How to Book Train Travel from Vancouver to Seattle

There's nothing like touring the great Pacific Northwest by rail, where the ubiquitous evergreen trees, cleansing rains, and snowcapped mountains are all visible from the comfort of your window. Here's how to ride in style from Vancouver to Seattle.

Book Train Travel from Vancouver to Seattle

1 Call Amtrak at 1-800-USA-RAIL or visit Amtrak's web site in the "Resources" section below. On the web site, you can book your train reservations via Amtrak's Fare Finder. You can also navigate the site if you have a PDA, Blackberry or other handheld device. Tickets are less than $50 one way, or $100 round trip. Discounts are available for children, seniors, retirees, military personnel and students with appropriate identification and discount cards.

2 If you ordered your tickets online or by phone, pick them up at a ticket agent or at one of the Quik-Trak kiosks that can be found at many Amtrak locations (you'll need to enter your reservation number). If you've booked your trip far in advance, you can also request that your tickets be mailed to you.

Prepare for Your Train Travel From Vancouver To Seattle

1 Plan on arriving at the Vancouver station at least a half hour early, especially if you're checking luggage. You may check up to three pieces of luggage, weighing no more than 50 pounds each. You can also carry on two pieces of luggage that may not exceed 50 pounds or certain size restrictions.

2 Carry the appropriate identification. Because this is an international trip, you are required to carry two pieces of identification that verify your identity and citizenship. Examples would be a driver's license and a passport or birth certificate. You will be required to provide your license or passport numbers when you make your reservation.

Enjoy the Trip

1 Plan on your trip taking approximately four hours. There are no major stops between Vancouver and Seattle.

2 Enjoy hot meals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner in the dining car. For coach passengers, the meals cost extra, but they're included with the first-class fare.

3 Rent a digEplayer, an electronic device loaded with music, movies, and music videos. On some trips, there are volunteer park rangers who point out interesting sites along the way.

4 Leave your cigarettes at home or in your luggage, as this trip is non-smoking.

How to Book Train Travel From Berlin to Amsterdam

Make the most of a trip to Europe by taking the train between countries. Germany and the Netherlands are well-connected by rail, and booking a seat on an InterCity train to Amsterdam from Berlin is easily managed.

Plan Your Train Travel From Berlin to Amsterdam

1 Plan your train travel to Amsterdam for the summer to make the most of the views along the way.

2 Amsterdam's Centraal Station is in the center of the old city. The modern city is divided by its surrounding 5 canals, each creating a concentric circle around the historic center of the city.

3 Expect to spend between 6 1/2 and 9 hours on the train between Berlin and Amsterdam.

4 Plan to depart from Berlin's central station for most trains to Amsterdam. You may also find that a departure from Berlin's Ostbahnhoff or Charlottenburg stations is more convenient. Inspect the schedule to confirm that you may board your train at these stations as service may be intermittent.

Book Your Train Travel From Berlin to Amsterdam

1 Download a timetable of trains from Berlin to Amsterdam from Deutsche Bahn's Web site before you book your ticket (see Resources). The schedule will indicate connecting stations along the route, the frequency of the departure and what amenities are available onboard the train when you travel.

2 Notice that there is only one direct InterCity train from Berlin to Amsterdam. It operates daily, except when noted in the schedule annotations, and it takes around 6 1/2 hours to arrive in Amsterdam.

3 Understand that reservations are not requisite on all trains from Berlin to Amsterdam. However, on longer trains like those servicing Amsterdam, it is highly recommended that you get one. There is a small additional fee associated with making reservations, but most travelers would agree that it is one well worth paying.

4 Note that on some connecting trains between Berlin and Amsterdam there are only second class seats available. If you wish to book first class accommodations for your entire journey, confirm that it is possible for your chosen route.

How to Book Train Travel From Paris to Venice

Go from visiting the Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triomphe in one day to seeing the great canals of Venice the next. With a train ticket from Paris to Venice, you can do just that in a matter of hours. French rail systems offer travelers many options for rail travel between these two great cities.

Find a Ticket on a Train From Paris to Venice

1 Use an online travel site to book the right tickets for the train route of your choice.

2 Choose a rail pass or an individual roundtrip ticket for your travel plans. If you plan to visit multiple cites or countries, a rail pass might be a better option for you to save money and time.

3 Figure out whether first and second class seats are both available as you book your tickets online. Most sites will give you this information upfront in the booking process.

4 Decide whether you have to take 1 or 2 trains to get to Venice. Often, you will have to change trains in Lyon to finish your trip both ways. Keep in mind that this means doing so in the wee hours of the morning if traveling on an overnight service.

