Travel 5 weeks in 4 countries

Others can advise you about Switzerland, but for Italy and Austria you probably should not get any pass. Point to point tickets bought about three months in advance will be much cheaper for travel to Italy and between Rome and Florence. You can rough out the prices by pricing the same trips as if you were taking them three months from now. Ditto to and from Vienna. You don't say where in Germany, but for short trips both Germany and Austria have great deals for regional travel after nine a.m. for two to five people.

The best resource I know of for figuring it out is The Man in Seat 61. Spend a little time on his site.

Nowhere else in Austria?

Where in Germany?

What sorts of things do you like to do? Beer halls? Climb mountains? Ride scenic trains? Ride on boats? See miniature railways? Visit spas? Put your feet up and chill by the lake? Walk in woods? Cross country trek or hike? Go to amusement parks? Sunbathe by the river? Surf on the river? Ride horses? Follow the trail of the Brothers Grimm? See castles? See fake castles that Disney copied? Watch Formula 1? Watch football? White water raft or canoe? Bungy jump or parachute jump? Drive a tank?

There's quite a variety of things to do in Germany (everything I listed can be done in just 2 Laender, and the country spreads before you. You can do many of the same or similar things in Austria and Switzerland, and many in Italy, as well as many others.

More information from you will yield a custom answer - less gets a cookie cutter one.

How many is "we"? Any kids (ages), seniors, or disabled? Any special requirements?

We are two Seniors traveling Germany for ten days. Munich and Bavarian area 4 days, Berlin 3 days, Baden-Baden 2 days, depart from Zurich day 10. Museums, castles, architecture, History, scenery are areas of interest. If possible we would like to overnight in 2-3 places at the most and take day trips to area sights.

A six day Austrian rail pass would cost two American seniors $860 each or $143.00 each per travel day a total of $286 for the two of you per rail day. Point to point saver fairs from Munich to Berlin can be had for as little as 38 euros for BOTH of you if you order them two to three months in advance. For travel within Bavaria, you can both travel all day after nine a.m. any day for 27 Euros. http://www.bahn.com/i/view/GBR/en/prices/germany/laender-ticket.shtml?ref=277984 There are similar passes for every region in Germany and you can buy them on the day you travel. Austria has similar regional travel tickets for two or more people. http://www.oebb.at/en/Tickets/Groups/Einfach-Raus-Ticket/index.jsp So I wouldn't use a Eurail Pass in German or Austria.

From Zurich to Rome can be as little 40 Euros each if you purchase saver fares in advance. http://www.seat61.com/international-trains/trains-from-Switzerland.htm#Switzerland-Italy

Bottom line, if it were me, I wouldn't even consider a Eurail Pass Austria, Germany, or Italy.

I don't know much about Swiss trains so I'll leave that discussion to others.

If I read it right, Germany is at the very end of your journey. Will you take a Railjet straight through from Vienna to Munich?

Is this your first trip to Europe?

It looks like you have to get from Berlin to Baden Baden and from there to Zurich.

A couple of thoughts:=

Is your flight from Zurich late in the afternoon? 2 hours minimum at the airport for intra-European flights and at least 3 for transatlantic. A year from now is a long time and I can't guess if those times will remain or if higher security will mean that they will be longer.

Baden Baden is quite close to Switzerland (Basel - one of my favourite cities) and I wonder if you could visit there from your visit to Switzerland early in your journey. Berlin to Baden Baden is one heck of a long train ride. Have you considered if you visit it with Switzerland you could take an easy inexpensive flight straight to Zurich which would be much shorter?

Munich and Nuremberg are good home bases, as is Berlin. Baden Baden not so much.

Is the reason for the stop in Baden Baden for the town itself, as a base for the Black Forest or the spa? If the latter, do you know of the dozens of similar towns throughout Germany, many of which are much more convenient to your route?

I'm not trying to change your trip, I just want to be able to give you the best answers to your questions, and make sure that you know your options.

A few more questions and comments....

How are you getting from Zürich to Italy? Is the order you mentioned in your post the same as you plan on travelling?

I'll leave the questions on Germany and Austria to others, but as someone mentioned above you don't need a Railpass for Italy (especially with just one trip). Railpasses are rarely a good option for Italy as trains are relatively cheap there, especially if you pre-purchase tickets for the high speed trains. A few important points to note though....

• the high speed trains have compulsory seat reservations, which are specific to train, date and departure time and can only be used on the one train listed on the ticket. If you board the wrong train my mistake, you'll be subject to hefty fines which will be collected on the spot!
• tickets purchased up to 120 days in advance come with considerable savings, if you can get the Super Economy tickets on Trenitalia. Note that the cheapest tickets are non-refundable and non-changeable once purchased.
• for the trip from Rome to Florence, you can use either Trenitalia (the state-run network) or the competing Italo Treno high speed service.
• if you wish to pre-purchase tickets, you can use either the rail network websites or www.capitainetrain.com which handles tickets for both rail systems in Italy.
• one final comment regarding fines.... if you use Regionale trains, Metro or Buses, tickets MUST be validated prior to boarding on the day of travel, or again hefty fines!
• for local touring around Rome, you could use something like the Roma 72 hour ticket, (or one of the others) which is good for all transit within the city. There's also the Roma Pass.

Regarding a Railpass for Switzerland, this will depend to some extent on exactly what touring you plan on doing there, and it will take some number crunching to figure out which is the best pass for your particular situation. You may find it helpful to have a look at https://www.ricksteves.com/travel-tips/transportation/trains/switzerland-rail-passes

I'll address just one point. I don't think you've allotted enough time to Vienna. We were there last year for a week, and we're going back in the spring for an additional four days. The concentration of historic and architectural sights, as well as museums, is unbelievable.
You've given it only one more day than Baden-Baden. Unless spas and casinos are high priorities for you, I would add those two days to Vienna and give B-B a miss.

As someone who was in college during the 60's and 70's watching classmates do the backpack-through-Europe-with-a-cheap-Eurailpass I understand the appeal of getting a rail pass -- but those days are GONE for the most part. Listen to the people suggesting that you price out point-to-point tickets (Switzerland may be the exception because of good deals on expensive trains) Plot out your itinerary, noting the amount of time on trains between locations. And maybe get your hands on "Europe Through the Back Door" at your local library for general tips.
September - October is a GREAT time for travel! ENJOY!

I have traveled the region you're going to many times. I now travel open jaw into one city and out of another for efficiency and low cost. I also prefer to travel in straight lines geographically.
Have you considered flying into Rome and working your way north to Florence and Venice? FYI: Rome's a 4 day minimum city.
You can easily get into the Swiss Rail system going north out of Milan at Lugano a short distance from Lake Como--beautiful places.
Another option would be to spend your time in Germany and then head east from Munich. Last time we visited, we flew out of Vienna--another city worthy of 4 days' time minimum.