Eurail Pass
Dec 13th, 2015, 01:26 AM
#1
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Eurail Pass
Hello. I am planning a 2months trip to Europe. March to May. Spain(4cities), Italy(4cities + Spello), Austria(2 cities), Budapest, Prague, Amsterdam, Belgium(3cities) and Paris is on my list.
Eurail pass confuses me. I was considering Eurail Select pass choosing Spain, Italy, Austria and Czech/Hungary. Then fly to Amsterdam and train or bus to Brussels and a day tour to bruges and ghent, and train or bus to Paris.
When the pass says 10 travel days and 2 months I understand that I must use my 10 travel days in the span of 2 months. But how do I make worth of it?
Should I use this pass only to travel from 1 city to another and 1 country to another while puchasing tickets for my local transportation? How do I commute within the city apart from walking and biking?
How about Metro? Can I use my eurail pass for that? Or City card is worth to commute and do stuff in that city?
Should I buy Eurail pass for travelling from city to city and a city card for local travelling and discounts?
Sorry for if you find the question unstructured or lame
Any suggestions are appreciated and thanks in advance xx
Eurail pass confuses me. I was considering Eurail Select pass choosing Spain, Italy, Austria and Czech/Hungary. Then fly to Amsterdam and train or bus to Brussels and a day tour to bruges and ghent, and train or bus to Paris.
When the pass says 10 travel days and 2 months I understand that I must use my 10 travel days in the span of 2 months. But how do I make worth of it?
Should I use this pass only to travel from 1 city to another and 1 country to another while puchasing tickets for my local transportation? How do I commute within the city apart from walking and biking?
How about Metro? Can I use my eurail pass for that? Or City card is worth to commute and do stuff in that city?
Should I buy Eurail pass for travelling from city to city and a city card for local travelling and discounts?
Sorry for if you find the question unstructured or lame
Any suggestions are appreciated and thanks in advance xx
Dec 13th, 2015, 02:27 AM
#2
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First, have you a pre-planned itinerary? If so, you could easily pre-book each leg with the appropriate operator, for example Prague-Budapest for €19, Budapest to Vienna from €13.
I have written a guide to which site to use for which journey is at http://www.seat61.com/Europe-train-tickets.htm
This could save a lot of money over an expensive unlimited-travel pass, if you don't NEED unlimited travel, or the ability to change your mind and alter your plans as you go.
I mean, a pass gives unlimited 1st class adult travel for perhaps €50 or €60 per day, but if all you plan to do is one trip on any given day, and 2nd class is fine for you, a €19 advance ticket is going to save loads!
The exception might be if you were aged under 26, as the youth 2nd class Eurail pass compares favourably with even the cheap advance-purchase rates. Or if you are a family, when the kids go free Eurail deal again swings the balance towards passes.
Eurail covers the national rail operator in each country, but they don't generally operate the metros - just as an Amtrak pass for the USA wouldn't cover the New York Subway! ;0)
And you don't need to fly to Amsterdam, as you will already be in Europe.
Book the Vienna to Cologne sleeper train at Austrian Railways www.oebb.at then add a Cologne to Amsterdam fast train ticket at German Railways www.bahn.de/en - you even get a ride up the scenic Rhine Valley past castles, river boats and the famous Loreli Rock over breakfast in your cosy sleeper!
I have written a guide to which site to use for which journey is at http://www.seat61.com/Europe-train-tickets.htm
This could save a lot of money over an expensive unlimited-travel pass, if you don't NEED unlimited travel, or the ability to change your mind and alter your plans as you go.
I mean, a pass gives unlimited 1st class adult travel for perhaps €50 or €60 per day, but if all you plan to do is one trip on any given day, and 2nd class is fine for you, a €19 advance ticket is going to save loads!
The exception might be if you were aged under 26, as the youth 2nd class Eurail pass compares favourably with even the cheap advance-purchase rates. Or if you are a family, when the kids go free Eurail deal again swings the balance towards passes.
Eurail covers the national rail operator in each country, but they don't generally operate the metros - just as an Amtrak pass for the USA wouldn't cover the New York Subway! ;0)
And you don't need to fly to Amsterdam, as you will already be in Europe.
Book the Vienna to Cologne sleeper train at Austrian Railways www.oebb.at then add a Cologne to Amsterdam fast train ticket at German Railways www.bahn.de/en - you even get a ride up the scenic Rhine Valley past castles, river boats and the famous Loreli Rock over breakfast in your cosy sleeper!
Dec 13th, 2015, 02:27 AM
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I should also add the main resource: Use www.bahn.de/en as your all-purpose online timetable across Europe.
Dec 13th, 2015, 04:27 AM
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Eurail pass is only intercity transit from Rome to Venice for example.
For traveling WITHIN each city you must use the local transit system - subway/metro/u bahn, buses, trams,etc - which are each a separate system and have nothing to do with Eurail. For instance in Rome feet will be most convenient but there are metro and bus lines. In Venice the local transit is vaporetto (bus boats) that must be paid for separately.
Just as in the US Amtrak if the national train system between cities. But once you get to NY of Chicago or where ever you must use the local transit system.
Learning about the local systems is just a part of what you must do to acclimatize to each of these cities - as well as different languges, business hours, foods and drink
For traveling WITHIN each city you must use the local transit system - subway/metro/u bahn, buses, trams,etc - which are each a separate system and have nothing to do with Eurail. For instance in Rome feet will be most convenient but there are metro and bus lines. In Venice the local transit is vaporetto (bus boats) that must be paid for separately.
