INTRODUCTION - Europe by Eurail 2015: Touring Europe by Train - page 34

prior to departure, with the request that a porter be asked to meet your train upon
arrival at your destination.
If you are transferring between base cities or changing hotels from one city to
another, you can request the hall porter at the hotel you are leaving to arrange for
the arriving hotel's hall porter to meet your train upon arrival. A small tip should ar-
range everything.
A Few More Train Travel Tips
• Show your pass or rail ticket, upon request, and in the case of the pass, have
your passport handy should the conductor want to see it.
• Don't place your feet on the seats of the train unless you have removed your
shoes or have provided a protective covering for the seat.
• Place your luggage in the overhead racks (or the luggage vestibules) provided
for that purpose—not on the seats so that other passengers won't be able to
crowd you.
• Observe the smoking/nonsmoking areas and rules. There are rather stiff fines
for smokers who violate the nonsmoking regulations.
• Observe seat reservations. Seating that has been reserved is marked, usually
by a ticket inserted at the top of the seat. Even though it is apparent that a seat
is unoccupied, if there are other passengers seated opposite, ask whether the
seat is open—doing so will avoid embarrassment later if the person holding the
reservation happens to return.
• Arrange dining-car reservations on long-distance trains soon after boarding. Ask
the conductor. If he or she cannot make the reservations for you, a member of
the dining-car crew will do so. Generally, these crew members pass through the
train prior to the first serving for that purpose. Usually there are two servings, so
be prepared to select the one to your liking. You can also ask about the menu at
the same time. The second serving is scheduled so that the dining-car crew has
time to tidy up before the train reaches its destination. Therefore, the first
serving is preferred by many because it does not seem to be as rushed.
• If you plan an overnight journey on a sleeper, ask the attendant to explain how
the equipment in your compartment operates. For example, newer sleeping
cars have electric shades. A push of the button and they open; another push of
the same button and they close. If you did not know the button's function, you
just might try pushing the button while the train was standing in a station and
you were not properly dressed for the occasion!