If you cannot find your answer then feel free to post it on the forums. Myself or another backpacker from the community will help you.
Is there an alternative to trains going by airplane?
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There is another choice for those long overnight trains. This new service from Europe by Air allows you to travel from one European city to another with a flat rate of US$99. However, you must buy a minimum of three tickets. Just think that if you are on your honeymoon, you don't want to spend those precious nights in a couchette with some non-required company.
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Can I travel by car?
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Actually, a car is ideal if you are camping. You will need it to carry all your camping stuff. If is also great if you travel in numbers of 5 or more people, since the fixed costs are gracefully divided. Also, some Europass services allow you to rent a car while you stay in a city, in this way you can explore the small towns near by.
You can rent a car from Eurodrive.
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Is there a Coaches service?
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Yes, there are many of those. This is actually the cheapest way to travel around Europe, it is also the slowest and I think that the most secure way. The Buses will take you from one city to another and they will drop you in Youth Hostels, if you don't want to step down in that city, just stay on the Bus until the next stop, and when you want to leave the city, just wait for the next bus in your hostel. The fact that they leave you in your hostel gives you a lot of security, since train stations (specially at night) can be unfriendly in certain cities.
I did not travel in these services myself but I know that you must beware, since sometimes the Coaches are full, and you might have to wait until next day and hope they have available room. To solve this inconvenience Busabout has a booking service that will guarantee a seat on the desired departure day. All of their On Board Guides have with them a portable computer allowing bookings to be made on board the coach as they travel to their next destination. So if passengers know when they want to leave that destination they can book. If this is not the case, alternatively bookings can be made from anywhere in Europe by calling their London office. Also, within the next few weeks, it will be possible to book a journey via their Web site.
If you are looking for an express service (point to point) go to Eurolines. They offer a service like greyhound in the U.S. You the the bus in Bus station and you are dropped in another one at your destination. They will not take you to or from your hostel.
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What about Boats, Ships and Ferries?
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Well, you can always travel in boat from England to France, or from Venice to Greece. I have heard that they offer great scenarios, but they also take a long time. I think that it might be romantic to travel on water, instead of the Euro tunnel, but in the Euro tunnel you don't depend of the severe weather that is above the water surface. Also, going from Venice to Greece takes about three days, a friend of mine did that and, since she is a very active person, she did not enjoy very much those days.
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Public Transportation.... what about it?
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The rules change from country to country. In Italy you can buy your tickets in any place (even at the hostel) and then you stamp your ticket when you jump into the bus. If you want to take the risk of not paying the ticket, then you can get a fee if you get caught. This also applies for the tragetto that take you from island to island in Venice. In some other countries, you can buy the ticket from the driver.
The subways systems of the European cities is great. But, again, the rules change. In England you pay different rates, depending on the zone. And, there are inspectors that will ask you for your ticket even if you already in your destination, Paris takes this seriously.
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