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BETS--Putting People on the Right Track Since 1978!
800-441-9413; 800-441-2387; in KS & MO, 877-441-2103
New in 2010 Eurailpass prices now change due to fluctuations in the dollar to euro exchange rate,
and as the dollar has been volatile recently, there have been price changes both up and down over the past year.
But once you buy your railpass, your price is guaranteed, and you have up to six months to start using it.
Wi-fi internet access is seldom available on European trains, but
Thalys, operating train service between Paris, Brussels, Cologne and Amsterdam, has announced that all trains have been outfitted
with wi-fi internet. The service is free for 1st-class passengers, but 2nd-class travelers will have to pay €6.50 ($9)/hr
or €13 ($18) for the whole journey.
The European high-speed rail system continues to expand. In December 2009, the high-speed line from
Paris to Brussels was extended to Amsterdam, slashing travel times by one hour (Paris-Amsterdam: 3 hrs 18 mins;
Brussels-Amsterdam: 1 hr 53 mins). Paris also has high-speed links to Cologne (3 hrs 14 mins), Frankfurt (3 hrs
49 mins), Zürich (4 hrs 36 mins), London (2 hrs 20 mins), Nice (5 hrs 38 mins), Lyon (2 hrs) and Strasbourg (2 hrs 17
mins). As these times are all city center to city center with no transfers, they compare favorably with overall flight
times when considering the time, hassle and expense of going to and from the airports.
In December 2009, high-speed
rail service began over the Milan-Florence-Rome-Naples route, reducing travel
times significantly. New travel times from Milan: Bologna, 1 hr 05 mins; Florence, 1 hr 45 mins; Rome, 3 hrs; Naples, 4 hrs
55 mins. Travel times from Rome: Naples, 1 hr 10 mins; Florence, 1 hr 35 mins. A ripple effect of this new high-speed
line is that travel times to/from Venice are also reduced: Venice-Florence, 2 hrs 03 mins; Venice-Rome, 3 hrs 48 mins; Venice-Milan,
2 hrs 35 mins.
Spain is also building an
ambitious high-speed system with Madrid as a hub. Many sections are already in operation, with high-speed links connecting
Madrid to Barcelona (2 hrs 45 mins), Seville (2 hrs 30 mins), Cordoba (1 hr 42 mins), Malaga (2 hrs 40 mins), Toledo (30 mins)
and Segovia (30 mins).
Since late 2007, smoking has not been allowed on European trains.
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