I'm heading to France and Italy. Is it advisable to purchase the Regional Eurorail Pass (France/Italy) or to purchase individual train passes as we go? We'd like to allow our schedule to take us where the wind blows so we can listen to the advice of other travelers we meet, but we also want to be conscious of cost. We are looking at mid-October - November. - Chandra
Posted by
Tresana, Highlands Ranch, CO, USA
23669 posts
Rail pass these days require a lot of homework. At one time it was a no-brainer but today with surcharges for required reservations, limited pass access in France, deep discounts for advance purchase, etc., the pass becomes a math game. Figure out your schedule, price the p2p tickets, and add it up to see of it is cheaper. If you take advantage of advance purchase in Italy a pass will never be cheaper. Go do your homework!
Posted by
Green Bay
21393 posts
From your other post, it really doesn't sound like you will be doing all that much traveling in France. Paris to Normandy and back, one way to the Riviera, then continue to Italy. Pick the day you want to go to the Riviera and buy a Prems fare TGV ticket for a big discount. All the other trips you just buy as you go as they are not that expensive. In Italy trains are cheap enough that a rail pass usually doesn't pay. Remember, even if you have a pass, you still need to buy a 10 euro reservation each time you ride one of the high speed trains connecting the big cities.
Posted by
Scottsdale, AZ, USA
1127 posts
Passes are rarely a better deal point to point tickets. Enter your itinerary at www.railsaver.com and it will tell you the best option.
Posted by
OP
6 posts
Thank you everyone! I'll start with the guidance provided and see where it leads me~