Eurail passes
#1
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Eurail passes
Planning a trip for three weeks to Italy, flying into Rome for a week, then traveling down to Sorrento with a few side trips to Naples, then over to Venice for a couple of days then off to Florence. Then we have booked a tour from there which they will take us to Siena for a few days and from there a train to Cinque Terre and then finally back to Rome. Just a little confused about the train system & which tickets to purchase , is it better to buy while there? Or before I leave the States?
Also: if I purchased the selectpass 6 days for 2 months .would this be sufficient enough to get me to the above without requiring more tickets?
Thanks for any help I can get.
Also: if I purchased the selectpass 6 days for 2 months .would this be sufficient enough to get me to the above without requiring more tickets?
Thanks for any help I can get.
#2
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Assuming you can commit to specific dates, just go online to www.trenitalia.com and buy cheap tickets.
Rome to Florence or Naples from €19, Naples to Venice from €29.
Remember that Sorrento is on the Circumvesuviana Railway from Naples, every 30 minutes, €4.10, buy tickets for this at the station.
Rome to Florence or Naples from €19, Naples to Venice from €29.
Remember that Sorrento is on the Circumvesuviana Railway from Naples, every 30 minutes, €4.10, buy tickets for this at the station.
#3
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Go here: http://www.seat61.com/
He probably has more concise and clear explanations than any EU site.
Dunno why you'd want a EUrail pass for just Italy.
He probably has more concise and clear explanations than any EU site.
Dunno why you'd want a EUrail pass for just Italy.
#4
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I do have everything planned out on a day to day basis, just trying to figure out the best & cheapest way to get around without coming back home with unused rail passes. Thanks, I will check out those sites
#5
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Umm, given that the Man_in_seat_61 has answered himself BigRuss, why would you suggest someone go to his site?
Mike, your problem is not train tickets, it's trying to see/do too much in too little time. You're probably going to pack too much as well. Those are the two commonest mistakes that tourists make.
Your comment about 'coming back home with unused rail passes' is a classic example of the kind of thinking rail passes lead to. It's called, 'I have to get my money's worth'. That leads you to moving more often to 'use' your pass. Instead of spending your time IN places seeing/doing things.
You mention a 6 day pass and that immediately gets you thinking of moving on 6 days. Given you are going to start and end in Rome and plan to spend your first week there, that means you are thinking of moving on 6 out of your remaining 14 days. That's is nearly 50% of your time. Does that make sense to you?
With 2 weeks (deducting your week in Rome) you have enough time to visit perhaps 4 places and you list 6. You need to allow for travel time. Every time you move from one place to another you lose most if not all of a day doing so. Even when places are only a couple of hours apart by train you lose time checking out, waiting for the train, taking the train, finding your next place to stay, having a meal, checking in, etc.
You cannot see all of Italy in 3 weeks but you seem to think it is a good idea to try. In travel, less is always more. Move less, see/do more.
Mike, your problem is not train tickets, it's trying to see/do too much in too little time. You're probably going to pack too much as well. Those are the two commonest mistakes that tourists make.
Your comment about 'coming back home with unused rail passes' is a classic example of the kind of thinking rail passes lead to. It's called, 'I have to get my money's worth'. That leads you to moving more often to 'use' your pass. Instead of spending your time IN places seeing/doing things.
You mention a 6 day pass and that immediately gets you thinking of moving on 6 days. Given you are going to start and end in Rome and plan to spend your first week there, that means you are thinking of moving on 6 out of your remaining 14 days. That's is nearly 50% of your time. Does that make sense to you?
With 2 weeks (deducting your week in Rome) you have enough time to visit perhaps 4 places and you list 6. You need to allow for travel time. Every time you move from one place to another you lose most if not all of a day doing so. Even when places are only a couple of hours apart by train you lose time checking out, waiting for the train, taking the train, finding your next place to stay, having a meal, checking in, etc.
You cannot see all of Italy in 3 weeks but you seem to think it is a good idea to try. In travel, less is always more. Move less, see/do more.
#6
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You are right in everything that to stated, except I will be traveling light, I have a small carry on bag with just the essentials, as to finding places to stay I already booked apts in all the above mentioned places. I wish I had more time But I gotta do what I gotta do. thanks for the imput if you can think of anything else that would help me in my venture please let me kmow . thanks.
