Getting Around

So here you are, in Europe at last. I hope that this chap-ter includes all you need to know to get around easily. You have a major ally in doing so - the local tourist authority. Most European cities and countries benefit greatly from the tourist trade, and they have spent large amounts of money to make things easy on you. Most countries have a large network of tourist offices, sometimes in the smallest town or village, and this is usually an incredibly valuable resource. They can do a lot more for you than simply hand you a map and direct you to a hostel, but to get full value you must ask. The office in the main train station may be a bit crowded in August, so be prepared with some questions, such as (1) are there any festivals or eel-] ebrations planned in the local area any time soon, or any planned in the region in the next week or so? (2) is anything on the normal tourist trail closed? (3) is there any attraction that you personally recommend I see, perhaps something off the tourist trail? Be nice to these people - they are often severely overworked during the
summer.

Along with tourist offices, there are also train information offices that can help you tremendously in your traveling around. If a question is not answered in this chapter, or you have a question about a specific trip or service, ask at one of these offices, and I guarantee that you will be helped on your way. Since you will probably be taking public transportation from the airport to wherever you are staying, information on getting around cities will be presented first, followed by information on intercity and international travel.