Missed Connections

It won't come as a shock to discover that I believe the positive aspects of travelling around Europe by train hugely outnumber the negatives, but train travel can on occasion be frustrating experience.
Frustration levels can build at the planning stage of a trip, particularly for some journeys that involve changes of train.

Good connections are built into the railway timetables of certain countries including Switzerland and The Netherlands, but it can be no easy task for those that compile timetables, to ensure as many people as possible have simple journeys.

However, sometimes a change of train and the 'connections' between then can see maddeningly illogical. 
Here's 10 examples that can catch out unwary travellers and result in hours, and not minutes, being spent in stations.

1. Connections at Lille

Lille is connected to the majority of the other major cities in France by daily direct TGV trains. The majority of these TGVs depart from/arrive at Lille (Europe) station, which is the station in the city that Eurostars call at.

For the good citizens of Lille it would be arguably more convenient if these TGVs used the city’s other main station, Lille (Flandres) that’s closer to the city centre; and connections to/from trains to other cities in northern France and Belgium would be simpler.
Particularly as the connections at Lille (Europe) between the TGVs and Eurostars are generally very poor. 
A casual glance at the London To Lille and onward connections info on ThereByTrain.com reveals that waits of an hour or more between trains are common.

It’s generally quicker to travel between London (and Ebbsfleet/Ashford) and other cities in France via Paris, despite the need to make a transfer across Paris by the RER or Metro from the Gare Du Nord to other stations in the French capital.

Surely it doesn’t have to be like this, after all there’s been more than 15 years to improve the connections, but in the most recent timetable change in December the situation actually got worse!

2. The Spanish border on the Atlantic Coast

Now that Spanish high speed trains operate between Figures and Madrid, it’s possible to make connections at Figures between these AVE trains and TGVs to/from France, this route via the Mediterranean coast is now the quickest daytime journey by train between the French and Spanish capitals.

But as this map shows, the shortest route in terms of distance when travelling by train during the day by train between Paris and Madrid, is on the Atlantic route with connections at Irun in Spain and Hendaye in France. 
But these connections on the Atlantic coast have gone from bad to worse, as I explain at some length here under the 'to Spain from France' header'! 

The Spanish have stuck rigidly to the timetabling of the direct trains between Madrid and Irun/Hendaye,but the French have consistently altered the timing of the TGVs from Paris over the border to Irun in recent years.

3. Port Bou and Cerbere

For rail pass users there are two good reasons for not taking the high speed lined between Barcelona and France; (1) avoiding the compulsory reservations/supplements on the TGVs and (2) the scenery on the non-high speed route is much more dramatic – these trains are comparatively slow because they hug the coast.

However, there’s a snag when trying to cross the border between Port Bou and Cerbere by train. The Spanish trains travel over the border to Cerbere in France, but then shuffle back to Spain without carrying passengers.
Most of much less frequent local French trains cross the border and terminate in Port Bou, but then they all disappear back to Cerbere to ‘start’ their journeys in France!

If that wasn’t maddening enough the French and Spanish train controllers apparently conspire to make most of the onward connections at both Cerbere and Port Bou inconvenient, seemingly ignoring the fact that these local trains cross the border at all!

4.The TGVFI trains in Milano

Virtually all of the long distance express trains from/to Milan depart from/arrive at Milano (Centrale) station – except the TGVFI trains between Milan and Paris!

Back in 2011 they were diverted to Milano (Porta Garibaldi) station, it may be only one Metro stop from Centrale, but it’s a hassle for anyone with luggage and first time users trying to make connections to travel to/from other Italian cities – particularly as in contrast, connecting between trains in Centrale station is comparatively easy.
There doesn’t seem to be any logical reason for this, Milano (Centrale) station is enormous and rarely, if ever, packed with trains. 

Yes connections at Torino (Porta Susa) station are available to to Bologna, Firenze and Roma are possible when travelling from Paris by train and from Roma on Mondays-Fridays, but most other good connections are sacrificed.

5. Tirano

The ‘Bernina Railway Line between Tirano in Italy and St Moritz in Switzerland, that’s operated by Swiss company Rhb, is so fabulous that it’s been declared a U.N.E.S.C.O world heritage site!
It’ also not that far from Milan and every two hours (or so) during the day there are trains between Milano (Centrale) and Tirano and at Tirano these trains arrive at/depart from a station that’s next to the station used by the Rhb trains.

