I was looking at purchasing a 4 Country, 8 day eurail pass for $405. I looked up the approximate point-to-point tickets and the total was going to be $407. I have heard that even when using a eurail pass you sometimes have to spend an extra 10-20 euros in fees for trains. Is this true? Does it make more sense to just go ahead and book the point-to-point tickets? What are the pluses/minuses of the two options? Thanks!
Posted by
Elk Grove, CA, USA
6898 posts
It is true that you will pay supplemental fees on certain types of trains in different countries. For Italy, you simply don't need a rail pass. I've been doing the math for posters for two years and P2P is always less expensive. If you are going to Switzerland, the Eurail pass will work on most Swiss travel but if you are going into the Lauterbrunnen Valley, the Eurail pass only covers 25%. You are better off with a Swiss Pass or Card of some type.
CLICK HERE to see the information on this subject from the Eurail website.
Posted by
Lakewood, Colorado
19100 posts
Supplements are just that, an additional fee to use premium trains. You'll pay that with a railpass, but it should be included in the price of a P-P ticket. On the other hand, true reservations, which designate a certain seat on the train, would not be included with either a railpass or, in most cases, a ticket. Trains which require a supplement with a railpass (like Italian Eurostar) usually include a reservation with the P-P ticket price.
Posted by
Ottawa, Ontario,, Canada
521 posts
The amount of supplements paid depend on the country and the type of train. Night trains always have a reservation fee for a bed, and the cost will vary based on the number of people in the compartment and the distance of the trip.
In Germany, reservations are possible on the (sometimes) high-speed ICE (Inter-city Express) trains but not at all needed - don't bother with reservations in Germany.
In France, you are required to have a reservation on a TGV (high-speed trains) but the reservation fee is only three euros per seat so don't worry about it.
In Italy, the Eurostar Italia forms the largest supplemental cost. They are about fifteen euros per seat, but to be fair these trains are normally significantly more comfortable (and better air-conditioned) than the other Italian trains.
The list that Larry provided is excellent, but it is a complete list of extra fees and not a list of ones where the fees are really necessary. Depending on which countries you are seeing, the primary charges are just for the TGV, the Eurostar Italia, and night trains.
Posted by
Minneapolis, MN, USA
8700 posts
I assume that you compared the cost of full fare point-to-point tickets to the cost of a railpass. If you can commit to specific departure dates and times, you can often get discount fares by booking well in advance on each country's national rail Web site. This will be much cheaper than any pass.
Posted by
Utrecht, Netherlands
1 posts
Hi Gregory,
Depends also of the country that you want to visit! Most Eastern countries do not have any supplements. Take a look here: http://www.eurail.com/eurail-train-reservations
You can see that Italy and Spain have the highest reservations. It is possible to maken most journeys without reservations though, but you can find that on this page as well. Except for nighttrains.
Gina
Posted by
Tulsa, Oklahoma, US
290 posts
A lot depends on where and how you travel. As mentioned, many trains don't require reservations.
The thing I like about a railpass is that it is prepaid here in US dollars. I don't have to shell out a bunch of cash or use the CC every time I want to get on a train. Many CCs charge a foreign exchange fee every time you use it and getting cash from an ATM typically comes with fees also. To me the convienence of a railpass is worth it even if it doesn't save any money.