Rail Europe Pass or buy as we go?

Does not sound, offhand, like a railpass-friendly itinerary, but if you want to be sure you need to cost it out and compare. . . . First vs second class: bigger seats, same train, you decide.

Bob, in order to decide whether a Rail Pass is a better option than P-P tickets, I usually try to get a "ballpark figure" for each of my rail trips and then compare that to the cost of a Railpass. I've found over the past few years that the cost is almost equal, especially as Railpasses don't include the reservation fees on trains where these are compulsory (Pass holders have to pay those separately, "out of pocket"). P-P tickets are less expensive in some countries, so are often a better option than a Railpass, especially as these INCLUDE the compulsory reservatons, where required. If you do decide to go with Railpasses and some form of Flexpass, you will ONLY have the option of buying First Class passes due to your age (I'm in the same situation). You might try researching each of your rail trips using either the www.bahn.de website or the rail sites for each country. This should give you a rough estimate on the costs. Rick provides a map in the front of many of his Guidebooks showing the "rough" cost between major locations in Europe. I went through the same process for my trip this year, and after analyzing all my rail trips, I decided to go with P-P tickets. From what I've observed, Railpasses are NOT the bargain they used to be! Happy travels!

The Renfe website shows discounts for persons 60+ with a "Dorada" card and does not say anything about limitation to EU citizens. From th ewebsite: "If you are 60 years old, make the most of the advantages and convenience of travelling by train and apply for a Dorada Card. This card will entitle you to purchase tickets for any class and train. On Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays you will receive a 40% discount. On Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays the discount will be 25% for tickets that have not been bought in advance and with a reserved seat. The Dorada Card is valid for one year and can be requested at Renfe stations, ticket offices and travel agencies for 5,05 Euros. There is also the option of purchasing the Dorada Card linked to credit and debit cards issued by some banks." From www.renfe.com I would definitely ask about that as it could considerably decrease the cost of your travel in Spain.

You answered your own question. Rail passes are seldom good deals. We have been to Europe 3 times and have always used point-to-point tix. This has worked well for us in France,Italy , Germany,Spain and many other places. Also, it is sometimes better to use buses. Most senior fares are only for EU citizens, tho you might luck out. Not sure what you mean about confusion but 2d class is generally little different from 1st Add Segovia to your Spain itinerary. It is a great place. Fantastic aqueduct in center, fairy-tale castle at one end of town.

You mean a Eurail pass? There is no such thing as a "Rail Europe Pass". RailEurope is a travel agency located in the US, a reseller of Eurail Passes.

To compare, lay out your longest jumps and start to price out the legs using the applicable country train website. Figure just about any 2 or 3 country pass will cost $50 to $70 USD per day. If all of your travel days are less than that, forget it. If some are in the rsnge above that, then maybe. Keep in mind that premium trains incur some extra charges, those can be found here: http://www.ricksteves.com/rail/pdfs/reservations.pdf roughly you can figure 10 to 15 euro per ticket leg, but keep in mind that where fast trains go, a slower, no additional cost, slow train also goes. As for 1st/2nd class...no difference, take the cheaper or what you have to. In the end if a 3-5 day pass for two or three countries covers your most expensive days, using point to point for the cheap days, then a pass may work out.