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OK.....I'm overwhelmed thinking about whether to go with a rail pass

Posted by (Seattle) on

I thought I had this all figured out and the Eurail Select Pass was the way to go; until I realized all the additional costs that go along with the pass. Now I'm starting to wonder whether ptp tickets may be the way to go. Our itinerary will be as follows:

Haarlem to Bruges - Bruges to Paris - Paris to Venice(by overnight train) - Venice to Rome - Rome to Athens (via ferry from Bari; although considering flying as well)

We have our dates fairly well established for the first three legs of the trip (Haarlem, Bruges and Paris first 11 days) but are flexible on dates for the last legs of the trip. Any enlightenment from you seasoned Europe travelers on pass vs. ptp would be much appreciated. This will be the first Europe trip for our family of four this summer.

Thanks in advance!

Posted by
7916 posts

Well, a few observations, first, if you were planning on using the pass for the Ferry leg to Athens, That is probably two days worth, with probably an upcharge for a premium train in Italy and if you want any comfort on the ferry (sleep?) then a hefty adder for a bunk or a room. I would consider flying (via Aegean Air) from Rome to Athens, probably for about the same cost as two pass days, and much, much shorter time. That leaves 4 segments, You can do Haarlem to Bruge with no added fees. Bruges to Paris is hard to do without a premium train, so an adder there. Paris to venice, again extra cost and early reservations needed, price it out and make sure you meet the rule that makes the journey one pass day not two (leaving after a certain hour...forget now the time) Venice to Rome is a toss up...booking ahead, with a family rate, I get about $50 a person...a pass day might be less, but might have to pay a Res. Fee or additional charge. So yeah, it gets confusing, but break each segment down, price both ways, look at cutting days out if that segment doesn't make sense. Keep in mind that as a family you can get discount rates, buying early saves, and price out flying if that makes sense.

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