h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

* 2 backpacks. A big one for clothes, sleeping bag, etc. A small one to use when out and about, having left the big one in the luggage lockers.

* Booze. If all else fails, get drunk. Can also be used as barter, socialising, and many other uses. For example, joining a train from Munich to Karlsruhe (about 8 hours) full of people going to Oktoberfest. No seats, barely space to stand! But lots of bottles were being passed up and down the corridor, who knows what many of them where?! RECCOMENDED: Whisky. Gin. Salmiakki. Absinthe.

* Spare walkman batteries. The buggers always run out before the journey ends! Also good for relaxing noise reduction in noisy trains.

* If in Amsterdam, the Flying Pig hostel. GREAT atmosphere, very safe. Always book in advance though.

* In Poland, be very aware of stations and times. In my experience, many stations do not even have nameboards on the platforms.

* Do not waste money booking seats on overnight trains. Find an empty compartment, and lie down over three seats. Seat reservations start at one end of the carriage, so the first 6 bookings will be in compartment 1, and so on.

* In Finland, seat reservations are printed on the tickets, and no references made on the trains. If a Finn wants to sit where you are, you are most likely sitting in their reserved seat!

* Reading material. Great boredom stoppers if you cannot find anyone to converse with.

* SAVE MONEY! Travel on the overnight trains - fewer accomodation costs.

* Always try and talk to people. As well as being useful sources of information, and possibly announcement translators, you never know who you will meet - in my cases, an incredibly talented international musician, the webmaster of NTL (UK), and lots of other cool people.