EURAIL Passes

EURAIL passes are certainly a cheap way and convenient way to travel around Europe, especially if you're under 26 (cheaper prices for youths). Besides, train rides provide some really great scenery. You'd also notice how the landscape of each country can be so different, even if they are just bordering each other.

However, there is indeed lots to learn about using that EURAIL pass before you can actually ENJOY your ride, so let me share a few pointers of whatever I know:

• VALIDATE your pass before using it!
• Write down the date that you're going to use it before you board the train, or ASAP when you're on it
• Keep your passport somewhere handy, conductors will check both your pass and your passport together
  
• RESERVE seats if necessary
  
• This is extremely important especially for Intercity Express (ICE) trains. We had to stand a large part of our 6 hour journey from Amsterdam to Munich because we did not reserve seats. The EURAIL pass DOES NOT guarantee you a seat. It only allows you onboard the train.
• Don't reserve seats if not necessary
• Not all trains are full, hence you'll get seats even if you don't reserve them. The best way to determine if there's a need to is to ask the ticketing office at the train station if there's likely a need to. We paid between 6EUR to 22EUR for each seat reserved. The cost varies from trip to trip.
• Know which seats have been reserved, and from which station to which station (if you haven't reserved your own seat)
  
• The ICE trains (and the DB German trains too, if I don't remember wrongly) have digital displays above the seats to show which seats have been reserved, and from which station to which station. If the display is not litted, congratulations, the seat has not been reserved and you're unlikely to be interrupted if you occupy that seat. If however, all the displays are litted, pick a seat that has been reserved from the furthest away station --- you'll get to sit for a longer period at least.
  
• Conductors can be nice or nasty
• Some will allow you sit in the first class cabin, even tho your ticket's for the second class (when there are no seats left in second class). Some will chase you away from family cabins even tho there's no family in sight that needs it. Just deal with it.
  

Can't think of anymore tips to post here, but hope these few help anyway!

The Last Day in Munich and the Beginning of our Nightmare

On the last day, we decided to go for the half-day city tour of Munich offered free-of-charge right from our hostel (Wombat's Hostel).

A city tour is a MUST for Munich, especially if you are a history buff. Else, you'd just be walking along the streets of Munich, stepping on historical landmarks without even knowing it. If you happen to stay at Wombats, you should really go for it (just need to pay the tour guide how much you feel his tour has been worth as a token... he's good, anyway!)

Didn't take many photos, cos they're not really spectacular or anything, just historical.

English Garden, I believe

Guy 'surfing' in a street canal

Nothing much to say about the photos except that it's really cool to see people surfing in street canals! Wish this would happen in Singapore. Hah!


Anyway, after the end of the tour, we were about to be LATE for our train that we needed to catch to Prague!!! So we panicked and took a cab back to our hostel, bought plenty of bottled water and food to sustain us on our train ride, dragged our luggage to the train station.

It was craziness really, dashing around with all our stuff, in a place where majority don't speak English and trying to get help figuring out where on earth our platform is.

We made it anyway. However, we didn't manage to reserve any seats for our train because we were too late. NIGHTMARE. That means likely having to stand all 7 hours just like our train from the Netherlands to Munich.

Oh, anyway, I've decided that to interrupt this nightmare for the time being, the next post shall be on TRAINS! And what to do, and what not to do if you're using a EURAIL pass.

Schloss Neuschwanstein - Munich Day 3

Schloss Neuschwanstein, or Neuschwanstein Castle, was the most irresistable attraction we totally had to visit just by browsing the pamphlets!

"Pretty" is certainly no understatement when describing the castle!!!

Apparently, this castle was the inspiration for the Walt Disney castle! Perhaps it isn't exactly magical, but it's certain impressive, considering it was built in the 1800s! Certainly very different from those greyish, sturdy-looking brick and cement castles with fortresses anyway.

Just take note of this yellow building for the moment....

Anyway, the castle is atop a hill, which means we had to climb all the way up to visit it. Not exactly challenging, but takes quite abit of effort! Just to show you how high we had climbed.

The same yellow building, now from how high we had climbed

And still higher!!!!

I must say the climb was worth every bit of it --- just for the scenery. I think Bavaria is a beautiful place... with all its hills and landscapes. Even as we were taking the train from Holland crossing over to Germany, we noticed the change in landscape... the hills and greenery is beautiful (which is why train is such a great way to travel too!)

Castle top peeking at us

Splendour!

The design is so... well... cute.

