Multi or P2P

Hi Derrick,

Are any of these trains night trains?

To answer your first question, yes you would need a 4-country pass. Alternatively, you could have a three-country pass, but you would be charged by the conductor for the duration of travel that is not covered by your pass regardless of whether or not you get off the train.

You said the "pass" from Prague to Munich was over 200 Euros... do you mean the ticket for that duration was quoted as over 200 Euros? If so, I can only presume that there is a night train of some kind involved in there.

The best thing to do is price out the cost of point-to-point tickets, which you can then compare to the cost of the overall pass. To price it out, you would need to take a look at the website for the country from which the train originates.

German trains: Deutsche Bahn

Italy: Italian trains

Unfortunately, I do not know how to get Czech trains priced out accurately, so instead I am going to go with Rail Europe. They charge more than you would pay in the Czech Republic as they markup the tickets, but at least it gives you an idea of the max price. Just to check, I looked at a price for a ticket from Prague to Munich and I got one at $125 Canadian. The only train I found that went through Salzburg involves a switch of trains and the second one is a night train, which could explain why the ticket would be more expensive... but still at that price you were quoted it sounds like a private compartment. Of course, Rail Europe does not show all available trains so you may have seen something that I am not.

I'm trying to avoid night trains if possible and just take managable sized trips from city to city.

Thanks for the info! I found the reason the price was so high was because it was for both tickets, ooops! So your price of 122 CAN seems about right.

How much concern should I have about trains being full if I book P2P the day of or day before? I like the idea of being able to go wherever on a moments notice, problem is, I will be there during Oktoberfest. Well, thats not really a problem :) but could affect my choice if trains get full.

Okay, so here is the break down in price, and it has led to another question. The price is in US and for 2 people. I got the rates off the IT & German train sites

PRG - MUN = 170

MUM - MITT = 60

MITT - INSB = 60

Total NO IT = 290

INSB - VEN = 225

VEN - FLO = 60

FLO - POS = 279

POS - NAP = 60

Total IT = 620

Grand Total = 910

So I would save about $100 with the 4 country 6 day multi pass. But would the cost of the "seat reservations" i have to make for the IT trains overide that $100?

Also, does the price typically rise and the date gets closer or do they drop if they are not full? I'm starting to think the multi pass is not worth the hype as it wont end up saving me that much $ and I still have to make seat reservations anyway.

Derrick, a couple of things you need to consider in evaluating a railpass for Italy. 1) From Naples to Positano, you will be on either a ferry or a private train to Sorrento and a SITA bus to Positano. None of these public conveyances accept the Eurail pass. 2) Your fare prices for Italy are way too high. Using Trenitalia.com, the fare from Venice/Florence is $50 using current conversion rates. The fare from Florence to Naples is $90. Trenitalia doesn't go to Positano. The Circumvesuviana train to Sorrento from Naples costs $4.50. The SITA bus to Positano is about $7.00. That's just over $100. You're showing $279. To get back to Naples from Positano will cost about $12. You're showing $60. 3) Italy charges Eural pass holders a seat reservation fee to ride the Eurostars. The fee is $28 for the ES-Alta Velocita train which you would most likely ride from Venice to Florence and from Florence to Naples. Add $56 to the price of your railpass.

You don't need a railpass for your travels in Italy.

Well P2P it is then. I think the price difference might have been 1rst to 2nd class?

Is there any problems with looking up the schedule online and just purchasing tickets at the station?

Derrick, the best thing to do is arrange your travel schedule in advance. This means listing your date, departure city, arrival city, train number and time of travel. It gives you such a leg up when going into a train station as you can hand it to the ticket agent or use the electronic ticket machine.

To answer your question, each station has a Partenza (Departure) schedule. These are usually large paper schedules behind glass in the larger stations and smaller schedules in the smaller stations. These Partenza schedules are listed by hour during the 24-hour day and show every train departing that particular train station. Further, following each train listed is a complete list of every stop the train makes. It's really quite a bit of information. CLICK HERE to see our web friend Ron in Rome's description on riding the trains in Italy. Scroll down a bit and you will see a picture of the Departure (Partenza) schedule.

The only problems for that might be with trains to/from Munich as you said it is during Octoberfest. I have not traveled in Munich at that time so I am not sure, but everywhere else will not be an issue to just buy before you hop on.

Well, you finally admitted to two rather than one person.

I don't think you need a railpass.

Prague to Munich: There are three, 6 hour, direct or one change train connections daily from Prague to Munich. If you purchase a Bayern-Böhmen-Ticket online from DB before you leave, for €33, two of you can travel from Plzen to Munich on one of these trains. A Czech Rail ticket from Prague to Plzen is about €5 per person.

Munich to Mittenwald: You can do this trip with a €28 Bayern-Ticket for both of you. The Bayern-Ticket is only valid on regional trains, but that is all that goes from Munich to Mittenwald, anyway.

So the total for Germany is €10 + €33 + €28 = €71 (about $100, not $290 (at today's exch. rate). That doesn't include to Innsbruck, since it will be included in the Mittenwald to Venice fare.

Mittenwald to Venice: The fastest way to do this trip would be to go to Innsbruck and catch the EC to Venice. However, if you ticket it as Mittenwald to Venice via Munich, you can get a much better price. DB sells online a Europa-Spezial-Italien ticket for as low as €53 pP, with reservations. I checked a day in mid July, and these popular tickets were sold out for €53, but there were still tickes available at €63. The Europa-Spezial ticket would include Mittenwald to Munich by a regional train as well as Munich to Venice by EC.

The total for Mittenwald to Venice would be €53 x 2 = €106 ($150), or maybe €63 x 2 = €126 ($178, not $225 + $60)

As for your travel in Italy, someone else can advise you better, but most knowledgeable people say that even the relatively "cheap" Italian Rail pass is not worth it.