Rail Europe

If you can't decide whether to grab a rail pass and tour Europe independently or join a group bus tour, there's another option you can now consider. Stray Travel Experience has introduced group tours of Europe by rail that have built-in flexibility. They are guided tours that allow you to stretch your adventure from nine days to four months.

New railpasses from Wales to Russia, two-month Eurail Flexipasses and free Eurailpass Protection Programs make train travel through Europe easier than ever this year. Traditional Eurailpasses let you range through 17 European countries--that is, through all the nations of Western Europe except those of Great Britain--and use the rail-linked sea transportation between them as well.

On a recent rail trek through France, I rode with Aesop figuratively at my elbow--though in this case his hare and tortoise were not competitive but complementary, with one taking me to the other. The hare was the much-admired TGV, or Train a Grande Vitesse--"high-speed train," and the world's most prominent one at that.

Of the 8 million or so Americans who board jets for European vacations this year, a goodly number will be first-timers: Eurailpasses at the ready, guidebooks in hand, too much luggage and acute writer's cramp from signing all those travelers checks. The novice independent traveler may not know just what to expect on arrival, but most are convinced that a combination of high-school French and Davy Crockett determination will see them through just about anything the Continent can throw at them.

The lights are still on at the Eiffel Tower. They keep ringing up sales at Prada in Rome, and London is getting ready to start partying for about a year and a half, beginning with the April 29 wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton at Westminster Abbey. All in all, you wouldn't know that Europe has suffered through an economic crisis as brutal as ours, because strong social programs in the social democracies we love to visit — England, Italy and France — keep people at work, which is part of the problem.

SICILY Presentation Warner LeMenager will discuss his travels from Trapani to Messina by way of the southern and eastern parts of the island. When, where : 7:30 p.m. Monday at Distant Lands, 20 S. Raymond Ave., Pasadena. Admission, info: Free. RSVP to (626) 449-3220. EUROPE Workshop Veteran travelers will offer tips on budget travel to Europe by rail, including Eurail passes, classes of service and overnight and high-speed trains. When, where: 10 a.m. Saturday at the Hostelling International Travel Store, 1434 2nd St., Santa Monica.

France lately has had its share of labor protests , strikes and other upheavals. Still, intrepid travelers may find this a good time for a visit  to escape the crowds, see the sights and get discounts. Among the savings: Rail Europe is taking $50 off selected train passes. The deal: RailEurope's Ou-La-La! $50 Off France Rail Pass Promotion applies to France Rail Passs, France Day Passes and Rail 'n' Drive Passes costing at least $200. To get the discount, use the code "France50," whether reserving by phone or online.

Rail Europe this month is expanding its network of Thalys high-speed trains, which link 17 cities in France, Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands. On Nov. 28, service begins between Brussels and Paris' Charles de Gaulle airport. There will be four daily trips. One-way coach fares will be about $65--the same as on the current Thalys route between Brussels and Paris' Gare du Nord train station. The trip will take about one hour, 40 minutes.