The benefits of train travel in Europe are many

First there is the cost.

If one comes to Europe with a Eurail pass in hand, one can save the entire cost of the pass in just one trip. For example, a -first class- ticket from Hamburg Germany to either Paris or Rome, would normally cost between $300-$400 EACH WAY! This trip alone would cover the cost of a 10 day 5 county Eurail flex-pass.

Then there is the convenience of taking a train to see Europe.

It's a great feeling, and also very convenient, to be able come back from a last morning walk in Zurich or Barcelona, quickly pack your things out of the hotel, take a short walk or cab ride to the train station, stand at the tracks and when it shows up...just get on board.

Or, perhaps you decided to stay an extra day or two at a city you've fallen in love with, or you missed your train because of that extra latte and croissant you couldn't resist. Well for the most part that's no big deal as you can usually just re-book your reservation and get on the next train that comes along. Try that on an airplane.

And with train travel, there is the flexibility in your Europe travel.

In Europe trains go just about everywhere that planes go, and you can certain ally go to a great many more places by train then you can by plane. Trains are a great way to explore the charm of all the 'in-between' cities that Europe is made up of.

Train travel in Europe has it's drawbacks as well

Perhaps the biggest drawback is time.

On a fast train (a VERY fast train) you can travel from Hamburg Germany to Paris in about 6 hours (a normal fast train could even take 11 hours). The same trip by plane, including the time spent checking in at the airport might take about 4 hours total.

However if one is going to take a train, the assumption is they know it is a slower way to travel, so here, it should not really be considered a 'drawback'. But this does not mean that Europe travel by train doesn't come with its own set of issue.

Just how many European languages to you speak?

If you only speak one language (like English) then you have just encountered what could be your first problem, because not knowing the local language could easily mean you are going to miss your train, or your next connection.

One traveler in Germany was recently waiting at a train platform for his connecting train from Hanover to Zurich, when he noticed that the train was unusually late. There were a lot of other trains coming and going, but not his. So after about 40 minutes he finally went downstairs to the information platform to find out what happened to the train.

There, he was informed that the train was running a little late and so its arrival track had been changed. He asked why there had been no announcement of this change, explaining he had been standing on the track waiting for around 40 minutes. They of course kindly replied that there had been and announcement. However it was only announced in German.

How fast can you run accross the station to your next train?

Train connections in Europe can be awfully close when it comes to connecting time. Sometimes the connection time between two trains can be as little as 6-8 minutes. And yes, these trains can be totally across the train station from each other.

And if you are traveling with multiple connections - which is almost always the case in trips of any duration- then missing one train means (yep, you got it) you are probably going to miss them all.

And you thought the ticketing lines at the airports were long.

The ticketing lines at trains stations are for the most part always long. And this is especially true in the summer time. However what is really fascinating (and often frustrating) is that after standing in a long line for a long time, you realize (or more than likely you are told by the person who is helping you) that you have actually been standing in the wrong line.

One traveler recently waited in a relatively short line for he first class reservations only to find out upon reaching the front of the line that she could not get information in the line she was standing in, only tickets or reservations. When she queried where she could get information so she would know what ticket she should purchase, the ticketing agent pointed across the large room to a line that wrapped around most of it.