Hi my family of 4 (2 adults, one 18 yr student and one 20 yr student) will be traveling from Paris to Strasbourg, day trips to Colmar and the that region, on to Nuremberg and some day trips around there. Then back to Paris. On to Angers and the Loire Valley. We are arriving December 19th and will head back to the States on January 5th.
Would it better to get some sort of rail pass. Please describe what it is, where to get it and what issues, limitations or problems I should be aware of before purchasing.
Thank you!
Posted by
Chicago
8165 posts
There is a France German rail pass but I do not think you need it. You have to add up the costs point to point tickets to see if it is more or less than a pass.
You can read what it is, where to get it and what issues, limitations or problems on this site:
https://www.seat61.com/Railpass-and-Eurail-pass-guide.htm
Posted by
Nederland, CO
1530 posts
Unlike most on this forum I like rail passes for the flexibility they offer. Having said that however - I'm guessing in your case it's probably not the best option as I believe many of your journeys in France would require expensive reservations. The best way to figure that out is on the DB website - https://www.bahn.com/en/view/index.shtml
Are you aware that you can buy railpasses from this website? Through the shop online tab? They do give some help / explanation, but the man in seat 61 link that the previous poster gave gives a much more thorough explanation.
Posted by
Boston
4132 posts
It is possible that a second class France Saverpass would save you money (which gives you a discount for traveling together). That is the only one I would consider.
However, the big problem with rail passes that you should know about is that it can be impossible to get reservations to use them on the TGV trains. Reservations are required on these trains, and the number of reservations available for passholders is limited.
I seems to me that you would want to take the TGV between Paris and Strasbourg, and that is most of your travel. The distance is short enough that you could take a regular train from Paris to the Loire.
Of course, the need for reservations on the TGV also kills one of the features of the rail pass, which is flexibility. But if you can solve the reservation problem a saverpass might save you money.
Posted by
Rick Steves' Europe
16895 posts
The two-country pass options fall under the name Select Pass. They're currently available for 20% off the regular price, using the special link, so that a pass for 6 travel days in France and Germany costs $279 per adult in 2nd class, or 8 days for $324, or 10 days for $364. You could use the pass for just the longest travel days, but as you see, extra days are relatively cheap. The two youths pay slightly less in each case.
Seat reservations for the TGVs in your plan are not particularly expensive - usually $13 per person but can go to $26 as seats start to sell out. To be sure of getting them, it would be best to book at least the two longest rides at the same time that you buy the pass. (Add as many items as you like to the shopping cart before checking out.)
Without the pass, ticket prices available to book now from Paris to Strasbourg before Christmas run from about $90 to $140 and the cheaper tickets will be the next to sell out. I think the Select Pass will end up being a better value for this trip.