#7
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the Italy Eurailpass is simply too expensive for what you have outlined - limited rail travel and also in Italy each time you use a pass you pay $10 on top of using a day on a pass - so even at full fare the pass would be more expensive than just buying tickets as you go along and like Man in Seat 61 says you can if you can commit to specific dates cut full fare costs dramatically - but those tickets must be booked in stone - non-changeable at that price and non-refundable and to get must be booked weeks in advance as they are sold in limited numbers.
So even with full fare or discounted tickets a pass for your plans is a waste of money - and since Italy required seat reservations before boarding the usual flexibility to just hop on any train anytime that can be priceless is just not true in Italy.
For lots of great info on Italian trains check out these IMo fantastic sites - www.seat61.com - Man in Seat 61 who posts above his commercial site - click on his commercial link to RailEurope to see what an Italy Eurailpass costs - and also www.ricksteves.com and http://www.budgeteuropetravel.com/id12.html.
And have no fear of just buying tickets on those trains as you go along - never a problem - no need to pre-book unless you want to save money and can get discounted tickets.
So even with full fare or discounted tickets a pass for your plans is a waste of money - and since Italy required seat reservations before boarding the usual flexibility to just hop on any train anytime that can be priceless is just not true in Italy.
For lots of great info on Italian trains check out these IMo fantastic sites - www.seat61.com - Man in Seat 61 who posts above his commercial site - click on his commercial link to RailEurope to see what an Italy Eurailpass costs - and also www.ricksteves.com and http://www.budgeteuropetravel.com/id12.html.
And have no fear of just buying tickets on those trains as you go along - never a problem - no need to pre-book unless you want to save money and can get discounted tickets.
#8
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well re-reading the OP's trains I see more than I thought - a 6-day Italy Eurailpass could be cheaper than paying full-fare perhaps, especially so in first class and IME first class has many benefits over 2nd class - usually lot more empty seats to spread out on - I always can put my bags it seems on a nearby empty seat - seats significantly bigger - you get coimplimentary snacks and beverages (and an Italian newspaper useless to most Americans), etc. - I would not be surprised that a 6-day pass in first class may well be cheaper than buying six full-fare first-class tickets even with the $10 surcharge - not sure but may well be - even 2nd class could be - have to go to www.trenitalia.com to see.
#9
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a 6-day flexipass (out of a 2-month period I think - maybe one-month- costs $265 p.p. in 2nd class or about $44/day or about 30 euros a day - plus 10 euros for each train ride supplement in 2nd class.
30 euros a day + 10 - 40 euros a day for fully flexible travel in that you chose once there what trains you want to take and when - seems to not be that bad a deal as I first thought.
Next to compare first class which I think stacks up better vs first class full-fare tickets.
30 euros a day + 10 - 40 euros a day for fully flexible travel in that you chose once there what trains you want to take and when - seems to not be that bad a deal as I first thought.
Next to compare first class which I think stacks up better vs first class full-fare tickets.
#10
>>>each time you use a pass you pay $10 on top of using a day on a pass>>Then we have booked a tour from there which they will take us to Siena for a few days and from there a train to Cinque Terre and then finally back to Rome.
#11
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Sounds like you have your accommodations booked, so probably no use re-thinking itinerary. Trinitalia website is easy to use and I generally buy my tickets from the US, unless there is some question about a particular day. One cautionary note -- if you wait until you get to Italy and want to buy tickets from the vending machines at the station, there will be some sort of gypsy there to "help you out" for a generous tip, of course. That is the main reason that I buy my tickets here; otherwise I wait in line at the station. Can't stand the obnoxious "free-help-for-a-fee" business.
#12
Mike doesn't say when this trip is, so it might be possible to change the itinerary and accommodations.
I agree with kybourbon about the tour. I'm not sure what's included, but as described it's easy to DIY... in which case I'd train from Venice to the Cinque Terre, then train to Florence, bus to Siena, and bus to Rome.
I agree with kybourbon about the tour. I'm not sure what's included, but as described it's easy to DIY... in which case I'd train from Venice to the Cinque Terre, then train to Florence, bus to Siena, and bus to Rome.
#13
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My trip begins in November & I have everything payed for except food & rail passes. Thanks every one. I have alot to think about & do before the trip. Also their will be four others traveling with be.
