Some better, some worse - Amsterdam
 

On 23 May 2006 02:19:40 -0700, Neil Williams wrote:
Rian van der Borgt wrote:
There's been a new policy regarding selling tickets on the train since
October last year: no tickets are sold on the train, under any
circumstances.

Are there any stations which have only the new ticket machines, and
thus no means of payment in cash? If so that is a decidedly dubious
policy.

No, there's always at least one machine that accepts cash. Stations with
only one ticket machine have the old version - these will be replaced by
the newer touch screen machines that accept both cash and cards.
Note that not all tickets can be bought with cash; I believe they take a
maximum of 15 coins...

Regards,

Rian

--
Rian van der Borgt, Leuven, Belgium.
e-mail: www: http://www.evonet.be/~rvdborgt/

Some better, some worse - Amsterdam
 

Rian van der Borgt wrote:

No, there's always at least one machine that accepts cash. Stations with
only one ticket machine have the old version - these will be replaced by
the newer touch screen machines that accept both cash and cards.
Note that not all tickets can be bought with cash; I believe they take a
maximum of 15 coins...

That is really rather poor. I don't see how they can justify penalty
fares in that situation, especially given that they don't accept notes
either.

Neil

Some better, some worse - Amsterdam
 

Paul Corfield wrote:

Buy that on the day at Midi if you need to. Reservations are not
required, and IMX, except in the height of summer, they're not even
helpful - the Benelux-Treinen are pretty long, traditional LHCS trains.

Do you mean half full? I have used these a number of years ago and would
agree that it's a decent if somewhat slow service.

I meant that there's nothing gained by having a reservation as there's
usually enough space - sorry, badly worded. I've used the
Benelux-Trein and was quite happy with the service. They're of a
similar standard to D-trains - moderately aging stock and no buffet but
reasonably comfortable.

If HSL Zuid ever opens. It is extremely depressing reading about the
mess that Dutch Railways and railway policy in the Netherlands seems to
have become. They seem to be hell bent on copying the absolute worst
aspects of UK policy and project delivery. The Dutch government are
also being "done over" by the private sector when it comes to the
operational concepts for HSL Zuid and also the Betuwe freight line.

Quite. The way many European countries are going, and certainly the
international services, I'm beginning to wonder if the UK railway is
perhaps the lesser of the many evils that seem to be out there. Even
DB isn't what it was in 1999-2000.

And what a shame given that it's a great country with good, friendly
people (IME).

Agreed.

Neil

Some better, some worse - Amsterdam
 

In message .com, at
02:19:40 on Tue, 23 May 2006, Neil Williams
remarked:
There's been a new policy regarding selling tickets on the train since
October last year: no tickets are sold on the train, under any
circumstances.

Are there any stations which have only the new ticket machines, and
thus no means of payment in cash? If so that is a decidedly dubious
policy.

I noticed a sign the other day which strongly implied that the newsagent
that was renting space within the station building (in an Amsterdam
suburb) also sold tickets.
--
Roland Perry

Some better, some worse - Amsterdam
 

Neil Williams wrote:
allan tracy wrote:

It's because there is quite a lot of consumer resistance to credit
cards especially in Germany where it's a cultural thing to not like
them.

Looking at German banks' websites, I don't think I'd have one over
there. The charges (including annual charges, which are now pretty
much unknown over here) are extortionate, and the interest rates poor.

It's not just German banks, or credit cards for that matter. Credit
Lyonnais charges 26 Euros a year for a debit card.

--
John Ray

Some better, some worse - Amsterdam
 

On 23 May 2006 07:22:21 -0700, Neil Williams wrote:
Rian van der Borgt wrote:
No, there's always at least one machine that accepts cash. Stations with
only one ticket machine have the old version - these will be replaced by
the newer touch screen machines that accept both cash and cards.
Note that not all tickets can be bought with cash; I believe they take a
maximum of 15 coins...

That is really rather poor. I don't see how they can justify penalty
fares in that situation, especially given that they don't accept notes
either.

I agree completely. A lot of ticket inspectors too. I have read reports
of inspectors feeling embarrassed that they had to issue a penalty fare
to tourists who could not buy a ticket at the ticket machine (ticket
window closed, ticket too expensive for coins, (credit) cards not
accepted, etc.).

