Must I actually buy a EuRail pass before I leave the US? Somebody told me I had to and that I must make reservations for trains even though I have the pass. That true???? The reservations I understand and even knew about, but buying the actual pass here? And is it that much cheaper to buy the pass or just to by the tickets if you are only going to travel from Milan to Paris, Paris to Poittiers, and then Bordeaux to Florence?
Posted by
Elk Grove, CA, USA
6898 posts
The Eurail pass is for purchase outside of the EU. I don't think you can purchase them in Europe as each country has their own passes. If you have a Eurail pass, it is normally good on the regionale type trains in all countries covered by the pass. These are the local trains that make every stop and are thus slower in getting from point A to point B. As you step up to the faster and better trains, you will need to make seat reservations or pay supplemental fees. Here's a link to the page on the Eurail website that is relevant for international travel. http://www.eurail.com/planning/train-seat-reservations/international-fees
Posted by
Lakewood, Colorado
19274 posts
Eurail says you can buy some Eurail passes in Europe. Certain premium trains require a surcharge over and above the railpass, and because these premium surcharges include a reservation, they are sometimes mistakenly referred to as a reservation fee.
Posted by
Cary, NC
687 posts
This is a good site for checking whether a pass will save you money. I've never bothered with one. http://www.railsaver.com/
Posted by
Oak Park, Illinois
4535 posts
As for which is a better value, pass or individual tickets, you are best to compare the cost of the sum of each ticket with the pass cost plus any reservation fees.
Posted by
Lakewood, Colorado
19274 posts
Railsaver is about as useful as the fare compare maps in Rick's book. RailSaver compares the cost of a pass to the cost of the most expensive trains, failing to recognize the lower fares you can get with advance purchase, using slightly slower trains (in Germany, ICs/ECs vs ICEs), and regional day passes. They also have a poor database of towns. Unless you go only to the most common towns, you won't get a comparison. You also need to understand that Railsaver sells railpasses, so you can expect their analysis to favor railpasses. In 2009 I flew into Frankfurt and went to Treis-Karden for 4 nights, went from there to Braunlage for 5 nights, then to the Black Forest for 3 nights, ending up for one night in Mainz before flying out. For the four major days of travel, Railsaver said I should get a 4 day German Rail pass for $275. At todays prices these four days of travel would cost me €105,60, $150 at today's exch rate. So Railsaver overestimated by cost of my trip, point-point, by at least $125.
Posted by
OP
Glendale, Ca, USA
20 posts
Thank you everyone for all the help. I think I will pass in the on the pass!!