Hi All, I will be traveilng through Europe next month with my boyfriend and haven't been able to figure out if it is cheaper to but a eurail saver pass or all point-to-point tickets. Below is a list in order of places we will be traveling. Florence to Monterosso Monterosso to Rome Rome to Venice Venice to Tremezzo Tremezzo to Milan Milan to Lauterbrunnen
Lauterbrunnen to Amsterdam I know the pass covers intercity travel. Do I have to eache every day I will be using the intercity travel in my pass or just from city to city? I would need a four country pass since we go through Germany to Amsterdam. I just didn't know which is most cost effective since I believe we still have to pay a fee for some of the trips that we have to reserve a seat (ie Lauterbrunnen to Amsterdam and Milan to Lauterbrunnen.) Please help!
Posted by
Vernon, Canada
32212 posts
Amanda, Given the fact that a lot of your trips will be in Italy, I really doubt that a Railpass will save you any money. The Regionale trains are relatively cheap, and keep in mind that you'll have to pay the compulsory reservation fees for the "premium" trains, as those are NOT included with a Railpass. If you use P-P tickets, reservation fees are included. DO NOT be caught on a train in Italy without a valid reservation, as you'll be fined on the spot and it won't be cheap! The same applies if you don't validate your ticket on a Regionale train! You might find it helpful to have a look at the excellent Ron In Rome website, as there's a LOT of good information there on rail travel in Italy. If you pre-purchase tickets by midnight at least 48-hours prior to travel, you may be able to get the "Mini" fares. As you'll be travelling next month, have you pre-booked your accommodations in Monterosso? It would be a REALLY good idea! Happy travels!
Posted by
Stuttgart, Germany
3049 posts
It makes no financial sense to buy a Eurail pass in your case, as you pay a hefty price for additional countries, so just passing through won't save you money. The times the Eurail passes make sense is when people are doing almost exclusively long haul trips in high speed trains between countries, in my experience.
Posted by
Windsor, Ontario, Canada
4049 posts
Use www.bahn.com to calculate the point-to-point fares yourself. It is the best source of European timetables although it won't sell all the tickets.
Also, perhaps you can clarify "Do I have to eache every day"