#14
For November, I would drop CT as it can be rainy in Nov. Just because you've paid for things doesn't mean you can't cancel this far out and not have to pay anything (check the hotel policies). Many places will let you change your dates. Traveling in Nov. should make that easier.
For that time of year, I can't see getting a rail pass. You shouldn't have a problem getting discount tickets (super economy) for most of these routes.
You're cramming all the travel into two weeks and it's really too much on the road time. You lose a day or at least half a day every time you change locations. In 14 days, you are traveling 6 days. I would take some time off Rome and since your flights are booked, put all of Rome at the end of your trip.
Random dates in Nov. show these prices for the fast AV Frecce trains on Trenitalia. They include your seats.
Rome/Naples - 19€
Naples/Venice - 38€
Venice/Florence 19€
La Spezia - Rome - 19€
I would probably take the bus from Siena to Pisa (only one departure daily at 7 am - 14€) and transfer to the train on to CT. http://www.sienamobilita.it/sienapisa.html
If you drop CT, you would take the Sena bus from Siena to Rome (20€ - 10 departures daily).
http://www.sena.it/Home/78-1-en.html
If you cancel the tour to Siena, the Sita bus from Florence to Siena is 8€. Siena train station is further out and the bus drops at the historic center and is faster.
There is also another rail line operating between major cities - Italorail. They use Rome Tiburtina train station instead of Termini (same stations as Trenitalia for Naples/Venice/Florence). You can find discounts there also. They do not take rail passes, but you can find most of your routes for around 20€.
http://www.italotreno.it/en/Pages/default.aspx
For that time of year, I can't see getting a rail pass. You shouldn't have a problem getting discount tickets (super economy) for most of these routes.
You're cramming all the travel into two weeks and it's really too much on the road time. You lose a day or at least half a day every time you change locations. In 14 days, you are traveling 6 days. I would take some time off Rome and since your flights are booked, put all of Rome at the end of your trip.
Random dates in Nov. show these prices for the fast AV Frecce trains on Trenitalia. They include your seats.
Rome/Naples - 19€
Naples/Venice - 38€
Venice/Florence 19€
La Spezia - Rome - 19€
I would probably take the bus from Siena to Pisa (only one departure daily at 7 am - 14€) and transfer to the train on to CT. http://www.sienamobilita.it/sienapisa.html
If you drop CT, you would take the Sena bus from Siena to Rome (20€ - 10 departures daily).
http://www.sena.it/Home/78-1-en.html
If you cancel the tour to Siena, the Sita bus from Florence to Siena is 8€. Siena train station is further out and the bus drops at the historic center and is faster.
There is also another rail line operating between major cities - Italorail. They use Rome Tiburtina train station instead of Termini (same stations as Trenitalia for Naples/Venice/Florence). You can find discounts there also. They do not take rail passes, but you can find most of your routes for around 20€.
http://www.italotreno.it/en/Pages/default.aspx
#15
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For November, I would drop CT as it can be rainy in Nov. Just because you've paid for things doesn't mean you can't cancel this far out and not have to pay anything (check the hotel policies)>
and it could be nice too - I went one recent January and the temps were 60s and sunny - of course could be rainy but still at that time of year I had the villages practically to myself and locals - nicer to me than the elbow to elbow scene in nice weather - but I'd only spend a day there in case funky weather does set in - you can however use the CT as a base from which to hop to many nearby neat places.
and it could be nice too - I went one recent January and the temps were 60s and sunny - of course could be rainy but still at that time of year I had the villages practically to myself and locals - nicer to me than the elbow to elbow scene in nice weather - but I'd only spend a day there in case funky weather does set in - you can however use the CT as a base from which to hop to many nearby neat places.
#16
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I would probably take the bus from Siena to Pisa (only one departure daily at 7 am - 14€) and transfer to the train on to CT.>
If 7 am is too early take a train to Empoli and then switch to the Florence-Pisa train line there (perhaps there are more buses to Empoli?)
If 7 am is too early take a train to Empoli and then switch to the Florence-Pisa train line there (perhaps there are more buses to Empoli?)
#17
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Naples to Venice at full fare is 101 euros or about $140 - so you can see if you want flexibility to chose which trains to take once there the railpass could be a great deal - but again if you are fine with booking months in advance in stone then those discounted tickets will be cheaper.