Ricks's 2010 Europe book mentions that travelers might want to save a Eurailpass flexi day on the cheap Cinque Terra. This leads me to believe that if you have a Eurail Global pass, that you don't have to buy the local train tickets (but the book is not specific in saying this). I've been to the CT but cannot remember if the Eurail Global pass covers all trains in the CT. Anyone know for sure? Thanks!
If you are using your pass, you don't need to buy an additional ticket for the local train into/around CT.
If your only planned train trips for the day are local trains in the CT area, you won't want to waste the value of a day on your pass.
My question is regarding the Eurail "Global" pass. Rick's book doesn't advise whether the Global pass works in the CT. I'm led to believe that it does since he advises against using a Flexi day of a Flexi pass for the CT.
Just got back from CT - you can ask at the station when you arrive. Otherwise just get the All day pass with Park-Trail ticket included for 8.50 Euros. If you want the trail its 5 euros anyways!
Logic would seem to indicate that if Rick is advising against using a Flexi day, that the Eurail pass, of any kind, will work. I don't want to spend money on tickets if I don't have to.
BTW - Rick says the trail/train ticket is not a good value in the book. Says you'll have to take 3 train trips per day to make it worth it. Just quoting what he says in the book.
When I went, I don't think I rode the train more than once per day, since I took the boats between cities for the views.
Marshall, I agree with your logic that Rick would not be saying not to waste a day of a Flexipass on trains in the Cinque Terre is those trains were not included on the pass. I think the same trains are included with any pass, Flexi or Global.
I found this sentence on the Eurail website,
"If your Eurail Pass is valid in Italy, you can travel on all trains from Trenitalia, the Italian railway company." Those trains in the CT are shown on the Trenitalia website, so they must be Trenitalia trains.
Contrast this with trains of the Ferrovie Nord Milano, a privately owned line running trains from Milan's Malpensa airport into Milan (Malpensa Express) and to the town of Como on Como Lago. They are not shown on the Trenitalia website and don't accept Eurail passes.
Yes,
The CT trains are regular trains. Your pass will work.
As I said before if you travel into the area using your pass (e.g. from Florence, Verona or Rome), the pass covers the trains in CT so you don't need to buy another ticket.
If all you are doing is taking the CT trains that day - buy a local ticket and save your pass for the real travel days.