Thomas Cook Timetable: which one?

Flo
Traveller
10724 comments

Winter Edition. ;)

There are two major timetable changes every year in Europe: 2nd Sunday in December (main timetable change) and 2nd Sunday in June. So, the Winter edition is valid from mid-december through to mid-june whereas the summer edition is valid the other half on the year.
Note that the timetable change at other dates in some countries too but you should be fine with the winter edition. If you want/need the latest timetable data available you might have a look at one of the regular thomas cook timetables issueing monthly.


Flo 8)

[b]UPDATE: [u]https://rail.cc/en/search-train-route[/u] [/b]

Natalie
Traveller
26 comments

I'm travelling from around 22nd May for a month - will I need both? How useful is this book, really ? Can I do without it ?

Flo
Traveller
10724 comments

There are monthly editions as well...if you want to get one, have a look for the May 2010 edition - it will cover the better part of your journey; and you wont get lost during the last week where the new timetable is valid. :)

For me it is essential to have it with me - I can make plans on where to go next while I'm on a train; in case of a delay I can search for an alternative connection; I don't have to get Internet access or wait at a train station to get schedule information. You don't neccessarily need it...but it's a nice thing to have during a journey, IMO.
It also depends on how planned your itinerary will be - if you have to rely on certain connections only or make several reservations in advance (night trains ie) it will be enough if you write your connections on a note that you take with you.


Flo 8)

Head
Traveller
101 comments

[quote]I'm travelling from around 22nd May for a month - will I need both? How useful is this book, really ? Can I do without it ?[/quote]
I think you can. You have plenty of time ahead to plan possible connections and print them out or save on your netbook.
I would rather take a netbook - it saves weight in your bag and is more useful. You can login to this forum and ask, for example )

And timetable service at stations on the continent is much better than in Britain. Say, in Germany and Switzerland you can pick up very informative station timetables. In other countries route timetable are often available - or sometimes even national timetables. When you arrive at some city, do not just leave the station - spend 5 extra minutes to collect local timetables from ticket office or information stand, and this will be sufficient in most cases. When you leave the region, you can just throw them away. City maps and information are also sometimes available somethere there )