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News
ABOVE: Young people wait for an train in Austria, which has excellent railroad connections with Berlin, Sofia, and other cities in Northern and Central Europe. Eurail and InterRail will take you to Europe's top destinations in 2009Utrecht, Netherlands – As a new year begins, there are several reasons to start making travel plans for 2009. Many European cities have been featured on various top ten lists of worldwide hotspots to visit this year. Here’s a sampling of some affordable destinations that are also easily accessible with a Eurail or InterRail pass. Frommer’s recommends Berlin as an authentic destination that offers something for almost everyone. The historic city is celebrating the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, making 2009 the perfect year to visit the German capital. Those interested in European history can expect special exhibitions, memorials, tours and walks. Berlin is well connected, and nearly 350,000 train passengers pass through the newly-built, highly-modern glass Hauptbahnhof (Central Station) daily. The travel website BootsnAll (www.bootsnall.com), aimed at independent travelers, also names Berlin as one of their top choices, claiming that the city is “noticeably cheaper” than most of Europe’s other popular tourist destinations. In these difficult economic times, the focus is on more affordable travel deals. The UK’s Herald newspaper recently released a report on the best budget destinations to visit in 2009. Included in this list is Bulgaria, which has just become a Eurail One Country Pass member. Situated in southeastern Europe, Bulgaria offers a picturesque and varied landscape ranging from towering mountain ranges to coastal towns situated on the Black Sea. Bulgaria’s passenger railway network covers over 6,200 kilometers (3,850 miles) and offers convenient domestic and international routes. Direct trains run from major cities such as Budapest, Bucharest, Thessaloniki and Belgrade. The Bulgarian railways serve 34 million passengers annually. Another popular destination in Eastern Europe is the Czech Republic, which became a member of the Eurail Global Pass and Eurail Select Pass packages in 2009. The Czech capital Prague is ranked among the top ten tourist destinations in Europe, according to Euromonitor International1. Traveling by rail is popular in the Czech Republic. Of the more than 6.5 million tourists visiting the country annually, nearly a quarter travel by rail. The dense railway structure, which is continuously being modernized, links Prague to many other interesting cities and villages within the country, and boasts excellent international connections. Other European capitals like Vienna and Berlin can be reached directly in less than five hours. Undoubtedly, the economy will play an important role on how and where we travel in 2009. However there are clearly some affordable destinations in Europe and with a Eurail or InterRail Pass offering freedom, flexibility and excellent value, you can be assured of a relaxing and enjoyable trip. With the addition of the Czech Republic, the Eurail Global Pass for international visitors is now good in 21 countries throughout Europe, and the InterRail Global Pass is valid in 30 countries. Eurail also has regional and two-country passes, while InterRail offers one-country passes for residents of Europe who plan to do most of their train travel within a single country's boundaries. Finding the right pass: Eurail passes are available to travelers who have lived outside Europe for at least six months. For complete information, visit www.eurail.com. InterRail passes are for residents of Europe. For details, see
www.interrailnet.com. Photo: Eurail Group.
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