Just as in the US Amtrak if the national train system between cities. But once you get to NY of Chicago or where ever you must use the local transit system.
Learning about the local systems is just a part of what you must do to acclimatize to each of these cities - as well as different languges, business hours, foods and drink
Dec 13th, 2015, 12:26 PM
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55-60 euros a day for unlimited 24 hours of first class travel can be a great bargain if taking several longish and especially international train trips - the big thing is that in most countries you can still just hop on any train anytime - no laborious advance work to get a discounted (and non-changeable non-refundable) ticket in 2nd class with an overall savings sometimes of not that much than the first class pass.
And first class IME has significant benefits - fewer seats in each same-size train car - bigger seats - easier stowing luggage and IMO the best feature seats with only one seat in a row - two of these can face each other with a table in between for couple. No bothering or being bothered by strangers to get in or out and more room to put say day packs on the floor - first class also has usually more empty seats you can spread out on. In some countries you may also get a free beverage and snack.
In Switzerland and Germany and Austria and Paris you can use Eurail on some urban transports like S-Bahns in Germany and Austria and Zurich (but only would do so on days you arrive or leave - would not be worth it to burn a day on a pass just for city transports and passes do not cover metros.
10 days in 2 months means you select your unlimited travel days as you go along - can be consecutive or not - use them to move between far-removed bases and then buy local transport tickets.
If taking an overnight train that leaves 7pm or after you put the next days date on so you can travel from 7pm one night till the following midnight - can cover huge turf with just one 55-60 euro day (first class) - like take a night train from Italy to Vienna and go onto Budapest that same day - all one day on a pass.
For loads of great info on European trains and passes check www.budgeteuropetravel.com; www.ricksteves.com and www.seat61.com - the commercial site of Man in Seat 61 who posts above and who has said on Fodor's before that he was 'an aficionado of first class on train himself! click Man in Seat 61's site's commercial link to Rail Europe for current pass prices or to buy a pass (yes IMO a bit on hypocrisy in that he profits off the link but always disses railpasses and says the cheapest discounted tickets are best! But that's business!)
And first class IME has significant benefits - fewer seats in each same-size train car - bigger seats - easier stowing luggage and IMO the best feature seats with only one seat in a row - two of these can face each other with a table in between for couple. No bothering or being bothered by strangers to get in or out and more room to put say day packs on the floor - first class also has usually more empty seats you can spread out on. In some countries you may also get a free beverage and snack.
In Switzerland and Germany and Austria and Paris you can use Eurail on some urban transports like S-Bahns in Germany and Austria and Zurich (but only would do so on days you arrive or leave - would not be worth it to burn a day on a pass just for city transports and passes do not cover metros.
10 days in 2 months means you select your unlimited travel days as you go along - can be consecutive or not - use them to move between far-removed bases and then buy local transport tickets.
If taking an overnight train that leaves 7pm or after you put the next days date on so you can travel from 7pm one night till the following midnight - can cover huge turf with just one 55-60 euro day (first class) - like take a night train from Italy to Vienna and go onto Budapest that same day - all one day on a pass.
For loads of great info on European trains and passes check www.budgeteuropetravel.com; www.ricksteves.com and www.seat61.com - the commercial site of Man in Seat 61 who posts above and who has said on Fodor's before that he was 'an aficionado of first class on train himself! click Man in Seat 61's site's commercial link to Rail Europe for current pass prices or to buy a pass (yes IMO a bit on hypocrisy in that he profits off the link but always disses railpasses and says the cheapest discounted tickets are best! But that's business!)
Dec 13th, 2015, 02:07 PM
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Hi Div,
As noted above, the railpass is for travel between cities, eg, Rome --> Venice.
Florence to Siena would not be worthwhile as you can take the bus for much less, and the depots are more convenient than the train.
To find out if a railpass is worthwhile, you have to plan an itinerary (ww.bahn.de is good) and then go to each national website to find the ticket price.
Sites that sell the railpass do not give you the discounted rates.
>Spain(4cities), Italy(4cities + Spello), Austria(2 cities), Budapest, Prague, Amsterdam, Belgium(3cities) and Paris is on my list.
May I suggest limiting your travels to 6 countries in 8 weeks? One does get tired being on a train all the time.
In addition, you will lose about 1 day each time you move to new accommodations.
Have fun planning.
As noted above, the railpass is for travel between cities, eg, Rome --> Venice.
Florence to Siena would not be worthwhile as you can take the bus for much less, and the depots are more convenient than the train.
To find out if a railpass is worthwhile, you have to plan an itinerary (ww.bahn.de is good) and then go to each national website to find the ticket price.
Sites that sell the railpass do not give you the discounted rates.
>Spain(4cities), Italy(4cities + Spello), Austria(2 cities), Budapest, Prague, Amsterdam, Belgium(3cities) and Paris is on my list.
May I suggest limiting your travels to 6 countries in 8 weeks? One does get tired being on a train all the time.
In addition, you will lose about 1 day each time you move to new accommodations.
Have fun planning.
Dec 14th, 2015, 06:18 AM
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When comparing fares like ira suggests keep in mind that the railpass is first class so comparing to 2nd class is like comparing apples to oranges - very different things - and don't get me wrong 2nd class is fine it's just that 1st class is much finer IME - much more than 'a few centimeters of larger seats -much much more. But you'll be fine in 2nd class but the pass is automatically first class if over 25 and that is a perk - keep in mind when comparing fares and also that you can generally chose which train to hop once there as opposed to discounted tickets that must be booked in stone weeks/months in advance to guarantee availability of these limited in number discounted ducats.
