My wife and I are taking a 4-5 week trip to Italy and Germany in May. We start with a 14 day transatlantic cruise from Fort Lauderdale to Rome (Civitavecchia). We'll spend 5 days in Rome and then travel to Garmisch-Partenkirchen for another 5 days there. Then travel to Frankfurt and home. My question and area of needed help is rail passes. We will have to take the train from Civitavecchia to Rome; then we plan on doing a day trip by train from Rome to Pompeii; then travel by train to Garmisch; then by train from Garmisch to Frankfurt. Does anyone have any advice on which rail pass is the best to use; are seat reservations required; is second class just as worthwhile as first class, etc. This is our first trip of this sort and any advice/help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
Rick
Posted by
Tilburg, Netherlands
2829 posts
Rail passes would be an horrible deal in your case. This is what I'd do: - Civitavecchia - Roma: buy tickets upon arrival - Roma - Pompeii: but tickets Roma - Napoli in advance (as low as € 9/person),. When you arrive in Napoli buy tickets from Circumvesuviana for the remaining sector - Roma - Garmisch-Partenkirschen: by all means buy advance tickets. This route is rather complex. You need a ticket to Bologna/Padova, and a ticket to Innsbruck, and a ticket to Garmisch. Travel time: at least 9h10. There are only two workable connections, the best one is: . depart Roma 9:10, arrive Bologna 11:12 (buy at Trenitalia in advance, as low as €9) . depart Bologna 11:46, arrive Innsbruck 16:32 (buy at OBB in advance, as low as €29)
. depart Innsbruck 16:38, arrive Garmisch.-Prk. 17:59 (buy at DB in advance, fixed price € 15,10) - Garmisch-Partenkirschen - Frankfurt: buy tickets in advance at DB. They might cost as little as € 39 per person. Using these strategies, you are guaranteed to spend much less than a 4-country pass with 5 days (you need a valid pass in Austria even if your final destination is not Austria). It's a no-brainer. ATTENTION: if you try to quote a bundled Roma-Garmisch-Ptk. ticket, it will cost more than € 160/person. Don't do that.
Posted by
Lakewood, Colorado
19240 posts
Andre is correct when he says that you might need a railpass which includes Austria to go from Italy to Garmisch-P via Verona and Innsbruck since Innsbruck is in Austria. As an alternative, you could buy a full fare ticket across Austria. I don't know if they would sell you just a border-to-border ticket, but you could use one from Brennero to Mittenwald for €22,80 (use the railpass for Mittenwald to G-P). The other alternative is a railpass that includes Switzerland. However, Rome to Garmisch-Partenkirchen will not necessarily cost you €160. German Rail sells advance purchase, Europa-Spezial fares from Verona to Munich starting at €39 in 2nd class, and if you book it as Verona to Munich to Ga-P, the fare is the same. According to the Italian Rail site full fare in 2nd class from Rome to Verona is €70. There are five of those Verona to Munich Eurocity trains on which a Europa-Spezial fare is available. One of those trains starts in Bologna. If you can get a low fare for that train, Rome to Bologna fare is €59. Austrian Rail sells tickets on those same ECs from Verona or Bologna to Innsbruck starting at €29, but, as Andre observed, you would still need a P-P ticket from Innsbruck to Ga-P for €15,10 (online from the Bahn) or about the same price from the ticket counter in Innsbruck. Garmisch-Partenkirchen to Frankfurt is a SparPreis ticket available from the Bahn starting at €29, (although realistically, it is a popular route so tickets might already be sold out at that fare). BTW, when looking up these fares on the Bahn website, use "Post/Bahnhof Mittenwald" (there is another Mittenwald in Germany).
Posted by
Tilburg, Netherlands
2829 posts
Lee, I don't think full-fares of Trenitalia (for high-speed services) are realistic for anyone planning to travel more than 2 weeks in advance. It is now very easy to get some discounts there (as they racked up the turn-up-and-go last-minute fare, they also increased discounts and reduced fare ticket quotas).
Posted by
Lakewood, Colorado
19240 posts
I did mention the advance purchase discounts from Italy to anywhere in Germany because that's where the big savings are. I only mentioned full fare on Trenitalia to show that Rome to Germany can be less. I didn't mention to discount fares on Trenitalia because some people have reported difficulty getting them from over here. You, however, are free to quote them if you're sure everyone can get them.