Regards,

Rian

--
Rian van der Borgt, Leuven, Belgium.
e-mail: www: http://www.evonet.be/~rvdborgt/

Some better, some worse - Amsterdam
 

John Ray wrote:
Neil Williams wrote:
allan tracy wrote:

It's because there is quite a lot of consumer resistance to credit
cards especially in Germany where it's a cultural thing to not like
them.

Looking at German banks' websites, I don't think I'd have one over
there. The charges (including annual charges, which are now pretty
much unknown over here) are extortionate, and the interest rates poor.

It's not just German banks, or credit cards for that matter. Credit
Lyonnais charges 26 Euros a year for a debit card.

--
John Ray

I don't think banks on the continent are better or worse than British
banks, they only have a different way of making their money, and levels
of service are often better.

Yes, my bank account at NatWest is free, but take an example: for
Euro-transactions they charge a hefty £10 on top of the exchange rate.


My german bank account costs about £2 a month, but Euro-transactions
are free AND work online, as are many other extras for which British
banks charge you through the nose.

In the end both end up costing about the same.

There is no need to own a credit card in Germany. Debit card works
fine.

Having said that, deutsche bahn used to take credit card only for its
online tickets. Don't know if they've changed their policy.

Some better, some worse - Amsterdam
 

On 23 May 2006 11:47:55 -0700, wrote:
I don't think banks on the continent are better or worse than British
banks, they only have a different way of making their money, and levels
of service are often better.

Yes, my bank account at NatWest is free, but take an example: for
Euro-transactions they charge a hefty £10 on top of the exchange rate.

....which I doubt is legal. Transactions in euro within the EU should
have the same costs as domestic transfers. How does the bank justify
these costs?

Having said that, deutsche bahn used to take credit card only for its
online tickets. Don't know if they've changed their policy.

You can now also pay by "Lastschrift".

Regards,

Rian

--
Rian van der Borgt, Leuven, Belgium.
e-mail: www: http://www.evonet.be/~rvdborgt/

Some better, some worse - Amsterdam
 

On 23 May 2006 19:12:23 GMT, Rian van der Borgt wrote in
, seen in uk.railway:
On 23 May 2006 11:47:55 -0700, wrote:
[...]
Yes, my bank account at NatWest is free, but take an example: for
Euro-transactions they charge a hefty £10 on top of the exchange rate.

...which I doubt is legal. Transactions in euro within the EU should
have the same costs as domestic transfers. How does the bank justify
these costs?

I think they price them as they do "SWIFT" (same-day) transfers, for
which they charge silly money when used as domestic transfer (such as
are used during house purchases), rather than a bog-standard BACS
transfer which are generally free (and slow).

ISTR that Nationwide charge something like GBP30 for a Euro transfer,
and the same for a SWIFT transfer.
--
Ross, in Lincoln, most likely being cynical or sarcastic, as ever.
Reply-to will bounce. Replace the junk-trap with my name to e-mail me.

Demonstration of poor photography: http://www.rosspix.me.uk - updated with Czech photos
AD: http://www.merciacharters.co.uk for European charters occasionally gripped by me

Some better, some worse - Amsterdam
 

On Tue, 23 May 2006 20:37:22 +0100, Ross wrote:
On 23 May 2006 19:12:23 GMT, Rian van der Borgt wrote in
, seen in uk.railway:
On 23 May 2006 11:47:55 -0700, wrote:
[...]
Yes, my bank account at NatWest is free, but take an example: for
Euro-transactions they charge a hefty £10 on top of the exchange rate.

...which I doubt is legal. Transactions in euro within the EU should
have the same costs as domestic transfers. How does the bank justify
these costs?

I think they price them as they do "SWIFT" (same-day) transfers [...]

So I gather, they didn't introduce the standard IBAN+BIC transfer that
should last max. 4 days (and would probably be free)? Sounds like
obstruction of EU policy...

Regards,

Rian

--
Rian van der Borgt, Leuven, Belgium.
e-mail: www: http://www.evonet.be/~rvdborgt/