I really do like this castle!!! So imaginative for its time!!!

Close to the castle entrance

Anyway, I think it's not necessary to get those half-day tour packages. That's because it's very easy to catch a train to the station and get your own castle tickets (which is a guided tour). Getting to the castle is also not a problem because the signs clearly depict which direction to go. Save the money!

Very touristy tho

The castle had a superb, mystical guided tour, but ONLY because of our creepy tour guide. He was completely spooky and I'm sure everyone felt it too. He's not even old as you are probably imagining now. He was 23, at best and probably younger. Small and thin for a Caucasian.

He speaks really slowly and calmly.. with a thick accent. His actions are slow, to a point they seem delayed. It's surreal because everyone around him is moving at a certain pace and watching him is like watching a slow-mo figure in a film. He's a superb guide tho, not because he adds to the castle atmosphere brilliantly, but also because his knowledge of facts is astounding to the very details!!!

Anyway, no photos because cameras aren't allowed and we're rule-abiding tourists. Interior of the castle is really intricate and well-decorated. Beautiful as usual, bordering fantasy-like.

The rest of the photos were taken on our way down.. Nothing much, just nice natural greenery.

That's it!! One of the MUST SEE attractions in Munich! Amazing =)

Munich Day 2 - Munich City

Munich is undeniably one of my favorite cities I've been too! Not even for its history, just being there and soaking up the atmosphere makes me want to return.

Evening Munich and Maggie


A church, of course

Street pianist in a tux and all

Maggie was fascinated by the fact that there were a few pianists playing their grand pianos on the streets. There were other musicians playing all sorts of instruments like violins, cellos etc, dressed in clothing befitting concert musicians...

Kids get their fair share of fun in Munich city...

And adults too...

And kids...

And more kids... (gulp.. was I the only adult there?)



No no.. there's still Maggie :)

Okay, so the deal was that someone (don't know who) would just leave all these toys around.. things like stilts, balls and all sorts of things I've had never seen before. And anyone's free to play with them! And people really do play with them!

I miss the atmosphere so much! It's carnival-like, even on a regular day! People are relaxed, as are we (perhaps cos we're on vacation, anyway). We could just roam around all evening in spite of our ACHING legs... I miss Munich. Grrr.

Lastly, here are some extra photos of Munich I found on the net that I also remember so fondly of Munich :) Hope you do too, Maggie.

Munchen Hauptbahnhof

Interior of the train station

(Maggie: Remember how we pulled out luggage and dashed like crazy? Lol!)

Wombats Reception Area

Don't they bring back such wonderful memories :) +smiles to self+

Munich Day 2 - Dachau Concentration Camp

We arrived at Munich from Amsterdam at around 4pm, and so we spent the rest of the day mulling around the city nearby Wombats. We checked out the Tourist Information to collect brochures and figure out what to do the next 3 days at Munich.

Guess it were the history lessons in Sec 3 & 4 that made me wanna visit all those places that had to do with the World Wars. So, we headed for the Dachau Concentration Camp bright and early the next morning!

"Dachau was a Nazi German concentration camp, and the first one opened in Germany, located on the grounds of an abandoned munitions factory near the medieval town of Dachau, about 16 km (10 miles) northwest of Munich in southern Germany." -Source: Wikipedia


These were the gates to the concentration camp.

Arbeit Nacht Frei - Work will Set You Free

The guide told us this phrase was used largely for propaganda purpose - to hide the cruelty of what goes on behind these gates in the name of re-education.

The expanse of the camp

The shacks that used to house the prisoners are now gone, but every slab filled with gravel you see now was the exact position that each shack used to be.

The few remaining buildings behind me

Reconstructed replica of how the bunk beds used to look like

Of course, prisoners did not have the luxury to have one bed per prisoner. I can't remember the exact numbers each shack housed, but it was ridiculous overcrowding.

Wash basin

Toilet bowls

Another segment of the camp

Doors to the solitary confinement cells

The rear of the building with the solitary cells

Prisoners were tortured and executed in this open area here just behind the solitary cells. Purpose was to let these prisoners hear, see & fear that the same might happen to them.

Where bodies were cremated

To escape - against all odds

To escape this camp, prisoners had to overcome three hurdles, well-depicted in this picture. Firstly, the grass strip. Anyone found on the grass strip would be shot immediately (there were lookout towers of cos). Second, the moat which was pretty wide (can't really tell from this photo). Lastly, the barbed wire fence.

The memorial reads "Never Again"