INTRODUCTION - Europe by Eurail 2015: Touring Europe by Train - page 32

normally may be purchased more cheaply in the arrival city. Many airports have
specialty shopping outlets to compensate for revenue losses.
Keep in mind that everything you purchase, “tax-free” or otherwise, is subject to
customs duty when returning home. Shipped items are processed separately. Con-
sequently, know your quotas and attempt to stay within them to avoid paying duty
and experiencing delays.
Prior to Landing. Fill out all the customs and immigration forms your flight attend-
ant may give you, and keep them with your passport and airline ticket. Keep this
packet handy but secure, until your credentials are required by the customs or im-
migration officials at the arriving airport.
Train Travel Tips
“What affects men sharply about a foreign nation,” wrote G. K. Chesterton, “is not
so much finding or not finding familiar things, it is rather not finding them in the fa-
miliar place.”
Going to Europe for the first time can mean a confusion of terminology that
causes us to learn too late that what we sought was actually available throughout
our visit. Our problem can be merely not knowing where to look and what to ask
for. The following tips should help you enjoy your rail adventures:
Travel for the Disabled. Rail travel is becoming more and more a chosen method
of transportation and recreation for disabled persons. Many aids for the disabled
have been incorporated into rail-station design. Trains are being designed with
wider doors for wheelchair access; some even have a removable seat to make
room for a wheelchair. Ramp access to toilets, buffets, and other facilities is being
provided. Folding wheelchairs are also available at main stations so that occupants
can be transferred to a regular seat once aboard the train.
The European railways are eager to provide as comfortable a journey as pos-
sible for the disabled passenger. To do this, advise authorities of your intended
travel plans before departure.
In the United States contact Mobility International USA, 132 E. Broadway, Suite
343, Eugene, OR, 97401 ( Tel: [phone]; Fax: [phone]); visit
www.miusa.org or e-mail [e-mail] for information about services and refer-
rals to international affiliates. They also produce helpful publications.
If you plan to travel in Europe with a disabled person, as soon as you establish
your itinerary, contact one of the tourist offices listed in the Appendix and begin
making arrangements. The same applies to the airline you'll be using for your
transatlantic flight. Give details of your itinerary, the nature of the disability, and any