European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - May 25, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                K 4 is. Travels amps Michael Abrams backpackers join other passengers walking toward the Munich rail terminal Long a favorite Stop for eur ail travellers. By Keri Ann Southworth travelling through Europe on a eur Alpass is a great Way to see Europe at an affordable Price. However it takes some work organization and sweat for the trip logo smoothly. The first time i travelled on a eur Alpass was while attending a study abroad program in London during my College years. Travelling was an integral part of the experience so before i left the states i bought a eur Alpass that guaranteed 30 Days of unlimited travel throughout Urail experience flexibility helps riders get most out of passes a Girlfriend and i set out on a 2 2-Day adventure in Early october. Our huge backpacks were full of All weather clothes books food and a portable tape player with tapes. We had no idea what to expect and were prepared for anything. At first we found the concept of the eur Alpass overwhelming because we could go virtually anywhere in Europe just. By hopping on a train. We soon Learned that we could also just As easily get on the wrong train and go to places we never heard of.  few critical mistakes Vve developed a eur ail system that helped us get organized. A. While on the train we would study guidebooks a we used let s go Europe a learning everything we could about where we were going. We read up on youth hostels and inexpensive hotels restaurants and cafes the historic sights and nighttime diversions. We also picked our next destination so that when we. A med at the station we could look up our next departure time and track to avoid any last minute panicking on the Day we planned to move on. We travelled during the daytime and the night depending on the countries we were passing through. We were very careful on the trains we chose to. Take during the night. We had heard stories about people being robbed on night trains in parts of Spain and Italy and we did t take any chances. Eur ailing is a Safe Way to travel but like anything you must take some precautions. Flexibility was one key to our successful eur ailing. Understanding the european culture was another. For example while in Paris we stayed at a youth Hostel where we had a 65-year-old Man As a Roommate who slept and snored on the bunk right next to us. Later while travelling on a train from Austria to Italy we had to sleep in the aisles because a mass of people was moving their Community from one country to another and the train was overcrowd ded. We travelled for 12 hours with people stepping on our hair. We Learned to Rise above these situations because the Good of eur ailing far outweighed the bad. It is not a glamorous Way to travel but it got us to the places we wanted to go and we were Able to stay on a reasonable budget. We covered a lot of territory in 22 Days Munich Germany Salzburg Austria eur Alpass prices listed Are for 1994.eurailpass first c1as$ 15 Days $ 498 21 Days 648 1 month 798 2 months. 1,098 3 months 1,398 eur Alpass youth pass second class under 26 15 Days $ 398 1 month 578 2 months 768 eur ail save pass first class adult. 15 Days. V $ 430 21 Days 550 1 month 678child a 15 Days $ 215 21 Days 275 1 month. 339 eur ail flex pass first class 5 Days Over 2 months $ 348 10 Days Over two months 560 15 Days Over two months 740. Youth flex pass second class under 26 5 Days Over 2 months $ 255 10 Days Over two months 398. 15 Days Over two months 540 source itt destinations unlimited Ramstein a Germany Venice Italy Interlaken and Geneva Switzerland Paris and Nice France Monaco Barcelona Spain Rome and Back to London. But we both Felt Content that we had gotten a Good taste for the places we visited and knew where we wanted to return when we got Back to a pair of canadians fix lunch while waiting for their train in Seville Spain. Sis file we also Learned that the off seasons such As fall late Winter and Early Spring Are the Best times to avoid the crowds. The weather May be a Little cooler but you will save Money during those times because rates at hotels and restaurants Are less. For even More savings try staying at a youth Hostel and following the advice of let s go. The Guidebook helps you know what to pack gives details on discounts lists cheap places to eat and sleep and includes tourist information on your destinations. Take it along and it will be the Only Book you need for an affordable vacation. One thing we really liked about our eur ail adventure was the mix of people we met along the Way. At one Point we were travelling with two people from Canada a girl from South Africa and a Guy from new zealand. Eur Ailers Are generally out to meet new people a Well As travel so travelling is a lot of Kin. I earlier this year i backpacked through Europe again this time with my husband. Using the five Day flex pass we did t have time to go for 30 Days so we opted for a 10-Day vacation with five Days of travel. We went to Paris Nice Barcelona and Monaco again and added san remo and Riva in Italy. We squeezed a lot of sights into the 10-Day excursion but again it was Worth it. While some things had changed in four years the trip turned up one constant eur ailing remains an inexpensive and fun Way to see Europe. Keri Ann Southworth a former stars and strrpe3 employee has returned to the states. 18 travel 94 May 25, 1994