I sit here figuring that I still have 16 legitimate days to study, and I’m trying to piece together a plan to get all my prep done in time. At the same time, I’ve been trying to plan out my Europe trip, which is mostly finalized at this point. In case anyone else is planning a trip, there are several websites regarding transportation throughout Europe.

The number 1 greatest help I’ve found online has been http://www.seat61.com/ If you are contemplating travel by train, the information provided will save you a tremendous headache and likely a sizable amount of money also.

His webpage is a collection of information on the rail systems and how to book fares. If you have been looking at the EuRail Select Pass, you should consider researching point to point tickets through the national carriers. In choosing point to point and occasional flying, I’m coming in much less than a Select Pass would cost, and the flying is giving additional days to travel instead of sitting on the trains. (Maybe some of you are enamored with trains for a day and a half through the European country side though.)

One issue though is the continued problem with attempting booking with Trenitalia’s website. Unless you have a select few credit cards you can forget about booking the fantastic discount rates offered. I tried several different credit cards and not a one went through. The charge issue is from Trenitalia as my credit card companies did not even receive charge requests. One solution mentioned is to use the AmEx Milan Travel Office to procure tickets. Unfortunately, they will only complete reservations in person at the Milan office. As of this moment, there are no online solutions for Trenitalia. Fortunately, this is an isolated incident as most of European rail systems easily take US credit cards.