Husband and self are traveling in June. I think a pass (Benelux-Germany-France-Switzerland) for 5 days is what I want but not sure. We will travel from Geneva to Basel, then from Antwerp to Brugge then from Brugge to Brussels. Continuing from Brussels to Munich and lastly from Munich to Paris. I seem to have trouble finding costs for tickets if purchased individually but looking at Rick Steve's guidelines it looks like the pass might be best. Any thoughts on best way to travel. We are seniors and don't want to make too many train changes if possible. Can we use the eurail pass on a short boat ride on Lake Geneva?
Thanks for your help.
Posted by
Tresana, Highlands Ranch, CO, USA
23564 posts
First, absolutely must do the p2p comparison. For the most part rail pass are not the good deal they once were. You are aware that there surcharges for reserve seats when using the pass. Second, between the extra fees for using passes and the discounts for advance purchases it could be hard to justify the pass with your limited schedule. Go to the national rail sites for pricing information. Train changes are determined by the schedule and not by the pass. I don't think the Eurail pass will cover a boat in Geneva. Some of the local Swiss pass will.
Posted by
Danville, VT
12040 posts
3rd party railpasses that include Belgium are always a rip-off, because 2nd class seats on domestic trains are so cheap. And also because Belgian rail (NMBS) sells it's own pass that is an absolute bargain compared to anything sold by Rail Europe or Eurail. For about €60, the pass allows 10 domestic trips. Unlike a Eurail pass, however, more than one person can use the pass at a time. So, for example, a round trip between Brussels and Brugge for two people would count as 4 of the 10 trips. You can buy this pass at any rail station in Belgium... in fact, I have found that if you ask to buy two or more tickets at the window, the ticket agent will almost always recommend buying the pass.