Eurail Pass and Reservations
Sep 3rd, 2011, 11:37 AM
#1
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Eurail Pass and Reservations
For our travels in Western Europe, our family (of four) is planning to buy a flexi pass for six days for three countries (France-Switzerland-Italy), and we were running into a few specific doubts.
1. Does it matter when we buy the pass, and when? Is it any cheaper on the internet than across a ticket counter? And do prices rise as we get closer to the date, or will they remain fixed?
2. For Italy we understand that there is an extra reservation charge on most trains, especially for the faster ones, even for pass-holders. I vaguely remember reading somewhere (and I might be totally wrong) that there are a limited number of reservations available per train for Eurail Pass holders. Does it hold any truth? Is there any way to make these reservations before entering the country?
1. Does it matter when we buy the pass, and when? Is it any cheaper on the internet than across a ticket counter? And do prices rise as we get closer to the date, or will they remain fixed?
2. For Italy we understand that there is an extra reservation charge on most trains, especially for the faster ones, even for pass-holders. I vaguely remember reading somewhere (and I might be totally wrong) that there are a limited number of reservations available per train for Eurail Pass holders. Does it hold any truth? Is there any way to make these reservations before entering the country?
Sep 3rd, 2011, 11:49 AM
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www.seat61.com excellent info on all this for you.
Personally if you figure your basic pass cost per day
plus all the extra charges even on days you do not train
You will find out that training point to point on
regional trains is 1-2 euros per hour in Italy 2x elsewhere
I was just there in May paid 4.5 euro Rome to Florence for
example. Big surcharges like 20 euros on fast trains
plus reservation charges so I always pass on the pass.
No great cost savings clueless newbies almost always lose $.
Good luck!
Personally if you figure your basic pass cost per day
plus all the extra charges even on days you do not train
You will find out that training point to point on
regional trains is 1-2 euros per hour in Italy 2x elsewhere
I was just there in May paid 4.5 euro Rome to Florence for
example. Big surcharges like 20 euros on fast trains
plus reservation charges so I always pass on the pass.
No great cost savings clueless newbies almost always lose $.
Good luck!
Sep 3rd, 2011, 12:35 PM
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You mean you are afraid of something like this?
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...eservation.cfm
The reservation issue is relevant depending on which route you plan to travel and when. You will get only generalities which might irrelevant to you unless you post where you are planning to go.
So here are generalities:
Switzerland: reservation needed to specific Scenic trains with names, e.g. Golden Pass, Glacier, etc. IC, IR, etc trains don't (usually) need reservation. It is not required.
Italy: Eurostar trains have mandatory reservation requirements and I think it is about 10EU. EC trains into and out of Italy also have mandatory reservation requirements.
France: TGV have mandatory reservation requirements. TGV trains do have passholder quota as noted in the posting above. If your travel plan is firm, SNCF offers deep discount PREM and iDTGV non-refundable fares that Eurail passes cannot approach. I just traveled through France and I did not bother with passes: I used a combination of internet only deep discounted tickets and point-to-point tickets on non TGV routes. The PREM and iDTGV deep discount fares come with the mandatory reservation included so no need to worry about making separate seat reservations.
On TGV trains, prices do go up and also the deep discount fares disappear from the offering as they get snatched up. To get deep discount fares, you need to book about 3months ahead for PREMs and more for iDTGV fares.
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...eservation.cfm
The reservation issue is relevant depending on which route you plan to travel and when. You will get only generalities which might irrelevant to you unless you post where you are planning to go.
So here are generalities:
Switzerland: reservation needed to specific Scenic trains with names, e.g. Golden Pass, Glacier, etc. IC, IR, etc trains don't (usually) need reservation. It is not required.
Italy: Eurostar trains have mandatory reservation requirements and I think it is about 10EU. EC trains into and out of Italy also have mandatory reservation requirements.
France: TGV have mandatory reservation requirements. TGV trains do have passholder quota as noted in the posting above. If your travel plan is firm, SNCF offers deep discount PREM and iDTGV non-refundable fares that Eurail passes cannot approach. I just traveled through France and I did not bother with passes: I used a combination of internet only deep discounted tickets and point-to-point tickets on non TGV routes. The PREM and iDTGV deep discount fares come with the mandatory reservation included so no need to worry about making separate seat reservations.
On TGV trains, prices do go up and also the deep discount fares disappear from the offering as they get snatched up. To get deep discount fares, you need to book about 3months ahead for PREMs and more for iDTGV fares.
