What is the best train tickets/pass for a 2 wk trip thru Germany, Switzerland, Italy and Austria?

Where do you want to go? They are big countries. Eurail pass will probably work, even though you will pay a big price for "carefree" travel. But I guess peace of mind is worth something.

There are many here that are "anti-rail pass". We love them and the flexibility they allow - especially in your chosen countries. It may not be the cheapest way but it is the most convenient.

The pass is best suited for spontaneous travel 0 if you will have a set itinerary and reservations made in advance then point to point tickets purchased in advance will likely save you money - but you will be locked into specific trains & times.

It would be helpful to have more info about your trip - when, where you plan to visit - what train trips you will need, do you plan to make reservations in advance or just wing it?

I love railpasses in Switzerland...as is Swiss Pass or Swiss Transit Pass. Eurail Pass is vastly overpriced and can be a pain in the rear to use because required seat reservations are not included and must be made separately by the traveler. Some countries limit the number of Eurail passengers on their trains (France).

Yes, a quality Travel Pass like a Swiss Pass is totally worth its price. Other countries like Italy have dirt cheap fares and you waste your money on passes there.

When was the last time either of you who have answered actually USED a pass? Are you posting from experience or just reposting what you have read?

Rarely are reservation REQUIRED in the OP's 3 countries. We have traveled all 3 extensively with rail passes and NEVER needed a reservation - even on high speed trains.

Like I said in my previous post - it depends on what you want more - the cheapest most rigid schedule of advance purchase tickets or the flexibility & convenience of a pass.

If you know what trains you will taking you can price out the various ways - advance purchase point to point, walk up the day of travel point to point or the rail pass.

The DB site is the best place to find routes - it will also tell you if a reservation is required.

We have used railpasses on 3 trips and will use one for our next trip. I could most likely save a little bit of money by buying tickets in advance, but I love the flexibility of a rail pass (and my husband loves being able to sit in 1st class:) We are going to be taking a few pretty long rail days which really help get your money's worth out of a rail pass. I also think the multi country select pass can be a very good value when it includes Switzerland. The Swiss pass by itself is much more expensive. I think you should consider a 3 country select pass. Also - if you will be spending time in the Berner Oberland area you can get a discount on the regional pass with a select pass that includes Switzerland.

Hi,

True that some countries, like France, have a Pass quota, I've run into that but so what. Then you deal with it, work around the quota, I did , no big deal. That quota thing is immaterial here since the countries listed above don't (luckily) have this feature. Reservations are not mandatory in these countries unless you are doing the night train option taking the EN. Therefore, with the Pass you can just hop on as was done in yesteryear. For two weeks I myself would not get a Pass unless there was a lot of criss cross, zig zag traveling with at least one night train ride. Three weeks is my Pass minimum.

The best Pass option for your itinerary is the 2nd class Select Pass or the Germany-Swiss, ie in Austria you can take the cheaper Westbahn trains.

You "...want an all inclusive pass to travel the listed countries." So here's where you need to go:

https://www.raileurope.com/index.html

You know your probable destinations within those countries, how many days you will probably spend in each country, how often you will probably use trains, whether or not you want passes that make certain mountain lifts and railways accessible and/or less expensive (many are just not included in the "all-inclusive" passes.) We forum members don't know your trip details, so our tips here may be less than helpful. A simple answer there is not.

A lesser-known rail pass fact: One 1-country pass - the German Rail pass - is valid for travel to certain destinations in both Austria and Switzerland. If you are traveling to Innsbruck, Salzburg, or Basel (or for that matter to certain destinations in Italy, Belgium, the CZ Republic, France, Denmark, Poland, the Netherlands, or the UK) then the German Rail pass may be worth considering:

https://www.bahn.com/en/view/mdb/bahnintern/international/partnerbilder/pdf_2017/mdb_242383_flyer_grp_2017.pdf

https://www.bahn.com/en/view/offers/passes/german-rail-pass.shtml

@teachermjo

When the teachers call on you, you need to respond. Otherwise, you might not get a very good grade.

Perhaps stay out of Italy and limit yourself to 3 countries - Germany, Austria, Switzerland.
http://www.eurail.com/en/eurail-passes/select-pass/three-country/austria-germany-switzerland
Eurail is good if you intend to use slower regional trains and travel daily, either to a new destination, or day tripping.

I applaud you for not wanting to rent a car! Excellent!

When you stay somewhere for 2 nights it is one full day. How many °Day trips by train° can you take and still see the place you are staying? I think you have too many destinations and your itinerary needs to be refined before you worry about a pass. You have what, about 12 or 13 nights? Three destinations, maybe four, but not 6!