My daughter will be traveling from Brussels to meet us in Florence. She will go back to Brussels from Rome. I have been looking at the train schedules but can't seem figure out how to get there without buying a Rail pass for 249EUR (she is under 25)
Is the railpass the only reasonable way to go? Also it looks like it would take at least 13 hours?
Posted by
San Diego
1540 posts
Did you look at the cost of a point to point ticket on the rail sites?
In Italy, point to point is usually always cheaper than a Eurail Pass.
Posted by
San Francisco Bay Area (USA)
15174 posts
Why take the train? I'm actually surprised it would take only 13 hours by train. Nowadays for those long distances, the way to go is to fly. Faster and probably cheaper. These are your easiest options for non stop flights (if you are willing to change flights, then the options are many more): Brussels Airlines (United Airline codeshare) has one daily flight to Florence (FLR) from Brussels (BRU) and 2 daily flights to Bologna (BLQ). Ryanair has one daily flight to Bologna (BLQ) and 2 daily flights to Pisa (PSA) from Brussels Charleroi (CRL). Bologna and Pisa are 1 hour away from Florence via train. On the return trip if she takes Ryanair, Ryanair has one daily flight from Rome Ciampino (CIA) to Brussels (CRL) and one daily from Roma Fiumicino (FCO) to CRL. If she uses Brussels Airlines, Brussels Airlines has 4 daily flights from Rome Fiumicino (FCO) back to Brussels (BRU). http://www.ryanair.com/en http://www.brusselsairlines.com/en_us/ Ryanair is probably much cheaper than Brussels airlines. A one way from CRL to PSA may be as low as 19 Euro.
So your daughter might be able to see you for less than 50 Euro, round trip (flying back from Rome). Between PSA and BLQ, Consider that Florence from Pisa is cheaper by train than from Bologna (although the times are similar). A one way ticket from Pisa Airport (Pisa has a station inside with direct trains to Florence) to Florence is less than 6 Euros (1 hr). Buses charge also 6 Euro and take 70 minutes. From Bologna Centrale Station to Florence is Euro 25 base price (because there is the high speed surcharge). Also from BLQ airport to the station she would need to take the bus because there is no rail station at Bologna airport.
Posted by
brooklyn, ny, usa
118 posts
i cant figure out why she would need a pass rather than just a point to point ticket? is she going to be traveling elsewhere that she would need a pass?
Posted by
Northamptonshire, England
32767 posts
By train, I can't see as little as 13:00. I see 13:47, leaving Termini at 8am and arriving at 13 to 10pm. Change at Torino and Paris, going across Paris from Gare de Lyon to Gare du Nord. Flying will be quicker. If she3 takes the train, I don't see any reason to get a 3 country railpass for one journey.