jessS

Hi there,

Just wondering what people's experience with the Eurail Select Pass is? We would like travel between France, Italy and Spain. We obviously won't be able to see everything but would like to see the countryside via rail. What do you guys think? How are the trains between the countries? Thanks.

J62

There are lots of postings here on fodors about train passes. The first piece of advice is to check out whether a pass is really the best thing to buy compared to point to point ticket.

In France the high speed trains require an additional fee if you are a pass holder. I've seen reports that the added fare (on top of the cost of a pass) can be higher than buying a discounted point to point ticket.

In Italy, all high speed trains require a mandatory seat reservation. That will cost you 10 euro per trip as a pass holder, but is included in the point to point fare.

Lastly, for long distances, i.e. Rome to Madrid, you may be much better off (time & cost) flying.

Message, before you go and buy the Eurail select pass be sure you compare the cost vs buying separate tickets.

PalenQ

the added on fare in France on TGVs is all of 3 euros or about $5 - just a seat reservation fee as the pass covers the actual rail fare but not seat reservation fees. so in no way can it be 'higher than buying any discounted online ticket' so ignore that misinformation!

Anyways check out these fantastic IMO sites with oodles of great info on European trains and also railpasses - www.budgeteuropetravel.com; www.seat61.com and www.ricksteves.com.

J62

Sorry, you are correct. The train supplement reference was not for fares within France, but rather between France and Belgium.

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...servations.cfm

PalenQ

specifically the Thalys train between Brussels and Paris which charges railpassholders a ridiculous IMO $40 or more above using a day on their pass - but this is the only train in Europe that I know of that charges such a steep supplement - trains in Italy charge 10 euros and in Spain about the same but in other countries it is more like France - 3 or 4 euros and in many countries like Germany, Belgium, Netherlands (except Thalys trains), Switzerland, Denmark, United Kingdom, Austria, eastern Europe you can just hop on practically every train anytime without formality as there are no seat reservation requirements.

PalenQ

and there are ways to get around taking the Thalys between Brussels and Paris as I recently did because of the daunting $40 or so surcharge to passholders - I took an RER train to CDG Airport and hopped a TGV from there to Brussels - taking about one hour longer all told and only costing 3 euros on top of my pass, not $40!

CathyM

Specifically for Spain the Eurail passes are not normally a good deal - you can buy less expensive point to point tickets especially with deeply discounted web fares. Also, depending on where you are traveling the bus is often better (more frequent and faster) than the train. This is if you were focusing solely on Spain. I can't speak to a combination of Italy/Spain/France. But I'd price each ticket out individually and compare to see which is better. Just make sure when you price the point to point tickets you don't use the full fare but instead the discounted web fares for a better comparison.

lindy27

If you are 25 and under, you can qualify for a youth select pass. I have used this pass twice and both times it was cheaper than doing point to point.

We also don't plan our trips down to train times, so we aren't able to or I guess aren't willing to, book trains in advance online so we don't get the advance fair prices. If you are willing to book every train in advance and have to travel at the exact time, you can book in advance and get a discount price.

PalenQ

ditto to what lindy27 says - for flexible travel railpasses, esp youthpasses, even with just a handful of train rides are often great deals. Lock yourself in often weeks before to get the limited in number discounted online tickets may be cheaper but at the expense of flexibility and you have to be on that train as those tickets are often I believe non-changeble nor refundable so miss it and you have to buy a full fare ticket then. With a pass if you miss a train you have reserved a seat on then you are only out the seat reservation fee and not the whole train fare.

PalenQ

folks using passes in Italy and Spain however do have to factor in the cost of mandated seat reservations on nearly every train they will be taking between cities - 10 euros a pop above using a day on the pass for Italy, about the same in Spain I think and in France 3 or 4 euros for each TGV and CorailTEOZ train ride.

PalenQ

folks using passes in Italy and Spain however do have to factor in the cost of mandated seat reservations on nearly every train they will be taking between cities - 10 euros a pop above using a day on the pass for Italy, about the same in Spain I think and in France 3 or 4 euros for each TGV and CorailTEOZ train ride.

PalenQ

< If you are 25 and under, you can qualify for a youth select pass. I have used this pass twice and both times it was cheaper than doing point to point.>

Actually it is under 26 - if you are under 26 when you start using the pass in Europe you qualify for the youth pass - 25 and under should have been the wording.

PalenQ

anyone buying a Eurail Select Pass for off-seaon travel should not buy the pass until fairly late in the process for the following reason - Each of the past several years it seems during off season travel there have been specials from the railways that invariably give an extra day on a pass free, though often it is only on 6-day and longer versions and not the standard five-day pass. So it pays at times to wait as if you buy a pass before the special pops up you are stuck with the old pass sans extra days - this is not a retroactive process.