My husband and I are planning a 2 week trip to Germany (Dusseldorf & Berlin) & Switzerland (Basel) to visit family. However, we bought round trip tickets Chicago-Amsterdam. What's the best wat to go to/from those locations? Airfare seems expensive ($461 Amst-Duss w/KLM; $347 Duss-Berlin) and even trains don't look like a good option ($270 Amst-Duss; $480 Duss-Berlin). Europass is $592pp for 10 days. Does anyone know a better/less expensive way to travel within Europe? Would renting a car be a better option? I appreciate any thoughts...
Thanks!

According to a test run on www.railsaver.com, this would be an estimate of rail tickets + German railpass...

Purchase a 2nd Class Adult Ticket to cover the segment from AMSTERDAM to EMMERICH for approximately 20 USA Dollars. Use the German 4 Day 2nd Class Adult FlexiPass Companion/Saver to cover the segment from EMMERICH to DUSSELDORF (1 of 4 days)

DUSSELDORF BERLIN Use the German 4 Day 2nd Class Adult FlexiPass Companion/Saver to cover this entire journey.(2 of 4 days)

BERLIN BASEL Use the German 4 Day 2nd Class Adult FlexiPass Companion/Saver to cover this entire journey. (3 of 4 days)

BASEL AMSTERDAM You should use the following combination of railpasses and tickets to pay for this journey:
Use the German 4 Day 2nd Class Adult FlexiPass Companion/Saver to cover the segment from BASEL to EMMERICH (4of 4 days. Purchase a 2nd Class Adult Ticket to cover the segment from EMMERICH to AMSTERDAM for approximately 20 USA Dollars.

That's an estimate of $175 pp for all the rail travel. Of course, I don't know if the routing is what you are planning...

Pimps - you've just been given what is probably the most economical way to do that route - good advice.

Thanks, Russ. I have received good information from YOU to help me with my upcoming trip, part of which is in Germany. Looking forward to it..

Travelnut,
Thank you so much for your advice! I'll look into it, I'm sure it'll be a better alternative than any of the others I'd been considering.
Thanks again!

(useless answer) I am always disappointed when people spell out their queries so well under the headings. It deprives me of the opportunity to say, for example, in resopnse to the above.....HOPEFULLY

Did you try domestic German airlines (a couple listed below)? For example, depending on your flight date, you can fly Dusseldorf to Berlin for $80 or even less if you hit their sales. But trains are excellent in Germany.

Air Berlin. Eurowings. Germanwings. There are others as well.