Trains

by Jay Brunhouse (Second of three parts)

by Jay Brunhouse (First of three parts)

The train from Fiumicino Airport to Stazione Termini in central Rome cost €14 (near $20) per person in May ’10.

Our family of six took a trip to Greece, Jan. 1-12, 2010, after which three members of our family left for home while our daughter, my husband and I extended our stay two more days.

I’m often asked to assist with travel plans in Switzerland because I grew up there, know the three languages and have been there at least once a year since 1981. Gene McPherson’s wonderful trip report, “Bicycling Switzerland and No. Italy” (March ’10, p. 32), brings to mind some points that I’d like to share.

Tell ITN about the funniest thing that ever happened to you while traveling in a foreign country. (ITN prints no info on destinations in the United States.) There are no restrictions on length. The ITN staff will choose each month’s winner, who will receive a free one-year subscription to ITN. Entries not chosen cannot be acknowledged.

This month’s winner is NED JOHNSON of Seneca, SC:

Okay, so you have read the Rick Steves guidebook and the Rough Guide to wherever it is you want to go in Europe. You have decided to see the wildflowers in one village and a museum in another and to go wine tasting someplace else, but you have no idea how to get to them all. The answer is the “European Rail Timetable” by Thomas Cook.

by Mary Beltran, ITN

We gave you this assignment: name a bridge (outside of the USA) that, for whatever reasons, is exciting to cross. Tell where it is (and, if necessary, how to find it) and approximately when you were there. Did you cross it on foot? By car? By train? Include your impressions. You may write about more than one bridge.

After visiting our new granddaughter in London in October ’09, my wife, Kay, and I traveled through Scotland and England’s Lake District via train. We obtained our Senior Railcards at a local train station for £26 (near $42) each, but it would have cost only £23.40 if purchased online at www.senior-railcard.co.uk. They are also available (at full price) from all London airports except Heathrow.

By using the passes, we saved £166 ($286) on the total rail fares during our 9-day excursion. And the passes are good for one year from the date of purchase.