Hola Amigos, I need your advice.
First I was going to get an Italy/Spain rail pass. Now I can't decide. I've been adding things up and I'm not sure if it is worth it.
This is my Itinerary
Part 1
1. Land in rome, 3 nights
2. Train or bus to Orvieto, 1 night
3. Train or bus to Siena, 3 nights
4. Train to Cinque Terre, 2 nights
5. Train or bus to Lucca, 1 night
6. Train or bus to Florence, 3 nights
7. Train to Trieste (on to Croatia for 4 nights)
Part 2
1. Fly to Barcelona, 3 nights
2. Train to San Sebastian, 3 nights
3. Fly or Train (overnight berth preferred) from Bilbao to Granada, 3nights
4. Train or bus to Sevilla, 3 nights
5. High Speed Train to Madrid, 4 nights.
Based on the fares I saw on the Rail Europe site, it appear that it's just cheaper to buy 2nd class train fares in Italy as a hop from place to place. Do you agree? So then, I was looking at just getting a Rail Pass for spain with 3 uses (Barcelona to San Sebastian, Bilbao to Granada, and Sevilla to Madrid. Even then, I'm not sure it's worth it. Also, if one has a rail pass, can it be used on the AVE (with upgrade costs, of course) ? Can I pay extra for a sleeping berth on the regular train (bilbao to granada) Also, where do I find out how much a sleeping berth costs.
Finally, to those of you who have fathomed the RAIL PASS stuff. In your opinion is it cheaper to just pay as I go or buy the pass?
Thanks, Any advice would be appreciated.
Posted by
Toledo, Ohio, US
11613 posts
Unless you really want to wake up in Orvieto and Lucca, these could be daytrips from Roma and Firenze. Check Trenitalia for schedules and fares, Rail Europe is a third-party vendor. Transportation in Italy and Spain is pretty cheap, anyway. Crunch the numbers from the national rail sites, not Rail Europe.
Posted by
Tresana, Highlands Ranch, CO, USA
23671 posts
First, Rail Europe is not a good source for the price of rail tickets. Rail Europe is a travel agency, selling limited tickets, and rarely offer the deep discounts available for advance purchase. Go to the national rail site for each country to obtain accurate pricing. With the additional fees required for the high speed trains, it gets more difficult for a train pass to be economical unless you are doing a lot of long distance travel. With your limited schedule I don't think a rail pass would pay BUT you have do the homework at pricing out each leg of your trip to be certain.
Posted by
Rick Steves' Europe
16895 posts
Yes, it is cheaper to buy 2nd class train tickets as you go for your listed destinations within Italy.
The Eurail Spain Pass (see reservations and more info on this link) would be a reasonable option for those three long travel days, if you do them all by train, for $205 + reservation fees. Or, if your trip is still at least a month away, you can compare advance-discount fares for sale at www.renfe.es.
Sleeper fees on Spanish trains are similar to most of western Europe, starting from about $35 in a shared couchette. But I'm not seeing a night train that would work for you. How about flying from Bilbao to Sevilla on Vueling for under $100?
Posted by
Brisbane, Australia
7175 posts
In Italy I would buy 'walk up' tickets at the station on the day
Except Florence to Trieste where I would buy ahead 'point to point' from Trenitalia.
In Spain I would fly (booking well ahead) Barcelona - San Sebastian and Bilbao - Granada.
Purchase 'point to point' tickets Granada-Sevilla-Madrid from Renfe.