I apologize if this doesn't quiote pertain to Amtrak, however, I am hoping for some assistance.
I am contemplating a trip to Cologne, Germany and would like to visit several regions of Germany and France (specifically, Normandy, France and the Schleswig Holstein region in Germany). Are there any websites that would be able to provide schedule and fair info for Europe and/or trains leaving Cologne, Germany?
Is it relatively affordable to travel Europe by rail compared to Amtrak?
Sorry tp show up late, my dad (77) is having serious health issues now, in the fact, they are serious enough we will give up our US residence and move back to the "old country" (or close-by places) as soon as we can.
A very good way to travel a lot in a day in Germany are the
LOCAL country passes valid for a single day. Typically, they cost under 20 Euro for a single person and 25 Euro for a group of up to five people. The limitation is, you cannot use fast (or faster or fastest) trains, only (fast enough) "regional" trains. Most locals or not-so-locals is using them even for long-distance travel within Germany "attaching" several passes. These passes can be bought on-line on www.bahn.de or for 2 Euro more at the station.
France is a bit more difficult, esp. how to move from Köln to Paris. The Thalys is great but unless you buy a special ticket pretty expensive. I would move down the Rhine river till Koblenz or Mainz (VERY spectacular!), than along the Mosel river till Trier (also very nice, many castles on the hills). From there you can use "regular" French trains to Paris, not so expensive.
FYI: French railways is struggling with few issues. One issue is in my opinion flawed "Globalisation". I.e. using trains where regular iternational tickets are not accepted, only either international railpasses - sometimes with a hefty surcharge - or "global-price" (bucket-based prices). People hate it, we do hate it, but also we have to admit, it was an other issue: high petty crime rate on rails in southern regions of France and SNCF sees the "globalisation" as one way to increase the prices and practically discourage the not-so-well-off from long-distance train travel (yikes!). There are many debates, generally most railfans think it's a flawed approach.
You can "beat" it by carefully using international tickets (tickets issued in Germany, for instance) and avoiding very fast trains. These tickets are valid 2 mo. and unlimited stops. A good source of transportation is the "TER" division of SNCF:
http://www.ter-sncf.com/index.asp
These run local trains where your international tickets are always valid, no "globalisation" on TER.
Regarding railpasses sold outside of Europe as well as point-to-point tickets: please, avoid. With careful planing you can get a "circular" ticket for France valid for unlimited stops and 2 month for under 130 Euro. Compare it with any railpass - it's not just costs less, but gives you 60 days in 60 days rail travel rather 3-5 days in 60 days (except the most expensive options).
If you are a group of 2-5 people, a CITY-STAR ticket for Germany bought in Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary or Balkan countries is the best deal. For extensive travel in France a regular international (CIV-TCV) fare ticket bought outside of France is the best, but good planing for both are essential because changing the route is a major pain in the rear.