I am extremely last minute in getting organized for my trip NEXT WEEK! We are headed to Europe for a month. We fly into Amsterdam for a few days, then take the train to Brussels, then head to Montpellier, France. I already secure train tickets from Amsterdam to Brussels, but train tickets from Brussels to Montpellier are a lot more than I anticipated for our family of 5!! From Montpellier, we head to Barcelona, where we will once again take a train. I already booked tickets from Amsterdam to Brussels, but would I be better off getting a rail pass for us? I have read through articles about the pass, but I am still confused. As of right now, the train from Brussels to Montpellier is about $1100 for our family of 5. It is about $800 to fly, which may be the better option. However, I am wondering, since we will have to take a train from Montpellier to Barcelona as well, are we better off with a rail pass?! Any advice is greatly appreciated! ( I have also looked at trying to rent a car, but I don't think it is possible with a one way, pick up in one country, drop off in another?) Thank you for any insight!
Posted by
Citizen of the World
2945 posts
There’s a wide price range for flights during the next two weeks from Brussels to Montpellier, France with some flights only $75. I would advise going to www.Skyscanner.com and using the “Flexible Dates” option so you can see what dates have the least expensive flights. Then you can amend your itinerary so you can fly on a date that won’t break the bank.
Travelling by train is going to take 7-10 hours and cost close to $150-$200 per person. Flying from Brussels to Montpellier makes more sense.
A car rental is not likely to save you money because you will get hit with the notorious “one-way dropoff charge” by picking up a car in Belgium and dropping it off in France. The supplemental fee often is €1,000. Ditto for picking it up in France and dropping it off in Spain. Add to that the fees for toll roads in France, in addition to parking fees, gasoline and insurance costs.
You can get a quick idea of train fares from Montpellier to Barcelona at www.TheTrainline.com. At the present time, there are tix for as low as €70 per adult. Don’t wait to buy tickets because the prices are just going to get more expensive. The French national train company website is www.SNCF-connect.com
If feasible, it may be much less expensive to fly from Brussels to Barcelona ( lots of flights around $50) and then take the train ( 3 hours) to Montpellier after visiting Barcelona.
Posted by
Sydney, Australia
103 posts
See for yourselves how much Eurail passes are:
https://www.eurail.com/en/eurail-passes/global-pass
You will have to do the maths for yourselves, but that leg from Brussels to Montpellier is a long one and I think it would be preferable to fly it, in which case I think the Eurail pass would become unviable. You also need to make seat reservations when you have the Eurail pass in many cases, which takes away some of the freedom and spontaneity aspects of the Eurail pass and adds to the cost. As you have already bought tickets for that first leg, then I would commit to flying (either Barcelona or Montpellier, whichever is cheaper or more accessible from Brussels).
Good luck!
Lavandula
Posted by
Wengen
3071 posts
With Eurail the problem may and up being that you cannot get reservations for the train you want. The number of seats for Eurail Pass holders is subject to a contingent, and that can become a problem in France.
But what you can do is first see if you can get your reservations. On www.raileurope.com you can make Eurail Reservations for France and Spain, and you only have to indicate you have a pass, they do not need the number. Just add "Eurail Global Pass" as discount to your personal date.
That will allow you to see if there are indeed still Eurail reservations left on the trains you want to take, and you might then get a pass.
When is your trip to Montpelier?