can someone confirm please?
if i buy a point to point ticket (for example on Rail Europe.com) it includes a seat reservation.
on the other hand, after i have purchased a Eurail Pass, i still have to make and pay for reservations (for most train rides over 3 hours it seems).
for example, a ticket Amsterdam - Chartres was $173.
using a pass it would be $53 (due to the reservation).
Is this correct???
if so it seems that even after purchasing a $500 (3 country pass) i am still looking t lots of reservations fees.
Posted by
Portlandia
3313 posts
Yep. That's why it's a good idea to use the "Railpasses" tab above and check to see if buying one is really to your advantage.
Posted by
Lakewood, Colorado
19092 posts
It is true that with a railpass some trains still require reservations. However:
The term reservation is not always technically correct. Some "premium" trains, usually the fastest ones, such as Thalys, TGV, Italian EuroStar, require a supplement, or extra charge. With this supplement, you get a reservation, hence the term, but the extra cost is for more than just reserving a seat.
On a lot of trains, such as most ICEs in Germany, a reservations might be a good idea, but it is not mandatory.
Only a few trains, mostly night trains, need to be reserved far in advance.
Rail Europe is not the best place to get either point-point tickets, or reservations. Both of these are less expensive when you get them in Europe.
Posted by
Minneapolis, MN, USA
8700 posts
With a railpass, the cost of supplements for seat reservations on trains that require them and for sleeping accommodations on night trains varies widely. The cost of point-to-point tickets can vary just as widely, depending upon the type of train (high speed or regional) and whether you buy a last-minute ticket or book a discount fare ticket online well in advance.
I'll illustrate this using your Amsterdam-Chartres route. Thalys trains, like those for Amsterdam-Paris, require seat reservations. The passholder fare for traveling 2nd class is $50 US if you make that reservation through Rail Europe. It is €13 if you make it at the station in Amsterdam. You will travel on a regional train for Paris-Chartres. No reservations are possible and with a pass you will pay nothing extra.
The walk-up Hi-Life 2nd class fare for Amsterdam-Paris is €110. Depending upon how far in advance you book and how many seats are available, you can get Optiway fares of €94, €83, €66, or €55 at www.thalys.com. If you book as far in advance as possible (up to 90 days allowed), you can get Smoove fares of €36 or €25. The fare on a Paris-Chartres regional train will be the same no matter when you buy it. Currently it is €13.
So if you book your Thalys ticket far enough in advance, you can travel Amsterdam-Paris for €25. Add the €13 for Paris-Chartres and the whole trip will cost you only €38.
Posted by
OP
Sproat Lake, Canada
7 posts
thanks guys! so it would seem to me that point to point tickets are the way to go.
currently our train rides include:
1. amsterdam - paris
2. paris - chartres (3 to 4 return trips)
3. chartres - Bordeaux
4. Bordeaux - Perpignan
5. Perpignan - Florence (overnight train)
6. Florence - Pisa (return trip)
7. Florence - Venice (return trip)
8. Florence - Rome
Posted by
Minneapolis, MN, USA
8700 posts
Yes, if you book discount fares in advance, p2p tickets will definitely be the way to go. For Chartres-Bordeaux you can get a PREM'S fare for the Paris-Bordeaux leg. You can get a PREM'S fare for Bordeaux-Perpignan. If you can't handle the French on www.voyages-sncf.com, book on www.tgv-europe.com. To keep everything in English and avoid being bumped to the Rail Europe site which doesn't offer discount fares, choose Great Britain as your country of residence and as the country in which you will retrieve your tickets. Don't worry. You can pick up your tickets at any SNCF station in France.
Most discount fares are non-exchangeable and non-refundable so don't book them unless you can commit to a specific travel date and departure time.
I found two possible night train routes for Perpignan-Firenze, both requiring connections. Which one do you want to take?
In Italy, Amica fares (20% discount) are offered on many fast trains (but not on regional trains). If any of the allotted seats are still available, you can get Amica fares up until midnight of the day before departure. Check timetables and fares on the Trenitalia site. See the Amica fares link on the home page.
Posted by
Minneapolis, MN, USA
8700 posts
Adding to my previous post. While I prefer trains to planes, I suggest you consider getting from Perpignan to Firenze by taking the Frogbus directly from the Perpignan train station to the Girona airport, flying Ryanair from Girona to Pisa, and taking a train directly from the Pisa airport to Firenze. The Ryanair site lists the airport as Barcelona (Girona).
Like all European budget airlines, Ryanair has luggage size and weight limits and a strict check-in deadline policy. If you don't have a boarding pass in hand when the deadline arrives, your ticket will be worthless and you'll have to buy one for a later flight at full fare. Book ASAP to get the cheapest fare.