Train travel: Switzerland into Italy

Without doing the homework that you should do, I would assume that p2p tickets will be the cheapest way to go especially if you take advantage of the early purchase discounts. However, those discounts do lock you into a set schedules and should you miss one of those trains the is no good. At one time a rail pass was a no brainer but not today. You have to do the math.

Robin, As this is the first time to Europe for all of your group, I'd highly recommend reading Europe Through The Back Door prior to departure (if possible). The book has some excellent information on "how" to travel in Europe, and the differences you'll find there. Be sure to check the "Rail skills" section carefully. The Switzerland and Italy Guidebooks would be good to pack along, as they have information on touring, transportation, etc. (note that many books are now easily downloadable in E-book format). You may find it helpful to download the free PDF Rail Guide from this website. Click the "Railpasses" tab at the top of this page and then look in the lower right corner for the link. For rail travel in Italy, you may also want to have a look at www.roninrome.com as there's lots of info there on rail travel in Italy. As the previous reply mentioned, it's not always the most cost effective to use Railpasses. You'll have to compare the cost with P-P tickets. One point to note is that Railpasses DO NOT include reservations, which are compulsory on some trains. If you're caught without a valid reservation on a train in Italy, you'll be fined on the spot and it won't be cheap! Given that most of your rail trips will be in Italy, using P-P tickets is probably the best method. I often buy tickets for the outgoing journey when I arrive in each location, which is usually a day or two before I'll be travelling. Using that method may allow you to qualify for the "Mini" fares, whic are considerably cheaper. For travel in August, I hope you have all your Hotels booked! Happy travels!

Thank you Frank and Ken for the suggestions. I will certainly do the math (comparisons) prior to our trip! Robin

Robin, to plan your train trips, use this website: http://bahn.hafas.de/bin/query.exe/en After inputting your departure and arrival cities and the approximate time, you will get a schedule of trains. On the right, if there is an R in a circle, this means you have to have a seat reservation for this train. When you purchase your ticket, you will automatically be assigned a seat. On the far left of the train schedule, you will see an arrow. When you click on this arrow you will find out more info about this train; i.e., train changes and where. If you click on "show intermediate stops" you will get a complete schedule for this train; i.e., how many stops this train makes and where. I like to print this schedule off and take it with me. I then know what stops are before the one I want to get off on. I will also print off several different schedules for different times. You never know when you will leave. I will also take this schedule to purchase my tickets. If I purchase my ticket from an attendant, I just point to the train I want to take. My Italian is non-existent. Looking at your schedule, it looks like you only have one day at each destination. Look at these train schedules very carefully. When finalizing your itinerary, take into account travelling to and from the city and then finding your way around the city to your hotel. Make sure you can fit in what you want to see in each city. Are you flying out of Florence? Have a great first trip in Europe.