Purchasing Eurail Pass or on-line tickets for Europe from Australia
 

I have tried this question on the Euorpean forum but haven't received an answer. Perhaps someone in Australia can help me.

I am trying not to repeat previous questions but at the risk of repeating previous ones, I have been looking at Eurail Passes and point to point tickets and buying them on-line. I have definitely found that point to poitn would be the cheapest if I purchase then in advance. My problem is, is it safe to have the tickets posted (to Australia) or purchase them on-line or should I pick them up at a station (which one?) in Paris.

We are travelling Paris - Zurich, Zurich - Austria. I am worried that my credit card (Visa) will not work overseas. Or that if my credit card does work can I print out an eticket - because the TGV site suggests that not all etickets are able to be used on all destinations. I know that if I buy a Eurail Pass I will have to reserve seats and pay a further fee. Leaving that till we get to Paris there may not be seats on the days we wish to travel.

Hope you can help.

http://www.seat61.com/Railpass.htm

Good link for you never do pass almost always bad value

unless training relentlessly on slow trains longs hours daily

EVERY day regional trains like a local always cheapest for me.

Do rarely use a verified by visa to prebook special trains

at good rates rarely usually works fine except Italy for me.

But far cheaper easier less hassle to just hop on

never booked for me and have been going once a year for

decades.... so train like a local to save and have fun,

You know the pass is really costly and not a great value. You can almost always get tickets much cheaper as you go. As the poster above said the regional trains are fine and way way cheaper. Once you get to your first stop book your train to your next stop, 2nd class is fine for short trips, when there do the same and so on.
On occassionaly a regional train will be shabby but overall they are clean and value for the euro.

Thnaks so much for your suggestions. They are really helpful.

Pharos - if you are worried about using your Aussie credit card to pick up European tickets from ticket machines, you can always collect your ticket from an operator.

I'm always worried about inserting my card into foreign machines, and in all our years of travelling have never had a problem with collecting tickets from a ticket seller at a station.

Just make sure you have the same card with you as you have used in your on line transactions.

Happy travels, Di

I think if you get ticket then it will be cheaper compare to pass.

Cards without Chp 'n PIN won't work in the self-service ticket collection machines, but should be fine taking the printout to a staffed ticket window to collect your tickets.

Thanks everyong you have been really helpful.

you realize this isn't a live :"chat " room right?
On your Europe post you top posted it a couple of hours after you posted, then came here...people DID post but not till the next day..which was probably around the time difference.
you realize no one here gets paid to help, right? we're all just =travelers like yourself...