Subject:

train

An Oyster Card? No this is not the secret ticket to an all-you-can-eat buffet, but your ticket onto London's immense transit system. In reality, it is one of the most useful pieces of plastic in London...after your credit card.

Our question today for Francesco....Hi Francesco! Italian trains stress me out....I was wondering if you had any advice for taking the train while in Italy. How early do I need to arrive for the train? What's the easiest way to buy a ticket? And what is the whole deal between first and second class? Would appreciate any advice you could give on how Italians take the train.

We read recently on Tony Wheeler's blog (that's Tony Wheeler of Lonely Planet fame) that when he needed to get from the UK to Italy, he decided to skip the affordable, quick trip on Easy Jet and take a ride down on the Orient Express. We were intrigued and the idea of chugging across Europe in a vintage locomotive appealed to our romantic sensibilities. But, his account of his trip was noticeably lacking any details on how one could take such a trip themselves. Details that we quickly learned took this romantic ride deep into luxury travel territory.

I recently flew to New York into JFK airport, and being the savvy traveler that I am (read cheap), I decided in advance that I wanted to take the AirTrain. The AirTrain is a light rail system that connects JFK to both the subway system and Long Island Rail Road. There's a bunch of information about it on AirTrain's Site and Wikipedia, but nobody tells you how to buy a ticket. Until now.

I'm heading to NYC this weekend and it's been awhile since I've been there. When considering my transportation options, the seasoned travel advice "get a transit pass" popped in my head. But more importantly, when transit is concerned....know thy options. Sure, a tourist card may make sense in other cities throughout the world, like Berlin. But for my four day stint in New York, I discovered it's better to pay as you go.

Figuring out how to use mass transit in any major city can be a major headache, even if you've done your homework. However, Berlin, with its 7 different ways to get around, is an entirely different affair.

All aboard! Every week, Amtrak announces a special sale for some of its routes. If you're traveling in August, you can take advantage of some of these deals.

Head here for more details and tickets.

Ahhh, the train across Europe. A place of many fond memories and not so fond, as well. Sometimes you wish that time on the train would just be a little quicker. And with a new tunnel opening in the Swiss alps, one can zip across Europe a little quicker. American Backpackers rejoice. This new passageway reportedly cuts a 1/3 of the time it takes to get from Italy to Germany. That is, if those Italian trains leave on time.