5 Book seat or sleeper accommodations reservations to guarantee your place on a train from Paris to Milan. This will cost you $10 to $30 extra on average, depending on the type of reservation and class type.

Exercise Good Train Etiquette From Paris to Venice

1 Limit the number of carry-on bags you have to only those that can fit in the rack above you or under your seat.

2 Learn some French and Italian social phrases to help you get along with locals. These include how to greet people, how to ask for directions to common destinations and how to say "thank you."

3 Keep your train ticket and passport handy so as not to hold up any ticket-checking processes once on the train.

How to Write Travel Articles

Travel writing is one of those dream jobs that ranks alongside being an international reporter or a sports broadcaster. However, while it may seem like a way to get paid while taking a vacation, a travel writer faces challenges to describe new places or create new takes on old places. Get your travel articles published with these steps.

1 Check out travel markets. Market research is the key to getting published. Study of a publication tells you about the audience, the style and the format. Locate writer's guidelines through a website or by requesting to answer what a market's needs are and other specifics to break into a market.

2 Decide on a topic without going to an exotic locale. Then work within your publisher's guidelines to establish a slant and an angle-ways to direct the piece to a specific audience or highlight a specific aspect of travel.

3 Query the publication with a one-page pitch letter to the editor. You're selling two things in a query letter: your idea and yourself. Provide enough detail about your idea to interest an editor. Then show the editor that you're the person to write this article through your own writing experience, stressing any travel credits.

4 Research your article. The best research is an actual visit that allows you the opportunity to show the local flavor of a locale. Take notes. Observe your surroundings. Jot down tips that help other travelers. Ask questions. Pick up brochures.

5 Write your travel article based on an outline. The outline doesn't have to be elaborate, just a reminder of the main points you want to cover. First drafts should be done without editing. Allow your creative side to enthusiastically communicate what makes this place so attractive to travelers.

6 Allow your article to sit for a day or two before rereading it with a fresh eye. Now is the time to edit. Make certain your sentences make sense and are arranged in a logical order. Capture a reader's interest with a dynamic opening. Bring your story to a close with a satisfying conclusion.

7 Arrange for photographs. The right photos can sometimes clinch the sale. If you're a decent photographer who can offer high quality slides or digital photos, then offer to provide photos. High-end markets often send their own photographers to a location.

About Single Travel Clubs

Once upon a time, single people needed a travel bill of rights to keep from being discriminated against. If ever trying to book a vacation, cruise or tour as a single. Higher hotel costs and pricey single supplement fees added to everything connected to the trip. There is also the social stigma of traveling alone that keeps too many singles from stepping out their front doors. Happily, the world has changed for single travelers. Just ask people who are joining single travel clubs in droves.

Benefits

A travel club can give singles amazingly low rates because the company can negotiate with brokers for deep discounts. While single travel clubs do not lay claim to being matchmakers, they will do the best they can to pair each single with a compatible roommate so you and your new friend have plenty in common. As you would imagine, legitimate singles travel clubs are up-and-up agencies; there are no male/female bunking arrangements to be had. That said, many friendships have been launched when kindred souls are matched up for trips.

Benefits

Social benefits found within single travel clubs are bountiful. If you and your roommate enjoy each other's company, you can dine together, shop together and enjoy excursions together. Should you need some alone time, singles are encouraged to take breaks from each other. Perhaps one of the best perks you will find when you book with a single travel club is the overwhelming number of activities available.

Warning

Terrific relationships aside, you will be paired up with a stranger if you travel the world under the auspices of a single travel club. Remember what it was like when you arrived at your college dorm room and found a roommate who could have won prizes for slovenliness. This can happen. Additionally, dinners, excursion and activities could make you think you had landed in a theatrical production of "No Exit" if you end up with a roommate you dislike. Of course, you are saving money by making compromises, but everything is relative. Ask your singles club tour broker about the organization's policy for handling bad hook-ups before you sign on the dotted line.

Types

Because single travel clubs have become so widespread, you can cherry pick organizations. Select the one that is exactly right for you. For example, All Singles Travel--in business since 1996--prides itself on the security and camaraderie it offers members in addition to saving them money. AST specializes in single travelers ages 30 to 50. Another organization, Singles Travel Club, hangs its hat on adventure-focused trips, assuring members that their licensed, bonded agencies do nothing but unearth the cheapest group rates on the planet.