Which would be ideal, except that connections between trains from Milano are often scheduled to arrive in Tirano at exactly the same time as the trains to St Moritz are due to depart from the Rhb station!
On a good day you’ll be able to dash between the two stations and maybe make the connection, but it’s a gamble and if it doesn’t pay off you can be hanging around in Tirano for two hours

Fortunately not every train FROM Milano has a bad connection, and if you’re travelling until Oct 20^th (2013) you can depart from Milano (Centrale) at 08:20) have a day trip to St Moritz and be back in Milano at 21:40.

6. Domodossola

The express EC trains that travel between Milano and both Geneva and Basel call at Domodossola, but they’re comparatively expensive, due to an apparent lack of discounted tickets, and rail pass holders have to pay a €10 supplement to use them.

There is seemingly an alternative available when travellling across the border on this route in either direction between Italy and Switzerland - there are fairly frequent regional REG trains between Milano and Domodossola and local trains also shuttle across the border in both directions between Domodossola and Brig in Switzerland.

There are also trains between Brig and both Basel and Geneva that operate more frequently than the international EC trains.

EXCEPT that the connections in both directions at Domdossola between the trains to/from Brig and the trains to/from Milan are generally useless. 
Domodossola station isn’t the greatest place to wait for more than an hour between trains!

7. Genoa/Genova

Travelling around the Mediterranean coast by train in Italy is one of the great travel experiences to be had in Europe. 
Hopping on and off the local trains is recommended, but you’ll need to check the timetables before you head off. 
The local trains operate to an erratic schedule, particularly through the ‘Cinque Terre’ towns between Pisa and Genoa/Genova

The alternative is using the IC trains; there is a daily direct train in both directions between Ventimiglia and Roma, but it departs from Ventimiglia at dawn and travels back over the most scenic section of the route in darkness.

Other express IC trains operate every two hours (ish) between both Roma and Genoa/Genova and between Genoa/Genova and Ventimglia. 
Both of these services call at Genova (Piazza Principe) station, but if you want to ‘connect’ between them you generally have to hang around in Genova for more than an hour!

8. London to overnight trains from Koln/Cologne

I’ve heard travel experts give advice more than once suggesting that the best way of journeying between London and many cities in Europe is take the Eurostar to Bruxelles (Midi) and connect there for an overnight train.
But there aren’t any overnight trains from Brussels/Bruxelles at all; they were all discontinued several years ago.

The most convenient route when travelling from London to a host of other cities by train – including Copenhagen, Prague and Warsaw is to take the Eurostar to Bruxelles (Midi), connect there into a Thalys (THA) train to Cologne/Koln hbf station and change again there for the overnight trains.

A bit of a drag, but not impossible, but what may make people think twice is that the ‘best connections’ can involve spending two hours in Cologne/Koln; or more than an hour in both Bruxelles and Koln!

9  The Thello train at Barcelona

All long distance trains from and to Barcelona depart from/arrive at Barcelona (Sants) station, with one exception. 
The Thello overnight train between Paris and Barcelona arrives at and departs from Barecelona (Franca) station.

So what would otherwise be fairly straightforward overnight journeys to/from the French capital and the likes of Alicante; Tarragona and Valencia involve the hassle of taking local trains between Franca and Sants stations.

Not a particularly enticing prospect when you’ve just stepped off the train from Paris, slightly bleary eyed and with the temperature already soaring! 

10. Brussells/Bruxelles (Midi)

It may seem a tad churlish to criticize the connections between the Eurostar and ICE trains at Brussels/Bruxelles (Midi) station; after all the ICE trains to Germany generally depart only 20mins (ish) after the Eurostars from London arrive – what’s wrong with that?

Well, arguably 20 minutes just isn’t enough time. 
Eurostars are long trains and the platforms at Midi inevitably become crowded as soon as the hundreds of passengers leave the train. 
It can therefore take 10 mins from stepping off the Eurostar and on to the ICE, so if the Eurostar is delayed by only 10mins, the connection becomes impossible.

If you miss the connection, it will be at least another 4 hours until the next ICE departs and you’ll also have a long wait for the alternative connection by Thalys (THA) train to Aachen and Cologne/Koln; the connections between Eurostar and virtually all Thalys trains at Bruxelles (Midi) have a lot of room for improvement!

It’s also a shame that the EC trains from Basel, Strasbourg and Metz arrive in Bruxelles after the last Eurostar to the UK has departed.