Trains- rail pass?

A quick check on raileurope just to compare prices.

Munich - Venice $50-136 SC to $204FC
Rome - Siena (just for approx cost $43 SC to $63 FC
Genova - Paris $129-$189 Sc to $155-$240 FC.

SC=second class
FC=First class
Range is for restricted/unrestricted tickets. Quick look only. I just picked a day in February.

You may be able to get better prices.
3 country pass $471 FC

Note the pass does not include reservation fee. Note there could be significant discounts on individual tickets even with FC.

Just to jump in - I purchased a German Railpass. The specials were available at a lower price for some segments, many are now gone as we get closer to our trip. The railpass has no time use restrictions. The specials could only be used during certain days and hours.

I guess that my best advice to really make sure that you do not want to stay somewhere on the spur of the moment. That may cost you in unused rail money for that time. I bought the pass for less days than I am there and will mix and match.

On a Eurail pass, I have heard that reservations or even using the pass without reservations is getting limited to so many passes allowed on one train. How that works, I do not know (once you are on the train?). I was talking to someone about reservations when they mentioned that. Germany was not an issue, I believe it was France. Probably all of this is in another post here somewhere :)

RailEurope's fares are inflated. Check fares at www.bahn.de and www.trenitalia.com/en/index.html.

Booked well in advance at www.bahn.de, you can get SparNight fares of 49€ for a bunk in a six-person couchette and 59€ for a bunk in a four-person couchette on the direct Munich-Venice night train. You can get a Europa-Spezial Italien fare of 39€ on one of the day routes.

Rome-Vernazza: 34.70€.

Genova-Milano-Paris: Smart Price 2 fare of €41.70.

Paris-Munich: SparNight fares of 39€ and 49€ on the night train and a Europa-Spezial Frankreich fare of 39€ on a direct day route if booked well in advance at www.bahn.de.

Of course raileurope charges too much and I have generally stated that. But since their sight is easy to navigate, puts prices in dollars so one can estimate prices w/o conversion and prices shown are higher than what you pay elsewhere (thus making your actual price cheaper even if the dollar drops some), it is a good guide to worst case pricing.

For estimating railpass vs point to point, it is an excellent guide. After all, if the price is about the same, then there is not a lot of difference between pass and ptp. If there is a big difference, it is quick to find out.

Lacey, we are struggling with a similar scenario. One thing to check is Air Berlin Paris-Munich. Depending on your dates they have one way flights out of Paris Orly for as low $29E inclusive. That is MUCH cheaper than the rail point to point though if you have a pass maybe you'd want to do the train anyway. How are you planning to get from Venice to Florence? When are you travelling, do you have kids with you? All these are questions that can make a difference when costing it all out.

Whatever you do about the train: fly home from Paris, since that is the end of your trip, and save a day and some money.

Tim-

When I had looked before on those websites with the special prices- smart price, flexi etc. Are those prices for everyone? Thank you for the break down that was really helpful:)

In Tuscany/Florence area we are renting a car. We have checked out Air Berlin from Paris to Munich and it is an option. Although I am not a big fan of flying...