There are six of us traveling from Paris to Florence to Rome. We want to take a night train when we leave Paris. Three of us need a two day travel pass and three of us need a four day traval pass. Any suggestions on what and where to purchase?
Posted by
Austin, TX, USA
492 posts
Most passes are not worth it for Italy, the cost is much higher than the point to point tickets. Is there a reason you think you need one? Most of the highspeed trains require a reservation and those are not included with any of the rail passes. I found www.seat61.com to have some great info when it came to train travel from Paris down into Italy.
Posted by
Ottawa, Canada
4555 posts
Cheaper to go point to point. The cheapest you can get a rail pass for is $295 pp...that's a second class saver pass, minimum two purchased....which gives you four days travel in 2 months (no 2-day passes). On top of that, you will pay at least another $100 for a sleeper in a three-person compartment, segregated by gender, on the Paris-Florence leg, plus another $20 for a seat on Florence-Rome. That's more than $400.
For the same accommodations, you'll pay about $185 Paris-Florence at tgv-europe.com (the French national rail system....keep setting your country to Great Britain, and book ASAP when the tickets become available 90 days before travel)...and about $65 for the walkup ticket window price for Florence-Rome. Total, $250. Similar comparisons can be made with first-class travel.
As for purchasing the passes, Rick's is as good a place as any, and you'll probably get better customer service if you go with him rather than RailEurope or Eurail.