Sep 3rd, 2011, 12:53 PM
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Qwovadis - just curious where you find the fares in Italy for 1-2 euros per hour. I am travleing Milan to Florence on 10/7 and the cheapest fare I could find was a Mini and it was 48 euro, the travel time is less than 2 hours. I'm also planning to train from FLorence to Venice, which is 2 hours and the Mini fare is 30 euros. Or can you only get the 2 euro per hour fares in the train station on the day of travel? Thanks!
Sep 3rd, 2011, 01:24 PM
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Rail passes are fixed price for the year unless there is a major change in the euro exchange rate. Prices are normally the same from vendor to vendor but some sellers throw in a perk or two.
When seat reservations are required you must have the reservation before you board. Reservations are normally €3 at stations but are much higher from ex-Europe vendors.
For an illustrated introduction to European trains see http://tinyurl.com/eym5b. For schedules and train details see http://tinyurl.com/c9jp54.
When seat reservations are required you must have the reservation before you board. Reservations are normally €3 at stations but are much higher from ex-Europe vendors.
For an illustrated introduction to European trains see http://tinyurl.com/eym5b. For schedules and train details see http://tinyurl.com/c9jp54.
Sep 3rd, 2011, 05:18 PM
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cls2paris - qwovadis is talking about regional trains, not the fast trains. I didn't see any regional trains that traveled the routes you're taking so you won't be able to get the ultra cheap fares.
Sep 3rd, 2011, 10:56 PM
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Thank you so much for all the help. It's been invaluable, and led us to majorly reconsider investing in a Eurail Pass.
I figured providing a day-to-day itinerary will enable everyone to help us better plan how to go about this. We're a family of four (including two of us in the 16-25 age bracket) We will be traveling across Western Europe for about a fortnight this October, and this is what the itin looks like:
30th September - 4th October: London
4th - 7th October: Paris
7th: Paris – Geneva (point-to-point?)
8th – 12th: Switzerland (Swiss Pass?)
12th: Geneva – Turin (point-to-point?)
13th: Turin – Rome (point-to-point?)
13th – 16th: Rome
16th: Rome – Milan (point-to-point?)
16th night: Fly to India
Within Switzerland, we will be based in Geneva and will be traveling mostly on day-trip across the country, which is why the Swiss Pass must make sense on some level. Plus, we'd like some flexibility there. Here's what we're thinking of doing while there:
7th: Montreaux (day trip)
8th: Zermatt (day trip)
9th: Lucerne/Lauterbrunnen – spend the night
10th: Return to Geneva
11th: Spend day in city – CERN / UN headquarters / hike along the lake etc.
Does it then make sense to invest in a Swiss Pass for 7th – 10th? And does a Swiss Pass cover tram travel in cities, boats, cable- cars etc?
For the rest, here are some questions:
1. To avail youth discounts, are all IDs issued by educational institutions accepted? Is it worthwhile buying the International Student Exchange Card available online(http://www.isecard.com/)?
2. I am unable to figure out how to calculate fares for the trains between Paris - Geneva, and Geneva – Turin from any of the official rail pages. Any help?
3. Does it make more sense to fly any of these? Rome – Milan, for example? The cheaper flights have very stringent baggage limits, which is why we are so wary. But if we manage to pack light (and have only carry-ons) for the entire trip, does it make sense to fly RyanAir or EasyJet?
4. For the point-to-point tickets, I'm still not completely clear where to pick them up. The Italian and Swiss rail acceot eTickets? What about the Paris – Geneva route? Do we pick them up from specific locations in Paris itself?
I figured providing a day-to-day itinerary will enable everyone to help us better plan how to go about this. We're a family of four (including two of us in the 16-25 age bracket) We will be traveling across Western Europe for about a fortnight this October, and this is what the itin looks like:
30th September - 4th October: London
4th - 7th October: Paris
7th: Paris – Geneva (point-to-point?)
8th – 12th: Switzerland (Swiss Pass?)
12th: Geneva – Turin (point-to-point?)
13th: Turin – Rome (point-to-point?)
13th – 16th: Rome
16th: Rome – Milan (point-to-point?)
16th night: Fly to India
Within Switzerland, we will be based in Geneva and will be traveling mostly on day-trip across the country, which is why the Swiss Pass must make sense on some level. Plus, we'd like some flexibility there. Here's what we're thinking of doing while there:
7th: Montreaux (day trip)
8th: Zermatt (day trip)
9th: Lucerne/Lauterbrunnen – spend the night
10th: Return to Geneva
11th: Spend day in city – CERN / UN headquarters / hike along the lake etc.
