I have read that a rail pass for Italy may not be the best deal because it may be less expensive to purchase point to point tickets. In May, two of us will be traveling (over age 65) to Italy for 2 weeks. Our travel plans are:
I have looked at the map on Rick Steves website and tried to use the Rail Europe website to compare the cost difference. Is there an easier way to make the cost comparison?
Judy
Judy, a rail pass is rarely the best deal when traveling by Trenitalia train in Italy. I say Trenitalia because Italo, a competitor, does not accept the pass. That being said, a lot of the decision depends on how much work and planning you wish to do to obtain the nicely discounted tickets that are less expensive that those offered by Eurail. Plus, in Italy, you pay a 10Euro supplemental fee for each fast train you ride in Italy. You must make advance reservations on the Eurocity and Freccia trains that you will mostly be riding. That could be 4 such trains to/from Milan/Chiusa. It's possibly another 4 trains to/from Chiusa/Rome/Lake Como. That's an extra 80Euro on top of the cost of your pass. A Eurail pass will get you onto any regionale train at no extra cost. Your trip to/from Lake Como will be on regionale trains. Most likely, you might also be on one to/from Bolzano to Chiusa.
You don't indicate when you will be traveling so it's difficult to quote fares. However, if you can book 90 days in advance, you can save up to 50% on the fares from Milan to Bolzano (24Euro vs 50Euro), Bolzano to Rome (62Euro vs 89Euro) and Rome back to Milan (29Euro vs 76Euro) on the way to Lake Como. The discounted fares are non-refundable. If you don't want to lock in discounted tickets on specific trains, you can purchase the rail pass and have more flexibility in your travel. You will pay more overall for the pass.
Let me make it easy for you. Don't do a pass.
As for discount fares, one of Larry's figures is a little off. The big discounts on Trenitalia.com become available 4 months in advance, not 90 days. The most popular routes and times sell out the same day, but for tourists there are still a lot of options available. Unlike airfare, train fares will never go down. So don't think you wait for a better deal. You can't.
Here's a comparison using the full-fare-estimates on the long-distance time & cost map (which is a little more accurate than adding up several points on the smaller maps). That shows Milan-Rome at about $120 each way in 2nd class, and you have to return, so those major trips are about a $240 value, with seat reservations included but no deadline to reserve. Milan-Varenna costs about $10 each way, not reserved. If you are ready to lock in the longer trips now through www.trenitalia.com for your travel dates in May, then you may get them cheaper than the estimates above.
The 4-day Italy Saverpass currently costs $213 per person in 2nd class, plus 3 seat reservation fees for $45, adding up to $248. Unless you had another, longer day of train travel, this pass would not particularly save money. If you prefer 1st class, then the value comparison is a little better.
