Europe rail pass choosing the right option

At first cut, I would say that p2p tickets would be best. However, you need to do your own homework and price the p2p so that you can compare with the pass cost. At one time a rail pass was a no brainer but with reservation fees, limited access in France, etc., you have to carefully price both option.

I don't think you even need to do the math. Andre posted some time back that as of 2013 France ( SCNF) will no longer nparticipate in the Select Pass. Maybe there will still be oa France -Switzerland 2 country pass but usually that one is a waste of money because (1) it is only first class and some Swiss trains don't even have first class and (2) it doesn't cover private trains as well as a Swiss pass does. I'll bet your best option is to buy discount tickets in advance for Paris to Zurich on SCNf or SBB.

Ditto Sasha. The French SNCF is dropping out of the 3, 4 and 5 country Eurail Select pass. They will still participated in the Global Pass

Paris to Versailles is most easily accomplished on the RER, which is a suburban system not included on a train pass anyway. It costs about €10 round trip. (Yes, there are ways to go on SNCF trains that, as of now, are included on passes, but this would be a silly waste of an expensive pass day for such a cheap trip). So, you are only taking two train rides - Avignon to Paris and Paris to Zurich. To buy these, use http://www.tgv-europe.com/. Select Great Britain as your country, and don't allow yourself to be redirected to Rail Europe. I forget if the seats go on sale 60 or 90 or 92 days before; look this up, and be ready to buy on the first day, and you can get extremely cheap fares that no pass can possibly match (that is, even if a pass were valid, which, as others have told you, it will not be for next year). These are called PREMS fares, for "premiers" or "firsts"; once these are gone, the prices go up, and if you wait until the last minute, you'll pay a lot more. However, be aware that PREMS are non-refundable and non-exchangeable, so be sure you are definite in your plans before buying.

By the way, there is a great 2hr 39min TGV train run from the Avignon TGV train station to Paris. If you book 120 days out and are willing to lock in a specific travel date and time, I see fares as low as 19E. Easily beats any pass.

Sig I would not even consider a pass. As noted, the trip to Versaille is done on a commuter line, as of this summer the trip cost is 7 euros return.. trains run very often, and you buy your ticket same day if you want and price is same as buying in advance. You cannot buy ticket for RER online, but if you wished you could buy it in Paris and use it on any day. For your trip to Zurich I would look at train prices online starting 3-4 months in advance . You may find a great cheap deal, i would check on sncf and tgv sites to start.I would also compare cheap airfare using Easyjet or Airberlin too.
Right now for three months in advance you can find Prems ( cheapest tickets non refundable or changable) for 80 euros,, but they may not be best departure times or durations ( more stops etc) Some trains make the journey is 7 hours others in 9,, personally I find anything over 6 hours too long on a train even a nice train. Flights can be as cheap or even cheaper. For Avignon to Paris check out sncf.

Sig, Just curious, is there a particular reason you're going to Zürich rather than other locations in Switzerland. While Zürich has it's "charms", there are more interesting places to visit in Switzerland. Cheers!

As others have said, buying a pass for these two point-2-point tickets is not the way to go. Last year, I scored very cheap tickets by booking the PREM fare as soon as it became available for my dates, For Avignon-Paris, using a "test" date, I see a PREM fare at 25 euros for the TGV. Paris to Zurich is also pricing at 25 euros. The cheapest I paid was 19 for the TGV Bordeaux to Paris. As for the ticket delivery, for one ticket it was electronic and for the other I chose the pick-up in France option and took my print-out. When you go to the SNCF.com website, don't choose the UK-English, but the "English for other countries" language option - that will give you the pricing in euros. Then choose your intended route (Avignon has two stations). Say you don't want the tix until next June... then pick a date far ahead from today, but within a 120-day window. This will allow you to see the very cheapest fares for your route. Make sure that this date is for the same day of the week that you intend to travel (ex. for Mon June 10, search now for Mon Feb 4 - your "test" date). Pick out a desired fare & time from the "test" date schedule - that will become your benchmark for your planning purposes. Here's where it gets fun! Go back up to the top of the SNCF page and choose "France" as your language option. The French website has more...

Since you've already used the English-language website to get your train(s) picked, now repeat on the French website. Do it first with your "test" date, and if you see the same results as before, then put in your real date. You will get a big "X" and a short message in French. It's the usual blah-blah saying that you're too early to buy. At the very end of this message are the words Alerte Résa. Click on those specific words. You will be taken to a page with a form. Ignore the French language - the form could be in Russian and it would still be just as easy to fill out. :-) Input your departure station. Then your arrival station. You already know these from your "test". Put in your intended real date of travel. Check only the first box and input your e-mail address. Enter.
Voilà! An automatic e-mail alert will be sent to you just before the tickets go on sale. It's important to do this for EACH travel date and route. Different trains in France have different times for when they go on sale: for some it's 120 days and for others it could be 6 months. The cheapest PREM fares are in very limited quantities, so it's important to book as soon as they become available. BTW - the cheapest first-class PREM fares are usually less expensive than regular 2nd class fares! Just be aware that a PREM fare is non-refundable - but then again, cheap flights are too. Plus, by train, you gain city-centre service, more comfy seats & legroom, and no baggage fees & other surcharges - which do add up quickly for budget flights! The Alerte Résa service makes it super easy to know when it's time to book. For your tickets, I do think that the booking window is 120 days, but I'm not sure. Even though the SNCF's Alerte Résa e-mail that you will receive will be in French, its presence in your mailbox will be message enough! :-)

Avignon-Paris: You can book tickets on regular TGVs up to three months in advance. The lowest Prem's fare is €25.00. You can book iDTGV tickets farther in advance. (As of a moment ago I could have booked a ticket up to and including 28 March.) The lowest fare is €19.00. Paris-Versailles: The Transilien site isn't working right at the moment so I can't get the exact fare, but I think the fare each way from anywhere in central Paris to Versailles-Rive Gauche on the Metro and RER C is less than €4.00. Paris-Zuerich: You can book up to three months in advance. The lowest fare is €25.00.

Thank you all for your help.