Hi there, i am leaving australia on march 23 for my 8 month round the world trip to US/CANADA and Europe.
im currently in the process of trying to work out what rail passes to get, If any, im pretty sure i need a rail pass and im hoping i can get some advice.
im going to the following places (in this order)
England -9 days (dont need rail pass here-)
Amsterdam-3 days (flying here from london)
Belgium-2 days
France -16 days
Spain-14 days
Morocco-14 days-organised tour
italy-16 days
croatia-10 days-organised tour
slovenia-4 days
czech-4 days
germany-10 days
i have worked out that prob the best pass for me to get would be the 10 days in 2 months (4 countries-belelux/france/spain/italy, plus a seperate germany pass,i would start my pass from amsterdam to belgium and that should get me through to the end of italy, ill prob purchase tickets o/seas for croatia, slovenia and czech as i have heard its very cheap over there. then i would just use my germany pass for the last leg.
i have worked out that i will have just over 10 travel days up to italy but figured for a few short trips ill purchase a separate ticket o/seas rather than validating my pass. and i plan to rent a car for a week or so in france so wont need rail pass for that week. questions i have are:
what is the best site to go on to check point to point tickets cost? so i can see which is best for my trip
i have heard that italy/spain is cheaper point to point rather than a rail pass? is this true?
how much on average is the reservation fee for trains?
so if a train dosent need a reservation i just get on for free?
any help would be greatly appreciated
i have been on a few sites to check point to point cost and seems VERY expensive, i dont mind paying a couple hunderd dollars more for the peace of mind that i have my tickets pre paid , no worries that way. but if im paying $500 more for nothing
thanks so much Vikkie
Posted by
OP
melbourne, australia
35 posts
forgot to add, these are the rail trips i will
prob be making.
Amsterdam-Brugge
Brugge-Paris (will then rent car down to bordeaux)
Bordeaux-San Sebastian
San Sebastian-Madrid
Madrid-Cordoba
Cordoba-Seville (will go to morocco then fly to barcelona
Barcelona-Provence region/reviera
Riviera-venice
Venice-Cinque terre
Cinque terre-florence
Florence -rome
thanks again guys , any and all feedback welcome.
Posted by
Minneapolis, MN, USA
8700 posts
Click on the Railpasses tab at the top of the page you're reading now. Check the price list given for reservations and supplements. They vary widely and are always cheaper if bought in Europe rather than from home. Also read the railpasses section at www.seat61.com. Yes, if a train doesn't require a reservation, you can simply jump on and go.
Do NOT depend upon Rail Europe for either timetables or point-to-point fares. Their timetables are incomplete and their fares are inflated. Go to a country's national rail site to get the best standard walk-up fares and also to see if any discounted fares are available via advance online booking (for example, PREM'S fares in France).
Yes, train travel in Italy is relatively inexpensive and a pass is rarely cost effective. Amica fares (20% discount) can be booked online or, if the quota of those seats hasn't been filled, even up to a day or two before travel.
From what I've read, some routes in Spain are better served by bus than by train.