I am trying to organise prices for our trip next year and am in a bit of a quandry re prices.

A lot of the websites for European rail tickets are US based and not available to us here in Australia. I have gone online to two Australian websites but the prices between the two (apparently for the same thing) are quite varied. e.g. Paris - Tours one quote was for AUD $280.00 return and the other was $106.00 return - both 2nd class. That's quite a variation.

We also will be travelling London to Paris on the Eurostar and would like to know from another Aussie if they booked this direct with Eurostar or via another option.

I really would like to be able to just book our rail segments direct but I am just feeling a little overwhelmed when I go looking online.

Can anyone help me? Many thanks.

As a fellow Aussie I booked my Eurostar tickets through eurostar.com a couple of years ago. I can recall being a bit confused as to the options available and what would suit our family best, but I emailed the site and received a quick reply telling me the best combination of tickets I needed and also told me on what date the bookings opened for the particular day I needed to travel, which ensured that I had no trouble picking up the ultra-cheap price. I did not have the tickets delivered, but simply chose the option to collect them from the machine at Waterloo (I think its Waterloo that you leave - a bit hazy now). When we got to Waterloo I simply stuck my credit card in the machine and they popped out.

As to European rail tickets I can't really help you because we have always chosen to hire a car. However, on our forthcoming trip I am considering catching a train from Prague to Krakow and have had a quick look at the www.bahn.de site. It seems to be fairly well set up for o/s travellers. I have as yet to look into whether it is really necessary to pre-book tickets or just simply buy when I get there as would a local. It does seem from the board that a lot of people pre-book but am not sure whether this is because it's cheaper, they just like to have their travel arrangements in place or what. I'm sure people who are more into train travel than me can help you more.

Hi SB,

Have you looked at www.voyages-sncf.com?


Hi S,

There are 4 1-stop or non-stop trains a day from Prague to Krakow. You should be able to get your tickets in Prague.

Many thanks Shandy - I will do the same thing with Eurostar.

Ira, I will look into that site - many thanks - your blood's worth bottling mate!

Hi Stormbird,

www.railplus.com.au

www.trainticket.com.au

are two Aussie sites. I emailed railplus and got a quick reply regarding buying our Swiss Passes here before we go.

Hi Maudie,
Yes, they were the two sites I was referring to. I feel as if they are sometimes overinflated on their prices. My quote of $240.00 per person for Paris-Tours return seemed like an awful lot of money to me but maybe that is the price. I'm curious to know if anyone else has done this and how much they paid.

With our exchange rate (and I confess to not having a good head for figures) I'm wondering if we wouldn't be better buying tickets in US dollars (on a US site) rather than in Euros.

It is always preferable for us to pay in Aussie dollars before we go but then again I don't want to be paying more so for the privilege.

Thanks all for the input.

Hi Stormbird,
I thought you might have found a couple of different sites that I haven't discovered!

I also found a price variation on our passes. Half of me wants to pay up here and get the tickets and the other half wants to wait and see what is the better deal. Who knows?

Good luck with your trip - have a great time!

Hi Maudie,

>I also found a price variation on our passes. <

Before you buy any train passes, enter your itinerary at www.railsaver.com and click "only if it saves money".

Thanks for the suggestion Ira, I have gone through all the what if's and decided that a Swiss Pass will be best. We will be travelling around for about 20 days so I think a 15 day pass will be best for us - point to point tickets really added up for some of the longer days.

The variations in price were between the two companies here in OZ that I posted for stormbird.