Travel around Europe is back to normal

Eurostar at St. Pancras station. Dreamstime/TNS

By Ed Perkins
Posted on November 29, 2022

If you’re considering a trip to Europe, you’ll find almost everything about as you remembered it pre-Covid.

You may have seen those blurbs touting Europe’s “bargain prices” due to the lowest values of the euro, franc and pound against the dollar in at least a decade.

The ugly truth is that good exchange rates are nice, but inflation has more than compensated. Europe is certainly not a “bargain paradise.” It remains, as always, as expensive as you want it to be, depending on how you choose to travel.

Trains are the way to go

I’ve been a big fan of rail travel for a long time and had planned this trip mainly by rail from the beginning. Specifically, I’m using a Eurail Pass, and it delivered on the experience I expected.

Trains in Europe are fast. Even those that aren’t high speed can cruise along at 125 mph or so on main lines.

They’re also frequent: On a prior pass trip, I had checked out and was walking to the train station, when I remembered something important left in my hotel room and went back to retrieve it. I missed my previously booked long-haul train, but with a Eurail Pass, no problem: Just catch the next train an hour later. That’s one of the advantages.

On the other hand, point-to-point train fares are pretty high per mile, and although you can sometimes find low non-refundable fares weeks in advance, planning trips on the fly can be very expensive. Still, even standard class rail is roomier and more comfortable than “main cabin” airline seats.

I’ve long been averse to European short-haul flying, and my trip from Basel to London did nothing to change my view. The flight itself isn’t the problem (except for the unpleasant hour or two being stuffed into one of those tiny seats).

The real problems are getting to and from the flight: schlepping to and from airports, successive long lines for check-in, security, and — where applicable — customs and immigration.

London’s new rail line

One of my objectives in visiting London was to check out the new and finally-opened Elizabeth line (yes, she got to get on it before she died). It’s one of three big-time urban rail developments of interest to visitors this year.

A new, deep-level tube runs from Paddington in the west to Liverpool Street and eastward, with three intermediate stops, one still unfinished.

It’s useful as is, but the big deal will be later this year, when a connection near Paddington will allow regional trains to run through the city center from Heathrow Airport. If you’re staying anywhere east of Paddington, it will be a great improvement.

(FYI, the other two big deals arriving in subways are the Long Island Railroad East Side Access in New York City, and Washington Metro to Dulles.)

Switzerland makes a great trip

It’s hard to beat the Alps for great scenery, and Switzerland’s got the Alps, big time. Swiss cuisine is excellent, the train system is great, nearly everybody speaks English, and running a sharp hotel operation is in the Swiss DNA.

One of the great glories of visiting Switzerland is staying in one of the many small family-owned independent hotels. In Grindelwald, I stayed at the Alpina, which is close to the train station and has great views and a fine kitchen, as well.

The only problem I’ve faced at those hotels, everywhere, is that you don’t often find a desk setup that makes typing on a laptop easy and comfortable. Of course, if you don’t schlep a laptop on vacation, you won’t care.

One aspect of Switzerland might surprise you: Restaurant costs at all levels are high, compared with the rest of Europe. Items in my Swiss hotel restaurant cost 50 percent to 100 percent more than virtually identical items in my German hotel.

Germany’s Romantic Road

I file this report from Rothenberg ob der Tauber, a beautiful and well-known old town on the “Romantic Road.” Yes, it’s touristy, but I’m in that business, right?

My hotel, the Reichskuchenmeister, is a gem in the middle of the Altstadt, with pleasant rooms, great service and excellent food. Like the Alpina, it’s a welcome change from the mid-market chain hotels in which I spend a lot of time.

I haven’t seen any obvious preparation for what everyone expects to be a winter crisis in energy. But nobody expects the Russians to re-open the gas pipelines anytime soon, so an energy crunch will eventually hit. But you can’t see it yet.

Email Ed Perkins at eperkins@mind.net. Also, check out his website at rail-guru.com.