Seniors will find plenty of camaraderie as a member of the Travel Buddies Travel Club. This club has no membership fees and a huge membership base. There is also the Single Parent Travel Club. The club--based in the UK--welcomes anyone who cares to accept a child into the ranks. Because the SPTC is run by and for its members, this club is a very popular one.

Potential

Do yourself a big favor and check out a variety of travel clubs before you sign up. Don't be afraid to ask for references, then call or email folks who have used the club in the past for the skinny on the organization's operation and performance. Ask questions up-front about every fear or concern you may have. Not only will you feel confident about your choice of clubs, you may also open up a world of travel adventures you had once only dreamed about.

How to Travel on Amtrak

With concern about gas prices and energy shortages rising daily, Amtrak (the American passenger train system) is a better bargain than ever. Stations are typically located in the center of town, so travel brings you closer to your destination, eliminating the need for renting a car. In many cases, the cost of your ticket is less than the cost of buying gas for a long trip, with savings for the environment as well.

1 Go online (see Resources) and click on "station" to see if there are stations at your starting point and destination.

2 Enter the date and time you wish to travel, checking either the "one way" or "round trip" option.

3 Make your reservation, paying by credit card. Tickets will be mailed to you or you may pick them up at the station.

4 You will need identification before boarding, whether you already have your ticket or not.

5 Determine in advance if there is a dining car or a lounge car and make plans accordingly.

6 Find out how many bags you can carry on and how many you can check in the baggage car. Rules may differ according to the route and the station. Remember that you will have to lift your bags up fairly steep steps.

7 A conductor will show you which car to enter and often will assign you a seat. Make sure there is a marker above your seat and that the conductor will call your destination.

How to Pack Personal Items for Travel

With the heightened security at airports, many people wonder how to properly pack their suitcases before a trip. There are many items that are currently illegal to bring on an airplane, so it's important to do your homework before packing your personal items for travel.

1Include everything. Make a list of all the items you need on the road and then do a walk-through in you your bedroom and bathroom. Tick off each item as you add it to your bags.

2Visit the airline's website or call the carrier. Ask if everything you plan to bring is permissible. Most personal items, such as fingernail clippers and nail files, are allowed on board. Other items are permitted only in checked luggage, while others are allowed in carry-ons. Check with the airline for a list of prohibited items before packing. Many carrier websites provide this information, and you can check with the airport.

3Pack your personal items in clear, sealable plastic bags. You can use a toiletry bag that comes with your luggage set, as long as it's lined with plastic. Put anything that can spill in a plastic bag. Tighten the caps and lids on containers and seal the bag shut.

4Remember the 3-ounce rule. All personal cleaning items like shampoo and conditioner must be in containers no larger than three ounces. You can usually find these small plastic bottles at your local discount store or drugstore chain in the toiletries section.

5Bring documentation for any prescription medications. This is especially true for controlled substances like ****.

How to Travel Through Canada With Pets

Canada is a pet-friendly country, which means visitors should have no trouble when traveling around with their four-legged friends. Still, it’s important to keep local laws and regulations in mind before you set off to travel through Canada, especially if this is your first visit and you plan on making it a long one.

 1 Get an International Health Certificate stating that your pets are free of any contagious diseases and are in good health to travel throughout the country. This can be given by any veterinarian after a regular check-up. No blood tests are usually necessary, unless there is a risk or chance of infection. Health certificates should be issued not more than 6 weeks before your entry into Canada and have a USDA endorsement or seal of approval, which your veterinarian should be able to get for you.

2 Make sure your pet is current in its rabies vaccination. You will need to show a certificate to get through customs and sometimes to cross state lines. Some areas also require that your pets wear an ID tag stating that they are current on their vaccination, along with showcasing the vaccination serial number or ID registration.

3 Visit the PetFriendly Canada website to find out about accommodation and travel rules when going through Canada. The site will also help you search for updates on pet policies in the different cities and regions, including new vaccination requirements or warnings about outbreaks and potential problems (see Resources below).

4 Make sure you have a translated copy of the health certificate if you’re traveling to French-speaking areas of Canada. While it’s likely that most official workers will be able to speak English at some degree, you may still need a translation to check into hotels or board a plane or train.

5 Plan your travels well in advance. Dogs usually take well to traveling long distances, but cats and most small pets may have trouble adjusting to movement and strange sounds and smells. Always bring along enough food to last you for the whole trip, so you don’t have to worry about switching brands in the way and risking stomachaches or other digestive problems. If your pet needs special medications, make sure you find out if the Canadian equivalent has the same brand name or if you need to search for an alternative.