Traveling through Europe in a fast-moving train sounds pleasant, even romantic. To get the most out of your European train journeys, however, you must first learn the pros and cons of Eurail travel.

If you’re on a tight budget, and you want get the most of Europe in a short amount of time, a Eurailpass is great way to go. Remember, Eurail passes must be purchased prior to your trip, so knowing which of the five different Eurail options to purchase takes some planning.

The standard Eurailpass permits ticketholders to travel in 18 European countries for 15 days during a three-month period. How many cities you visit in day is up to you. For example, you can begin your day in Rome, make your way to Venice, then head to Switzerland, in one break-neck day of train travel and use only one day of your pass.

The Eurailpass Flexi is similar to the standard pass. You can choose either 10 or 15 days of train travel, but is valid for only two months. Like the standard Eurailpass, it is in 18 European countries.

If you don’t think you’ll be traveling throughout all of Europe, perhaps the Eurail Selectpass is best for you. With it, you can choose to travel anywhere within three, four or five neighboring countries. The Selectpass is valid for two months, and you can choose five, six, eight, ten or 15 days of travel days.

Regional and National passes are also available. The Regional Pass offers 16 different country combinations, and offers four to ten days of travel time that can be used within a two-month period. The national pass has the same travel options as the Regional pass, but as the name implies, the national pass is valid in only one country,

If you do your homework ahead of time, you can get an Eurailpass that fits your travel plans, the duration of your stay and your budget. Travelers 26 years-old and younger may receive an additional youth discount.

Armed with your pass, you are now ready to ride the rails through Europe. To get the most out of your travels, follow these easy tips:

Bring food and water. If you find yourself on a long-distance train trip (i.e. Amsterdam to Vienna), then you’ll be happy that you brought along some sustenance. While most trains in most countries offer a meal cart or dining car, be forewarned, they can be expensive, a small bottle of water can go a budget-busting 5 Euros (6 USD). Some trains may not even offer such amenities.

Travel light. Imagine you just got into Munich, and you’re ready to catch the next train to Paris. You exit your railcar only to discover you and your bags have to be at the opposite end of the station in 10 minutes to make your connection. If you packed the equivalent of a one-bedroom apartment in your suitcases, chances are you’re going to miss your train and will have to baby-sit your luggage for hours as you wait for the next connection. But if you travel light, you have a much better chance of grabbing your gear and catching your connection.

Remember, the Eurail won’t get you everywhere. The Eurail pass is only valid in: Austria (including Liechtenstein), Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France (including Monaco), Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Luxemburg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Republic of Ireland, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.

Don’t try to visit every country in 15 days. Unlimited travel is all well and good, but if you want to maximize your Eurailpass usage, you won’t be spending that much time at each location you visit. It’s often better to spend quality time in just a few locations, rather than trying to visit thirty cities in two weeks. Train travel can be fun, but it loses its allure after 20-hour train rides or days of back-to-back railing.

Use the curtains. If you’re traveling overnight on a train that isn’t packed, consider closing the curtains and claiming your space. If your in a compartment that seats six, and you’d like some privacy, close the curtains, put your bags on the seats closest to the entry way, and turn off the lights. That way when people board the train, all they see is a crowded room full of travelers that don’t wish to be disturbed. At times the trains can get pretty cramped, and you might find yourself taking desperate measures to get some privacy. Sleeping cars are available, but they were designed for midgets, and cost as much as a hotel room.

There are pros and cons to seeing Europe on the Eurail. If you do your homework before you get there, you can find a pass that’s right for you, and if you don’t overdue your time on the rail, you’ll enjoy the experience tremendously.

For more information on the Eurail, visit eurail.com.

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If you’ve ever traveled to Europe, chances are you’ve seen some amazing castles. If you walked through the Hall of Mirrors in the Palace of Versailles or the Thrown Room of Neuschwanstein Castle, you may have sarcastically joked that you would like to live in a castle when you return home to the United States.

Well, that’s exactly what happened to William Randolph Hearst. The only difference is Hearst was the owner of a huge media conglomerate and was a multi-millionaire, and you aren’t. (O.K. I’m assuming you aren’t a gazillionare running your own media firm. If you are, please accept my apologies, and feel free to e-mail me so I can reply with further apologies and/or send you my resume.) At any rate, my point is Hearst had the money and the sure tenacity to make good on his wish to own a castle.

