Make Tracks In Europe: Hop Aboard The Continent's High-Speed Intercity Trains

LUXEMBOURG — "Where is the fast train to Paris?" I ask the man with the suitcase.

"Right here," he says, pointing to the nondescript train on the track.

I have no time to lose. I hurry to the right coach. Lift my suitcase overhead to a shelf. Sit down at 9:53 a.m. in assigned seat No. 43.

At exactly 9:54, the train glides away with no announcements at all.

Two hours and 11 minutes later, we're in Paris.

Europe's fast trains are pure pleasure.

The confusing part for Americans is figuring out the logistics of riding them.

How do you get a ticket, and should you buy it in advance? What's the difference between a fast train and a regular train? How do you find the right station and track? Where do you stand on the platform? How do you get your ticket punched?

Your ignorance stands out because most people riding Europe's trains already know the ropes.

But it's not hopeless. Learn a few insider tricks, and you'll be good to go.

There basically are two kinds of trains in Europe — regular and high-speed.

Confusingly, each country's high-speed service is called by a different name.

The Belgians have Thalys (pronounced TAL-is). The British have Eurostar. The French have TGV . The Spanish have AVE, and so on.

All of them are very, very fast. Most speed along at 300 kilometers (186 miles) per hour — about 100 mph faster than poky U.S. trains.

I recommend buying tickets for fast trains before leaving the United States. Why? Most require reserved seats. They can sell out. And the farther in advance you book, the better the price. (For example, a first-class, one-way Thalys ticket from Amsterdam to Brussels was $86 booked in advance and $180 if bought the day of travel.)

I purchased three tickets through Rail Europe (www.raileurope.com) a month before my trip: Thalys between Amsterdam and Brussels ($86), the Belgian Railway intercity regular train on to Luxembourg ($50), and TGV from Luxembourg to Paris ($86).

All of the tickets worked. Every train was on time.

On the Amsterdam-Brussels Thalys train, there is a slight delay mid-route.

"We are now five minutes behind," announces the conductor in Dutch, French and English.

Oh, no! Five minutes! What is European train travel coming to?

Not to worry. The train speeds up and arrives on the dot into Brussels Midi Station at 12:08 p.m.

This train also has high-speed Internet and is brand new. In first class, a porter gives out free pastries and tea.

My tea barely jiggles in the cup. The rails are as smooth and flawless as a steel roller-coaster track.

By 2010, 25 million international travelers will ride Europe's high-speed trains, according to Railteam, an alliance of Europe's high-speed railways.

More countries link to the system every year. New Thalys service soon will link Cologne, Germany, with Amsterdam in 3 hours, 15 minutes. High-speed trains can take you everywhere in France these days. Even the Czech Republic and Hungary have gotten into the act.

With billions in transportation subsidies, Europe's train system simply feels — and is — more substantial than America's rickety Amtrak service.

Fortunately, the move for high speed rail in the United States is growing, with the Detroit-Chicago route a leading candidate for improvement.

In fact, a September report by French railway operator SNCF — inventor of the TGV train — projected that a high-speed Detroit-Chicago line would move passengers between the two cities in 1 hour, 53 minutes.

That's 4 hours faster than today, folks.

Wouldn't that be amazing? It would be almost like ... Europe.

EUROPE'S FAST TRAINS

Here are fast train lines and the countries they serve:

Thalys: Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, France

TGV: France, Luxembourg, Switzerland

Eurostar: England, Belgium, France

Lyria: Switzerland

Eurostar Italia: Italy

AVE (plus Alaris, Altaria, Alvia): Spain

Artesia: France, Italy

ICE: Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Belgium

Railjet: Austria, Hungary, Germany

Supercity: Czech Republic

Cisalpino: Switzerland, Italy, Germany

X2000: Sweden

VR: Finland (in 2010 will connect with Russia)

For more on these lines and for tickets, info and rail passes: www.raileurope.com

www.eurail.com

www.railteam.eu

10 TIPS ON FAST TRAINS

Book tickets up to 90 days ahead at www.raileurope.com. Keep an eye out for sales.

If you plan more than three train trips, price out which is cheaper: a rail pass or individual tickets. If you choose a rail pass, read the fine print as to whether it covers travel on high-speed trains.

For local trains, wait and buy your ticket at the station. Europe has so many trains that if you miss one, another one will probably leave in 5 minutes.

There is no point in arriving hours early for a train — but don't arrive late, either. Most trains get into the station about 2 minutes before their departure time. You climb on, doors close and the train starts moving. It's not going to wait for latecomers.

Pack light. You'll likely have to carry your own bags, and some stations have a lot of stairs and few elevators.

If you are confused, ask someone. Most stations have at least someone who speaks English at an information booth.

Follow the crowd as far as getting your ticket punched or stamped. In some countries, you have to scan your ticket when you board. In other countries, you just climb aboard and have your ticket scanned or punched on the train.

Most fast train tickets include assigned seats. Regular trains tend to have open seating.

If you get a deal, try at least one first-class fast train trip just to see how the other half lives.

You likely will not be asked for your passport as you cross into another country on the train. The European Union has made cross-border travel painless.