Does it then make sense to invest in a Swiss Pass for 7th – 10th? And does a Swiss Pass cover tram travel in cities, boats, cable- cars etc?
For the rest, here are some questions:
1. To avail youth discounts, are all IDs issued by educational institutions accepted? Is it worthwhile buying the International Student Exchange Card available online(http://www.isecard.com/)?
2. I am unable to figure out how to calculate fares for the trains between Paris - Geneva, and Geneva – Turin from any of the official rail pages. Any help?
3. Does it make more sense to fly any of these? Rome – Milan, for example? The cheaper flights have very stringent baggage limits, which is why we are so wary. But if we manage to pack light (and have only carry-ons) for the entire trip, does it make sense to fly RyanAir or EasyJet?
4. For the point-to-point tickets, I'm still not completely clear where to pick them up. The Italian and Swiss rail acceot eTickets? What about the Paris – Geneva route? Do we pick them up from specific locations in Paris itself?
Sep 4th, 2011, 10:14 AM
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<i>What about the Paris – Geneva route? Do we pick them up from specific locations in Paris itself?</i>
A ticket booked through one of the French rail sites (listed below) may be picked up any time at any train station or SNCF Boutique:
www.voyages-sncf.com
www.tgv-europe.com
www.idtgv.com
If you are lucky enough to find deeply discounted tickets which are non transferable and non refundable, (PREM or iDTGV tickets) you may print these out on your home computer.
A ticket booked through one of the French rail sites (listed below) may be picked up any time at any train station or SNCF Boutique:
www.voyages-sncf.com
www.tgv-europe.com
www.idtgv.com
If you are lucky enough to find deeply discounted tickets which are non transferable and non refundable, (PREM or iDTGV tickets) you may print these out on your home computer.
Sep 5th, 2011, 01:11 AM
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Since you are doing this trip in October, which is only a month away, I suggest you book the point to point tickets NOW, otherwise you won't be getting the cheaper fares.
I have looked up some of the prices on various sites:
Paris to Geneva, for 7th Oct, for 08:09 departure, there are still fares at €36 from www.tgv-europe.com
For Geneva to Turin, I would suggest changing it to Geneva to Milano Centrale, because you can get some direct trains at 23CHF from www.sbb.ch. Assuming, of course, that you can fly back from Rome instead of Milan
I have looked up some of the prices on various sites:
Paris to Geneva, for 7th Oct, for 08:09 departure, there are still fares at €36 from www.tgv-europe.com
For Geneva to Turin, I would suggest changing it to Geneva to Milano Centrale, because you can get some direct trains at 23CHF from www.sbb.ch. Assuming, of course, that you can fly back from Rome instead of Milan
Sep 5th, 2011, 01:56 AM
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Swisspass can benefit you, but again it depends on your usage model.
Swisspass is quite pricey, but so are the point-to-point tickets. I just spent 4 days in Switzerland with a 4 day consecutive saverpass for 2, but I matched the itinerary to benefit from the pass. The Swisspass is very comprehensive and includes museum admissions, boat rides, city transits, and discounts on high altitude transportation. Here is the map of transport valid with the Swisspass which you get when you buy a pass:
http://www.swisstravelsystem.ch/file...S-07-GZD01.pdf
Note that the Geneve, Luzern, and Montreux city transit is covered because they have "target" marks which are "free travel on urban transport." The map has two types of non-solid lines: dots line Zermatt-Unterrothorn which are discounts only with the Swisspass. There are also dashes like Spiez-Visp, which actually denote long tunnels and are covered by the Swisspass.
For city transit usage, at least the cities I used on, I just hopped on the city transits with the validated pass after talking to the driver if that was how it worked. For boats I showed the pass as I boarded the boats, however, I always check at the ticket office if I needed to obtain a no cost ticket to board the boat. For museums, I was always given a no cost ticket by showing the pass. The included museum list was extensive, so I got lazy and I just asked if I could use the Swisspass and let the ticket window person tell me if I had to pay...
Geneve is usually not a city of choice to get based in for posters in this forum. However, you might have a specific affinity to large cities than mountain villages -- the reason many people visit Switzerland. Two destinations you noted: Lauterbrunnen, the Berner Oberland and Zermatt are very weather dependent especially Zermatt. This means there may not be interesting thing to do if it is raining or the mountains are covered in clouds. Then what are you going to do? I managed this issue by having options and based myself at a place to allow me to have options: Zermatt as a day trip if the weather was good, Luzern otherwise.
