Customer Reviews

Rail Map Europe, 17th (Thomas Cook Rail Map Europe)

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Folds out to be about 3 feet wide and 2.5 feet tall, with maps printed on both sides. The large orange box in the middle of the greater-Europe side (which shows the area printed on the opposite side of the map) is a bit annoying, but that seems to be the worst of it. The map's heavier-duty cover is built to not mutilate the paper map inside when folding and unfolding, and the legends are clear and helpful. The largest map goes from the northernmost part of Great Britain to the top of North Africa, and from the outskirts of Moscow, Russia, to the outskirts of Ankara, Turkey. Aside from the orange box, there is nothing obscuring the continent. Scandinavia is chopped off the top of the map and moved into a greater-detailed box out in the Atlantic; I fully agree with this choice and prefer it over other maps I have owned where showing Scandinavia in its correct spot means either a lesser-detailed map, or moving Italy to another side of the map. The detailed side of the map showing central Europe only runs from Dover, UK, to Paris to Avignon, France, and Warsaw, Poland, to Belgrade, Serbia. It shows the rail relationships between these European cities and most stops in-between: Dover, UK; Paris; Turin; Milan; Munich; Brussels; Cologne; Berlin; Vienna; Budapest; Warsaw; and Prague. The detailed map covers the heartland of where most American travelers go in Europe, and shows definitively how to travel to other popular destinations, such as Madrid, Rome, Athens, London, Moscow, and Copenhagen. Either side of the map is great for posting on a wall, and the well-marked scenic rail routes make it easy to plan a train ride. Also simply excellent as a general-purpose map of Europe, and superior in this respect to road maps of the Continent.

This is a nice map. It's made with heavy, shiny paper and covers all of Europe. I was hoping however to get a map that showed distances and travel times between stations. It doesn't. I expected the map to show the timetable numbers. It doesn't. I thought the map would show every city that has a train station. It doesn't. I wish I had known before I bought the map that none of this information is shown on the map.

This map is great to visualize your trip and lay it out on the desk to map out where you want to go. However, you get a FREE one with your purchase of a rail pass. So, it's not entirely necessary if you are intending on purchasing a rail pass.

This book is invaluable when visiting Europe and riding the trains.
Up-to-date!!
Will get another one - when I travel to Europe again.