Travel in Central Europe

"I have noticed that there are quite a few "third parties" that sell euro passes, but I wanted to maybe go direct. I did come across Euro Railways and they offer a European East Pass which covers Austria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia. " If the name of the agency that sells you the tickets isn't something like "Deutsche Bahn", "Österreichische Bundesbahn", "Polskie Koleje Panstwowe", etc. then by definition, it's a 3rd party reseller. Before you decide if a pass makes sense from a monetary perspective (and they rarely do), you need to price each individual rail journey directly from the various national rail websites, taking into account all relevant discounts, then compare that to the total cost of a pass. I think you will find individual tickets considerably cheaper, especially if you qualify for youth rates. During your study abroad program in Germany, if you plan to travel frequently within the country, look into purchasing a Bahn Card. You can find more information on the Deutsche Bahn website.

Alex, this website is one of the 3rd parties that sells that pass. I would suggest going to - railpasses - choose your pass - eastern europe rail pass, and read what it says there about the pass. There is also a map on the right that give approximate costs between cities. That should help you figure out if it is appropriate for you.

seems a little expensive. trains are not very expensive in east europe, esp. if you have local trains to see small towns. also bus is widely available and cheap. keep in mind train transfer in east europe can be confusing when you change train at a no name stop with few info available.

Alex, We traveled in that area last Fall and always bought point to point tickets. Its a lot less expensive and most of the trains there are not crowded. Have you considered Linz and Plzen? You won't find as many tourists in those cities as you will see in the larger, more popular places.

Thank you all for your input! @Tom: I do not qualify for the youth rates, so I was considering the 2nd class tickets. I have noticed that some countries require riders over the age of 26 to purchase a first class ticket, though it seems Poland, Hungary, Austria, and Czech Republic do not. For my stay in Germany, I will certainly look into the Bahn Card. @Jill: Thanks for the tip, that was sure helpful! @ David: I am considering taking the bus to locations near-by the cities where I will be staying overnight (e.g. to Auschwitz from Krakow). When transporting from one place to the other, I will make sure to take direct trips whenever possible. Thanks! @Monte: After comparing prices it seems point to point tickets will be less expensive, unless I qualify for the 2nd class ticket. I had not considered Plzen, though I do want to visit Karlstejn. Is Karlstejn similar to Plzen?
I wonder if the European East Pass covers a trip to Karlstejn? If I were able to use the pass, again assuming I qualify for the 2nd class ticket, then it would make sense for me to purchase it. I type this after using the chart Jill referred me to; I should probably still compare directly with the rail companies. I welcome anyone to answer any of the questions, and again, thank you all for your input and guidance. I am now in the process of finalizing points of interest to visit. I plan to stay 3 nights each at Budapest, Vienna, Prague, and Krakow.

I had to look up Karlstejn in my Lonely Planet Guide "Czech & Slovak Republics"'. It looks like the castle is all that's there and if castles are interesting to you that would be a good one to see. We went to Plzen for the brewery, but missed the Patton memorial. The old town is really interesting and easy to get around in on foot. There is a beer museum there. The Pilsner Urquall brewery is off of downtown and is sort of a village in itself. We were lucky to find a grand old hotel, fading in its glory, for about 70 bucks a night. My, there is some good food in Plzen as well as good beer. Are you sold yet? I can give specifics and directions if you wish. We had three full days there but you could do it in two with some planning.

@Montee: I am sold! After living in Wisconsin for the past year, I can certainly appreciate good beer. Any information you have would be great! I am willing to alter the itinerary a bit for some fun. Thanks!

Let's go to Private Message.

"I have noticed that some countries require riders over the age of 26 to purchase a first class ticket". No national rail company obligates anyone to buy a first class ticket. If you're reading that somewhere, it's most likely a condition imposed by the ticket reseller, not the actual rail operator. Yet another good reason to always buy directly from the source, not the RailEurope, for example.

We just returned from trip to Vienna, Budapest, Krakow, Prague and Munich. I booked European East passes (5 days) with separate tickets for the German portion. I called RailEurope toll-free in the US and the agent compared the prices for the Passes vs. Point-to-Point. The RailEurope agent was very helpful. I was pleased with the trains since we got to see alot during the trip. There is approx. 16.5 hours of sunlight at this time of year at that latitude. Fantastic trip!

@ Tom: Thank you for the tip! @ Mary: Seems like a great trip! Would you mine telling me from which city you departed to enter Germany and the approximate cost? Thanks!