana History Museum have always accepted attention of the visitors. The French Quarter is an eminent area in New Orleans. The Quarter speaks about the marvelous European architecture, history, legen...(more in Travel Insurance)

Beautiful Barcelona - Easy Travel Guide
Beautiful city of Barcelona, capital of Catalonia (a Spain's province), is situated on on the shore of the Mediterranean sea and bordered at either end by 2 river deltas. Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after its capital city Madrid. Barcelona has a population of 1.5 million, over 4 million including suburbs. The varied, eventful history of the city dates ba...(more in Travel Insurance)

Personal Protection When Traveling - It's A Must!
One Christmas when I was in high school, I received what I thought at the time was an odd gift – a personal safety alarm. I thanked my parents, but wondered why they thought I needed personal protection. As it turns out I never used the alarm but I sure FELT safer when I was walking home in the dark.To protect your person when traveling, there are a variety personal safety options. Actual weapons of course, which I don’t recommend - studies...(more in Travel Insurance)