Getting around Italy / France
Apr 19th, 2013, 01:05 AM
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2013
Posts: 7
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Getting around Italy / France
Thanks for all the great advice on here.
What is the best option for my travel I want to go from Italy to France and maybe amsterdam, but ultimately have to get back to Italy before flying home. What kind of rail pass should I buy?
I plan on staying places for a few days or a week..I want to be able to travel a lot and be spontaneous without spending a fortune. Should I get a global pass. Should I look for cheap flight from Amsterdam to Milan where I depart from? The 15 trips in 2 months deal sounds limiting.
Thanks
What is the best option for my travel I want to go from Italy to France and maybe amsterdam, but ultimately have to get back to Italy before flying home. What kind of rail pass should I buy?
I plan on staying places for a few days or a week..I want to be able to travel a lot and be spontaneous without spending a fortune. Should I get a global pass. Should I look for cheap flight from Amsterdam to Milan where I depart from? The 15 trips in 2 months deal sounds limiting.
Thanks
Apr 19th, 2013, 07:58 AM
#2
Join Date: Mar 2003
Posts: 22,986
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Apr 19th, 2013, 10:23 AM
#3
Join Date: Oct 2003
Posts: 57,890
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
How much time will you have total? How many different places do you plan on visiting?
For some countries buying point to point tickets makes the most sense - but if you are going to be doing 20 or 30 trips a pass may make sense.
For some countries buying point to point tickets makes the most sense - but if you are going to be doing 20 or 30 trips a pass may make sense.
Apr 19th, 2013, 11:58 AM
#5
Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 78,320
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Should I get a global pass.>
Unless you have a good idea of exactly how many trains you will be taking no one can tell - you'd have to be riding several longish train rides. If you go to Amsterdam you could return to Italy via Germany - hitting perhaps the famous Rhine Gorge (K-D boats are great for a few-hour look at the most gorgeous part of the Rhine, between Rudesheim and Koblenz) and then via Switzerland, perhaps stopping off in the fantastic Interlaken area before taking a relatively short train ride from there to Milan.
If doing all that by rail then yes a Global Eurailpass may be good - if just doing France and Italy look at the France and Italy Eurailpass.
For lots of great stuff on European trains and passes and alternatives check out these IMO fantastic sites - www.budgeteuropetravel.com; www.seat61.com; and www.ricksteves.com.
Unless you have a good idea of exactly how many trains you will be taking no one can tell - you'd have to be riding several longish train rides. If you go to Amsterdam you could return to Italy via Germany - hitting perhaps the famous Rhine Gorge (K-D boats are great for a few-hour look at the most gorgeous part of the Rhine, between Rudesheim and Koblenz) and then via Switzerland, perhaps stopping off in the fantastic Interlaken area before taking a relatively short train ride from there to Milan.
If doing all that by rail then yes a Global Eurailpass may be good - if just doing France and Italy look at the France and Italy Eurailpass.
For lots of great stuff on European trains and passes and alternatives check out these IMO fantastic sites - www.budgeteuropetravel.com; www.seat61.com; and www.ricksteves.com.
Apr 19th, 2013, 02:12 PM
#6
Join Date: Mar 2003
Posts: 22,986
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Tickets purchased 3 months ahead of time are often a real deal on French railroads: http://www.voyages-sncf.com/billet-train . I do not see a train pass for the limited travel that you intend to take outside Italy.
Apr 20th, 2013, 08:40 AM
#7
Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 78,320
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
railpass efficacy often is based on whether someone wants to book trains in stone to secure those limited in number discounted seats or be able to wait until getting to say Italy or France to book trains with a pass - that said a few French TGV lines impose quotas on passholder seats so it taking TGVs to southern France or from southern France you would have to book that at time of purchasing your pass and then could change and only lose the reservation charge if you could get a different train. But a string of discounted tickets for the OP would be the cheapest way probably but again you have to book months in advance and cannot change nor refund.
Apr 21st, 2013, 07:23 AM
#8
Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 78,320
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
The 15 trips in 2 months deal sounds limiting.>
limiting? not really because you use the unlimited travel day - 15 in this case - to make long journeys between bases where you will assumedly not use a pass or do just cheap small trips that you'd pay out of your pocket.
No rather than limiting a Global Eurailpass valid for 2 months lets you roam all over Europe - not limiting at all. Well if you want a pass with few limits then look a two-straight month pass but that is so much more expensive than a flexipass and unless traveling nearly every day on trains a waste of money.
limiting? not really because you use the unlimited travel day - 15 in this case - to make long journeys between bases where you will assumedly not use a pass or do just cheap small trips that you'd pay out of your pocket.
No rather than limiting a Global Eurailpass valid for 2 months lets you roam all over Europe - not limiting at all. Well if you want a pass with few limits then look a two-straight month pass but that is so much more expensive than a flexipass and unless traveling nearly every day on trains a waste of money.
Apr 22nd, 2013, 01:35 PM
#9
Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 78,320
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Marseille and Paris, I want to go to Amsterdam.. Majority of time exploring Italy. Total 2 1/2 months>
Well with that much time the Global Eurailpass may be great - especially if you are the serendipitous type who wants to wing it - carte blanche to go anywhere except the UK, not in the Eurailpass scheme.
With the 7 pm rule on overnight trains you can literally cross Europe at night - saving the cost of a hotel night to boot!
Well with that much time the Global Eurailpass may be great - especially if you are the serendipitous type who wants to wing it - carte blanche to go anywhere except the UK, not in the Eurailpass scheme.
With the 7 pm rule on overnight trains you can literally cross Europe at night - saving the cost of a hotel night to boot!
Apr 23rd, 2013, 10:37 AM
#10
Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 78,320
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
ah yeh that 7 pm rule on overnight trains - board an overnight train - a bona fide overnight train not one that just runs past midnight a few hours - then with a pass you put the next day's date in for your unlimited travel day - meaning you on one day of a flexipass can travel virtually from one end of Europe to the other - example board a night train from Munich to Rome and the next morning continue onto Naples and the Amalfi Coast - Munich to Sorrento in one day on your pass.
Jun 10th, 2013, 10:54 AM
#12
Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 78,320
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
do you mean Global Eurail Flexipass? That's OK but if you mean a Eurail Select Flexipass where you chose your 3 to 5 countries for validity areas then France is no longer a participant in that pass, having pulled out this Jan 1 (2013) - the first country to do so so a Eurail Select Pass could not be used in France - the Global Eurail of course can as France is still in the Global Eurail thing as well as passes like two-country passes with neighboring countries like France-Switzerland; France-Italy; France-Benelux, etc.
