Tips and assistance please

Posted by george (Perth, Australia) on 06/16/09 03:06 AM

In September my wife and i are planning to go to Europe, we have been before but circumstances were different,ie hire car, Tour,
This time we would like to visit the UK for 8 days then over to France for 3 days, then we would like to take the train from France to Milan, from here we have local help(friends). our biggest problem is trying to work out the best rail pass to get and if and where we can stop over for a day or two on the trip from France to Milan, we are both over 65 so we would require a private cabin on the train.
could experienced travellers tell us in simple terms the best way to go about this , any pit falls, tips, what to do and what not to do, best place to buy the rail pass,.
It would also be helpfull if we knew what places the train stops at on the way to Milan.

Thank you for reading this and i hope you can help me.
Regards
george

Posted by Peter

Manchester

06/16/09 05:15 AM

497 posts

Is "France"-Milan the only train trip you plan to take?

Where in France do you wish to depart from?

Are you planning to travel by train throughout France in you 3 days there?

Will you travel by train around the UK?

How are you getting from the UK to France? (And from where in the UK to where in France?)

You say you require a private cabin, does this indicate you mean to take a sleeper train to Milan?

All these answers will affect the type of pass you'll need (or if you even need one.) If you only plan to make one train journey then just buying tickets will almost certainly be cheaper than a pass.

Posted by Peter

Manchester

06/16/09 05:22 AM

497 posts

If you input your itinerary at http://railsaver.com/ and select "Only if railpasses save me money." under passenger information the engine will select the best combination of tickets/pass.

Be aware that the site is in the business of selling rail passes and doesn't factor in discount tickets. If the site says a railpass is a bad deal you can be certain it is, if it recommends a pass you may still be better buying tickets (but you'll have to spend a while researching the various train sites to be sure.)

Posted by Paul

Eastern Iowa, USA

06/16/09 05:29 AM

8200 posts

The UK does not participate in the Eurail pass. If you are doing a good amount of travel in the UK, a Britrail pass may be a good deal, some info here: http://www.ricksteves.com/rail/greatbritain.htm If you are only taking a couple of trips, you may be better off just buying point to point tickets. The rail trip from London to France is on the Eurostar, again, not covered in a pass (a slight discount with pass) info here: http://www.ricksteves.com/rail/eurostar.htm As for France, the news is as discouraging regarding passes, it does not appear that you will have enough travel, plus France has hefty reservation fees that make passes a lesser choice. For reference, some info here: http://www.ricksteves.com/rail/france.htm In short, a pass may not be your best option with the exception of the UK. As for stops between France and Milan, you do not indicate a point in France, but if you were to start out in Paris, your options center around a couple routes. First, travel straight through via Overnight Train. If you plan to stop, taking day trains, there is no need or option even I believe, for a private cabin. This map: http://bonjourlafrance.net/france-trains/tgv-lyon-bourgogne-franche-comte/tgv-lyon-schedule-ticket-prices.htm Shows a route through Dijon, Lyon, Avignon, Marseilles, Nice, then onto Italy. There is also a more Northerly route that clips Switzerland. For tickets, the best would be to go to the French National site http://www.voyages-sncf.com/, but it can be confusing. Others on this site may be able to help more.