Good morning,
I have a global pass and will be traveling to switzerland and Italy in a few weeks. I understand I have to validate it in the beginning beofre using it, then validate by writing in the travel dates per day that I use it. My question is, when I fill out the travel diary, do I need to fill out every leg of the trip? For example Im going Varenna- Ponte Gardena, do I just write that? or do I need to break it down Varena-Milano, Milano-Vernoa, etc.? TYIA.
I'm currently using a Global Pass and have been entering each leg of the journey. The conductors haven't said to do otherwise, so I'll continue. We leave Copenhagen, Denmark tomorrow on our way to Erfurt, Germany. My log will read Copenhagen-Fredericia, Fredericia- Hamburg, Hamburg-Erfurt. I haven't been adding the next leg in the journal until just before the conductor asks as we may decide to have a stop-over. Enjoy your trip, we are!!!
Are you aware that for any Italian trains beyond a R - Regionale and a RV - Regionale Veloce you need to buy (approx 10€ per person per leg) reservations to use your Global Pass? That is for all Freccia and EC, IC, D and N trains. The Global Pass is not valid on Circumvesuviana or Italo trains, among others.
If you are travelling into Italy from Switzerland on the EC train you need a reservation from the Italian border to your destination on that train, eventhough you don't need a reservation for the Swiss part of the journey, you stay in the same seat and don't get off.
Yes, most will be regional trains, but I have made the reservations that are needed.
That's a relief and a way to stay out of trouble.
But a small question - if you are travelling mostly by regional train how are you making the pass pay off?
Im not. I bought the pass on black Friday last year and our trip shrunk a bit from our initial itinerary. Since it was a promo pass it is not refundable. Just going to have to chalk it up to teachable mistake.
Well take comfort that you are not the only person ever to make non changeable reservations (or a non refundable purchase) before completely changing their plans - says the voice of experience....
I would just write your start and end points for the day on the travel diary. They know the route the train takes and don't use the info for anything very detailed. Especially if you have a longer trip, you wouldn't want to fill up all the space too soon.
The conductor I spoke with yesterday on my trip from Ansbach, Germany to Karlsruhe HBF, Germany said I should list every leg of my trip on my travel diary. They have been either time stamping or punching each leg of my journey thus far. I have a 30 day Global Pass and included was another page for the diary. I will have more than enough places to list the legs of travel and yesterday's travel had 4 legs to it, most travel days only have 2 changes. We are doing 12 cities in 8 countries while using our Global Pass, staying a minimum of 3 days in each. It's working out well for us!
