railpasses

First of all, railpasses are tough to find in Europe and will cost you more. Second, what is your itinerary, and what site did you use to tell you that you'd save that much money on a three-day pass over P2P?

Michaeline, I'm also curious as to what routes you are using that would save you 108 dollars.

It was just my rough calculations based on our itnerary from Rick Steves railpass map....that's all. Going from Rome to Venice, Venice to Florence, Florence to Rome......

These are the least expensive 2nd class fares point to point in Euros.

Rome to Venice - 40 E
Venice to Florence - 21 E
Florence to Rome - 16 E

Total 77 E Times 1.47 or 113 dollars.

The 2nd Class Saver Rail Pass costs 146 dollars.

So, I'm not seeing the savings here.

If you used the first class options and the MOST expensive fares.

Rome/Venice 89 E
Venice/Florence 53 E
Florence/Rome 56 E

198 Euros times 1.47, 291 dollars.
First Class Rail Pass 210 dollars.
So at most, the Rail Pass could save you 81 dollars.

RS can't possibly cover the wide range of different fares.
Thats why you have to go to the offical site

Thanks so much Francis, that answered my question. You helped me out a lot! I will just buy them when I get there!

Michaeline, Francis gives you GREAT advice! Another thought for those looking at railpasses... even when you have the pass, if you are traveling on a train with "seat reservations" such as an AV or Eurostar train.... your rail pass DOES NOT include the "seat reservation" fee. Thus you will pay extra and have to go wait in line to purchase ONLY a "seat reservation" with your railpass. It's not a lot of money, but it will add up and than there's the hassle of having to plan on waiting in line!

In many countries the rail pass is a GREAT BUY. With the lower rates here in Italy, not so much. If you stay on slower regional trains, yes, you can save money but you'll give it back in TIME spent on the trains. I defer to the train experts for more help but perhaps these links may help you:

Riding Trains in Italy, CLICK HERE

Buying a Train Ticket, CLICK HERE

Types of Train Tickets in Italy, CLICK HERE

Ciao - Ron in Rome

Ken....yes you can purchase Eurail passes in Europe. But not all versions are available, they are only available thru larger train stations, especially those with Eurail Aid offices, and they are more expensive. But, as others have noted, getting P2P tickets is going to be far less expensive in any event.

Michaeline,

You've received some great advice so far!

Just to clarify, you can't purchase Railpasses in Europe. If you decide to travel with a Pass, you'll need to purchase it here. As Ron mentioned, Railpasses do not include the reservation fees which are compulsory on some trains, so you'd need to pay those "out of pocket". DON'T be caught without a reservation on a train where this is compulsory, or you'll be fined on the spot!

As Francis mentioned, it would likely be more cost effective to simply buy Point-to-Point tickets in Italy (especially for the routes you listed). If you buy P-P tickets, reservation fees are included in the price. DON'T forget to validate tickets before boarding the train!

You might want to check the bahn.de or trenitalia websites to get some idea on the departure times and train information (ie: whether reservations will be required) for the days you'll be travelling.

Happy travels!

Norm,

Thanks for the clarification. I should have referred to "the Master" for the definitive word on the subject:

"Most railpasses must be purchased in the U.S. and are not available in Europe. There are some exceptions: Eurailpasses are sold at some of Europe's major railway stations for 10-20% more than the U.S. price. Some local passes (explained in each country's section of this guide) are available only in Europe."

Cheers!

Thanks everyone, that was great advice! One last question.....so if I use the kiosks at the station and use my bank or credit card, do I suffer the foreign transaction fee or should I withdraw money from the train/airport ATMs and pay cash? Thanks again!

Michaeline,

You'll have to check with your Bank on the types of fees they charge for credit card transactions. These differ among financial institutions, so it's difficult for anyone here to offer specific advice on that (unless they deal with the same Bank that you do).

Regardless of whether you use your credit card or use cash obtained from an ATM, you'll be paying currency exchange. The only variable will be the "foreign currency" fees.

One point to note. AFAIK, the automated ticket machines ("kiosks") will still accept North American magnetic strip credit cards (that was the case when I was in Italy in June). However, the inexorable march continues with the conversion to "chip" credit and debit cards, so this will likely change in future (some of the machines in France and other countries will now ONLY accept "chip" credit cards and cash). It would probably be a good idea to also have some cash on hand when you use the kiosks.

Happy travels!