Please help me choose the right Eurail pass

Steve definitely has some good points. I know what you're thinking right now, and I know how overwhelming it can feel to make a decision like this. The time & cost worksheet that Steve mentioned is a good start.

I'd like to add a few things:

1. night trains/faster trains will require seat reservation fees; these can end up being substantial, especially for night trains (though you save the cost of a night's stay at a hostel)

2. I've found point-to-point tickets in some countries to be a great value. I've had especially good luck in Italy. I think purchasing point-to-point tickets tends to be cheaper as you move both south and east.

3. Thought purchasing point-to-point tickets may end up being cheaper, the freedom of being able to hop on any train you want, when you want, (and not having to wait in lines to purchase tickets from counters/machines) may be worth the extra price. Remember, for fast/night trains, you'll need to stand in line anyway, so this added freedom is somewhat limited.

4. Make a decision, stick with it, and don't worry. Your trip sounds amazing, and in the end, spending an extra $200 (on either option) on train tickets probably won't matter when you remember all of the amazing experiences you've had :)

Good luck!

Geoff

I am with Steve about the likely costs. However, passes do bring some simplification and flexibility (at least for routes that do not require reservations).

For me at this stage of the game the value of that is low, but it might be worth it for Anna and others.

Also, second-class passes can be a good deal.

Referencing a discussion over on another thread, "RailEurope" Passes, the Railsaver website is pretty good at determining WHAT pass would be best. Just don't trust it's "pass vs tickets" comparison.

Anna, For the time of year that you are going, a pass would work great for you. There are always trains that don't need reservations if you are not in a hurry. Reservations are not mandatory for all trains on all routes. The convenience of hopping on and off trains is still there for you budget-minded travelers who choose to use a railpass and don't have a strict schedule.

P2P tickets are great, but you can work it so you are paying no more than $40 per day average with routes that you choose! We have done it with railpasses yearly since the early 80's. So it can be done! We uses P2P along with our railpass and saved big bucks! Every traveler and their routes are different so there is no absolute right way. Have a great time. Cheryl

Thank you all for your responses.

I have decided to go with point to point tickets. I think that will work out fine for me. If it turns out that i end up spending a couple of hundred euro more then with the pass then oh well. i'll spend a whole lot more then that on the trip overall lol. thanks all :)

Anna...I would suggest that you start delving into the train trips you're planning to make as far as routings are concerned. The German Rail website is just about the best on-line source available for checking routings for most places across Europe. The vast majority of trains you will encounter in France, Spain, and Italy now require reservations, which come with your point to point ticket purchases....they're usually indicated by a circled "R" on that website. As well, you will be able to determine travel times a little better, and plan accordingly....links from Spain across southern France to Italy, for example, are not terribly convenient.