I am planning to travel to Europe in Oct--I arrive into Paris and then plan to travel to
Brussels/Bruges-Amsterdam-Bacharach-Rothenburg-Munich (daytrips to Salzberg,castles)--train to Venice-Florence (include Siena)-Rome-CT-Provence-Beaune-Reims-Paris--
I was wondering if I should just get a Europass or rent a car or do point 2 point along with renting a car--I am trying to stay as low budget on transportation but not sure what is the best solution? I will be traveling alone for most of the trip. Any suggestions?
You could lease as opposed to renting a car, but keep in mind that Tolls, Gas, Parking, Insurance and other fees add up quick. The standard answer to a pass is add up the point to point and compare. There would potentially be many upcharges and reservation fees to the pass for typical travel that must be accounted for as well. However, all that said, since you have time on your side, for a little over $1000, you can get the 15 day, 5 country, flex pass that would work. If you take slower regional or intercity trains that have no added fees, then that may be a goos flexible option.
I'm guessing that in your case a railpass might be a good idea. But, as Paul said, you should compare with easily obtained point-to-point tickets. Click on the "Railpasses" tab above to let Rick walk you through the details.
Sharon,
As you're travelling alone and want to stay "low budget", I doubt that renting a Car would be a cost effective method of travel.
If you have somewhat of a definite idea on your route, you might try entering the details into www.railsaver.com. The site will suggest the best combination of Rail pass and P-P tickets for that Itinerary. I've found that it's not perfect but provides a farly good estimate.
If you plan your transportation well, you should have no problems visiting all the cities you listed using public transportation.
Happy travels!