Swisspass is quite pricey, but so are the point-to-point tickets. I just spent 4 days in Switzerland with a 4 day consecutive saverpass for 2, but I matched the itinerary to benefit from the pass. The Swisspass is very comprehensive and includes museum admissions, boat rides, city transits, and discounts on high altitude transportation. Here is the map of transport valid with the Swisspass which you get when you buy a pass:
http://www.swisstravelsystem.ch/file...S-07-GZD01.pdf
Note that the Geneve, Luzern, and Montreux city transit is covered because they have "target" marks which are "free travel on urban transport." The map has two types of non-solid lines: dots line Zermatt-Unterrothorn which are discounts only with the Swisspass. There are also dashes like Spiez-Visp, which actually denote long tunnels and are covered by the Swisspass.
For city transit usage, at least the cities I used on, I just hopped on the city transits with the validated pass after talking to the driver if that was how it worked. For boats I showed the pass as I boarded the boats, however, I always check at the ticket office if I needed to obtain a no cost ticket to board the boat. For museums, I was always given a no cost ticket by showing the pass. The included museum list was extensive, so I got lazy and I just asked if I could use the Swisspass and let the ticket window person tell me if I had to pay...
Geneve is usually not a city of choice to get based in for posters in this forum. However, you might have a specific affinity to large cities than mountain villages -- the reason many people visit Switzerland. Two destinations you noted: Lauterbrunnen, the Berner Oberland and Zermatt are very weather dependent especially Zermatt. This means there may not be interesting thing to do if it is raining or the mountains are covered in clouds. Then what are you going to do? I managed this issue by having options and based myself at a place to allow me to have options: Zermatt as a day trip if the weather was good, Luzern otherwise.
Sep 5th, 2011, 06:26 AM
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Hi AS,
>this is what the itin looks like:...<
May I suggest that you are making the usual newbie mistake - jamming as much into a short trip as possible? This reads like a tour.
You would be very happy - especially with 2 kids - if you visited London, Paris and Rome.
In addition, Switzerland is quite expensive compared to the other countries.
30 Sept -- 16 Oct gives you 16 nights
5 nights in London with 1-2 side trips
Take the www.eurostar.com to Paris
6 nights in Paris with 1 side trip
See www.voyages-sncf.com for a 4 person berth should you wish to go overnight
5 nights in Rome with 1-2 side trips
I strongly urge you to save your marriage and the love and respect of your children.
Enjoy your visit.
>this is what the itin looks like:...<
May I suggest that you are making the usual newbie mistake - jamming as much into a short trip as possible? This reads like a tour.
You would be very happy - especially with 2 kids - if you visited London, Paris and Rome.
In addition, Switzerland is quite expensive compared to the other countries.
30 Sept -- 16 Oct gives you 16 nights
5 nights in London with 1-2 side trips
Take the www.eurostar.com to Paris
6 nights in Paris with 1 side trip
See www.voyages-sncf.com for a 4 person berth should you wish to go overnight
5 nights in Rome with 1-2 side trips
I strongly urge you to save your marriage and the love and respect of your children.
Enjoy your visit.
Sep 5th, 2011, 06:28 AM
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Yes, I'm wondering why Geneva, not my favorite place in Switzerland, though Montreux and Vevey on the other side of Lake Leman are nice. I'd base in Lucerne, having taken the train from Paris to Zurich.
Bern is another possible daytrip if the weather doesn't cooperate. You are taking a bit of a chance weatherwise in October.
The Swiss Pass, though pricy, covers the Swiss postal buses as well as boats and trains. Many of the mountain excursion trains are privately owned but usually you get a discount with the Pass. So we concluded it's worth the cost (after 2 spreadsheets of calculations). The buses up into the mountains are fun to ride. Some people make a whole vacation trip of that alone.
Bern is another possible daytrip if the weather doesn't cooperate. You are taking a bit of a chance weatherwise in October.
The Swiss Pass, though pricy, covers the Swiss postal buses as well as boats and trains. Many of the mountain excursion trains are privately owned but usually you get a discount with the Pass. So we concluded it's worth the cost (after 2 spreadsheets of calculations). The buses up into the mountains are fun to ride. Some people make a whole vacation trip of that alone.
