Rail travel; pre buy online vs at station

you should move this to the Transportation forum, methinks

"My question is, would it be best to buy tickets in advance on a site like Rail Europe, or buy them the day off at the rail station"

Usually the best option is neither of these. For your routes, if you can commit to non-refundable and non-exchangeable tickets, you can save a bundle and buy them in advance on the websites of the train operators (NOT Rail Europe, which does not operate any trains). If you do not know your plans, then you can buy at the station, but you'll pay more, and on some routes risk sold-out trains. However, other trains do not sell out (if there are no seats, you stand until someone gets off).

For Paris to Lauterbrunnen, look at French Rail http://www.sncf.com/en/passengers. If you can't get it work, use https://www.capitainetrain.com/en.

For Lauterbrunnen to Munich, use either Swiss Rail https://www.sbb.ch/ticketshop/b2c/adw.do?sprache=en&artikelnummer=7731 or German Rail http://reiseauskunft.bahn.de/bin/query.exe/en. If you are using German Rail, be SURE you can print the ticket at home before buying, since you can't pick it up in Germany.

From Munich to Venice, use the German Rail link above.

You print these tickets at home (they may say you need A4 paper, but 8.5 x 11 works fine).

For all of these, if you're having trouble finding the savings with advance booking, just look at a ticket for tomorrow vs. your intended travel dates. If you can live with the last minute fares, and if the route does not require reservations, you can wait. But if you want the discounts, you have to book as soon as possible; once the allotment of discounted tickets sells out, it's gone, and the price goes up. And if the route requires reservations (such as Paris to the Swiss border), book ahead.

You are probably too late to get the cheapest rates (which go on sale about three months ahead of the travel date for France, Germany, and Italy), but may still get a better fare now for locking in the longer legs than the full-fare you'd pay at the station.

Swiss trains run frequently, you're using them for shorter distances, and they need not be reserved. You can buy those tickets in stations, or consider the Swiss Transfer Ticket and/or Half-Fare Card. Those are sold at Basel train station, or through our link for home delivery before you go.

lakey,

As Laura mentioned, it may be too late to get any of the cheaper tickets, but you could certainly try. Here are some thoughts on the routes you'll be travelling.....

• Paris to Lauterbrunnen - one of the easiest trips (shortest and fewest changes) will be a departure from Gare de Lyon at 10:21, arriving Interlaken Ost at 15:28 (time 5H:07M, one change at Basel SBB). The first leg is via high speed TGV which has compulsory reservations. If you're willing to commit to a specific train, I'd suggest buying tickets from Capitaine Train. I can't recall if they also sell tickets for Switzerland, but if not you can buy tickets for the next two legs on the sbb.ch website. When you arrive at Interlaken Ost, you'll have to transfer to the small Berner Oberland Bahn for the 20 minute trip to Lauterbrunnen. With your departure from Paris, keep in mind that you'll have to get from the area of your hotel to Gare de Lyon via Metro, Taxi or whatever.
• "Lauterbrunnen to Munich - For the first leg from Lauterbrunnen to Interlaken Ost, I'd just buy the tickets locally, perhaps the day prior to travel. For the trip from Interlaken to Munich, one of the quickest and cheapest trips is a departure at 09:00, arriving 14:59 (time 5H:59M, 2 changes, last leg by Bus). If you'd prefer a simpler trip by train, use a departure at 08:00, arriving 15:11 (time 7H:11M, 1 change). You may be able to buy the tickets for this trip from Capitaine Train.
• Munich to Venice - one of the easiest trips on this route is a departure at 11:38, arriving Venezia Santa Lucia at 18:10 (time 6H:32M, no changes). Again, you may be able to buy your tickets from Capitaine Train. That trip goes through the Brenner Pass, and I always enjoy the scenery even though I've seen it many times before.

It's not likely that the trains will be sold out. If that were the case, there'd be another train along in an hour or so.