We did point-to-point trains throughout Italy 2 yrs ago. First time to do multi-countries. Plans: Fly into Frankfort, 3 nights in Backarach Rhine Valley, train to Prague 3 nights, overnight train from Prague to Interlaken, 4 nights at Lauterbrunnen, train to Geneva-1 night fly home. Using Rick's prices & the German Bahn train schedules I've priced my selected rides. Based on my calcuations PtoP is about $1225 where as a Select Pass Saver 3 country/5 days is $840 & first class (there are 2 of us). The other viable option is a 2 Country Select Saver 2nd class (Germany & Chech) and a Swiss Pass Save 4 consective days for $1052. The 1st pass option is the cheapest but having the Swisspass will give me discounts once in Switzerland. Questions: 1) does by calculations and options seem correct? 2) Which option and why would you recommend? 3) Does the overnight from Prague to Interlaken count as 1 or 2 days (it crosses back through Germany thru Frankfort then to Bern)? Thanks for your help and any information that you can provide that I'm not considering. Thanks, Fran
Posted by
Paradise
7070 posts
I think you'll do better point to point if you don't mind pinning down your travel dates and times. Let's look at your major travel legs.
Advance sale tix from Germany are the trick. They're available 92 days in advance. I assume your trip is later in the year. I picked April 9 as an example date to find advance sale prices and found Koblenz-Prague tickets for 29 and 39 Euros each. I don't know your route into Switzerland exaclty, but even if you had to travel from Prague all across Germany to Basel Bad at the border with Switzerland, tickets for 4/15 come up at 39 Euros each.
From there, it might be good to use a Swiss flexi pass. That's $217 saver each for a 3-day pass.
It's only a matter of a few Euros from FRA to the Rhine Valley and from town to town while you're there.
So if you get these prices 92 days in advance, you're looking at about $300 each altogether and you've got 3 days to zoom around Switzerland.
Posted by
Lakewood, Colorado
19274 posts
Another option for Prague to Interlaken would be a Czech Rail ticket from Prague to the German border at Furth im Wald (€7,50 pP) and a Europe-Spezial ticket (€39 pP) from there to Interlaken.
The CNL night train connection from Prague to Interlaken via Basel leaves Prague at 18:41, so unless you buy a P2P ticket from Prague to where it stops after 1900, it will take 2 days of a rail pass.
And, please. Frankfort is the capital of Kentucky, Franfurt is the city in Germany.