You can save much money by staying in a little town out side of the big city . Both food and lodging are often much cheaper; and you may find town hotels more welcoming and available . But this plan does take a day off of a select pass. With a car you will save on parking.
Posted by
Gettysburg, PA
1589 posts
" With a car you will save on parking "
And how does this plan work? Do you mean to imply that parking is free in little towns outside of big cities? Why use any car if train or bus service is available?
Posted by
Calgary
2297 posts
Bob,
my experience has been that parking more often than not is indeed cheaper in smaller towns than in larger cities in many European countries.
John did not suggest to take a car instead of a train. But while train travel is the most convenient and affordable mode of travel for many on this board there are cases where a car might work better for you. Especially if you are travelling in a group of more than 2 people and/or prefer to discover the country side (e.g. Normandy or Tuscany hill towns) rather than larger cities.
Posted by
Myrtle Beach, USA
12313 posts
I notice people talking all the time about using a city as a base and taking day trips from there.
John's suggestion is good. As an example rather than stay five days in Florence, renting a car and taking day trips, why not find a place outside of town with decent public transit into town and free parking, more comfortable rooms at a better price and less touristy restaurants. You can make daytrips into the expensive city or out to the country. (Florence has some of the most expensive lodging, horrible traffic, expensive parking and hidden fines if you drive through the wrong part of town accidentally.)
Posted by
Lakewood, Colorado
19232 posts
But this plan does take a day off of a select pass.
I think you mean it USES a day of the select pass. But, unless you are really a long ways out of town, you don't need to use a day of your pass. Point-point tickets will be far less and even in outlying towns you will probably be within the metro district and there will be day tickets for even less than point to point.
When I stay in Munich, I stay in an eastern suburb at a nice place the charges less for a room than I have ever seen for downtown Munich, and an all day ticket for all the transit in the inner two zones of the MVV (S/U-Bahn, buses, and streetcars) is only €6,70. A day of a railpass would only let me use the S-Bahn.