Hearst toured Europe extensively with his mother and once more during his honeymoon. He was so impressed by the castles, that he called San Francisco architect Julia Morgan and asked her to “build a little something” on the 250,000 acres of ranchland in San Simeon, California that he inherited from his father.

The result, appropriately enough, is Hearst Castle. The complex boasts four massive buildings, two pools, sprawling gardens covering 127 acres, and even featured a private zoo. (To picture this, think of Michael Jackson’s Neverland Ranch, but bigger and less creepy.)

Casa Grande was Hearst’s primary residence on the compound. Covering 60,645 square feet, the building features 38 bedrooms, and 41 bathrooms. It houses its own movie theater, 14 sitting rooms and a billiard room. Hearst’s own private suite took up nearly the entire third floor of the castle and featured a massive private library with 4,000 books and a collection of antiquities.

Like many rich men of the area, evidence of Hearst’s wealth hung on castle’s walls, as he was an avid art collector. Hearst adorned his castle with Greek vases dating to 800 B.C., priceless paintings, antique furniture and tapestries.

While Hearst would frequently host lavish parties at the compound, it wasn’t all fun and games. Whenever one of his underlings would do something to upset him, the stern Hearst would “invite” them to the castle. Once the nervous employees arrived, Hearst would purposely avoid seeing them for days. His underlings would simply wait in the luxurious yet foreboding castle in nervous anticipation of their meeting with their ill-tempered boss.

But thankfully, the atmosphere will be more relaxed when you tour. You may even catch yourself wishing you lived in a castle like it.

Tours are offered daily; expect Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years. Advance reservations are required. To make a reservation of for more information visit www.hearstcastle.com or call (800)444-4445

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Think you had a home improvement project that seemed to drag on forever? A trip to the Winchester Mystery house in San Jose, California will put your building project into perspective.

Construction on this sprawling 84-acre estate began in 1884 and work didn’t cease until 1922 when the mansion’s owner died. But, the house’s sole occupant Sarah Winchester, heiress to the Winchester Rifle fortune wasn’t upset with her contractors with decades-long construction time, in fact she insisted on it.

The death of her husband William in 1881 left her financially rich but emotionally bankrupt Her $20 million inheritance, 48 percent interest in her husband’s company and her $1,000 a day salary did little to ease the pain of her husband’s death, so she consulted a psychic. Claiming she had contacted Sarah’s husband, the physic advised Sarah that the Winchester family was suffering through a curse brought on by the thousands of spirits who died as a result of the rifle-maker’s products. The psychic went on to tell Sarah that she too was cursed, and the only way to escape death was to flee to California and to build a great house for both her and the angry spirits. The psychic warned Sarah this construction project must never cease. “Stop and you will die,” warned the psychic.

Sarah took the psychic’s words to heart. The resulting 160-room mansion is a marvelous, if disorganized site to behold. Many of the features, such as a sewer system, steam heating and switch controlled gas lights were state-of-the-art at the time the house was built. No expense was spared, from the inlaid parquet floors, to the silver and gold chandeliers, or the Tiffany glass windows.

Sarah may have had exquisite tastes, but one thing she lacked was a building plan. In fact, Sarah had no master blueprint of the mansion. Instead, she met daily with the foreman and gave him hand-drawn plans for the day.

This lack of a building plan is entirely evident. Stairs lead to nowhere, bathrooms were built with glass doors, skylights were built above each other, rooms were built around other rooms and outside doorways were built with no adjoining staircase, just a steep drop.

Some have theorized that she purposely designed the mansion so it was difficult to navigate. She hoped the angry ghosts would be unable to find her though the maze. Others suggest she had no master plan, that the only point of the construction was to keep it continuous.

Whatever her method, construction continued until she died at the age of 83 in 1922. Today, the mansion is a California Historic Landmark. It is open to the public, with frequent tours. It is a site to see, especially if your last home renovation went over schedule.

For more information visit http://www.winchestermysteryhouse.com or call (408) 247-2101.

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