We may fly into Amsterdam and arrive in the morning. We'd like to walk around the city all day, then possibly take a night train to Hamburg. Is this possible? I tried to look up the train schedules, but it looks like you have to change several times, and they go out of the way, down to Dusseldorf, then back up to Hamburg. Does anyone know an easier way? Maybe it's not as far as I think it is...

T.

Did you look at www.bahn.de? (click on Intern. Guests for English). I did a quick search and it looks like you can leave around 9 at night and get to Hamburg in the morning, but I am no train expert.

I didn't actually mean a train that ran in the night....I should have been more specific......I meant a sleeper train. It looks like there are regular trains that run, with one change at about 5 1/2 hours. Not too far, I guess. I can't find sleeper trains to Berlin from Amsterdam either. That would be a much longer ride.

T.

There are night trains to Hamburg and Berlin, but no direct ones. The ones I have found require 2 changes so not a lot of sleep. The only direct night trains from Amsterdam are to Munich and Zurich.

t

Thanks for the info. change of plans. I think we'll fly into Copenhagen instead....easier trains to Hamburg and neither of us has been there.

T.

I've taken the Amsterdam-Berlin overnight route a few times and you have to go to Duisburg, Germany to board the actual night train, which originates in Hagen before going to Cologne, Dusseldorf to Duisburg.

Similarly for Hamburg though the times are simply not convenient - you either get to Hamburg on the Copenhagen night train at around 1am.

If traveling enough on trains in Germany consider the Germany-Benelux railpass. As usual i recommend BETS (800-441-2387) for any info on this.

There is a sleeper train from Brussels at 2341 to Hamburg, due 0652. Hourly Intercity trains from Amsterdam to Brussels take about three hours.

We'll mostly be in Germany and Switzerland, with a slight detour to a bit of Austria, and of course the train from Copenhagen to Hamburg. I've done tons of research and it looks like, unfortunately, the best deal is the Eural Global Saver Pass for most countries. If we get a Germany/Switz pass, it's almost the same thing for the amount of days (we'll be there 2 weeks or so). Or the German Twin Pass plus the Swiss Pass.......about the same price. It seems kind of silly to have all the extra countries on there, but it is first class and what if we decide to take a long day trip somewhere....who knows. I just wish they offered a second class Global Pass...hmmm.....

T.

It's seems from a casual look that the 2nd class Swiss Saver and German Twin you mention - the combo may be best but i guess you've examined that.

Swiss Pass in Switzerland has a lot more benefits than the Global Eurailpass - buses, Jungfrau trains to wengen and murren, grindelwald, etc. and 50% off everything that is not covered - all lifts, etc. as well as free admission to 400 Swiss Museums on days on 100% travel coverage.

Yes, I've been researching for at least a week or two just to calculate all the differences in railpasses! (I'm a research freak)

If I buy both the Swiss Pass Saver and the German Twin Pass, it's more expensive, and i won't get the free train from Copenhagen to Hamburg, or the few train rides in Austria.

If I get the Germany/Switz pass, it only covers 10 days (of my 15+day trip), and is only $50 cheaper than the Global Pass. Why does the Global Pass not offer a 2nd class option???

I've tried all the combinations. And now I may be there just over 15 days, so the Global Pass won't even cover the whole thing....they should offer extra single days on ALL the passes, and 2nd class for ALL the passes. They're making it really difficult to pick. Aaargh...

T.

Offhand is seems you should not be looking at a Global Eurailpass but a Eurail Select Saver Pass good in 5 countries - Benelux, Germany, Switzerland, Austria and Denmark? Lot cheaper than a Global Pass unless you are traveling a lot each day???

2nd class Eurail Global or Select passes are available only to those under 26

Did you happen to see a 4 country SelectPass for less than $550 pp for 15 days? The Global pass saver is good for 15 days at $550 pp.

I didn't realize you would be using the train for 15 separate days... in which case the Global Pass is the way to go.

You say you are going to be there just over 15 days - i thought most people will go to a town and stay a day or two then move on - in which case a 5-day Eurail Select Saverpass would cost $434 or a 6-day $473 and this pass is good for 2-months - a flexipass so it would cover more than a 15-day period.

But you are obviously traveling must more than a typical 15 day or so tripper would usually.

We will base ourselves out of 2 cities in Germany, 1 in Austria (Swiss border) and 1 in Switz. We will travel on day trips pretty much everyday, as well as travel between the 4 cities. The only place where we will actually have a hotel for 2 nights is Zermatt. And even there, we will probably take the Gornergrat train, which I guess is only 25% discounted on the Global Pass.

Are the "subway/metro" trains covered on the RailPasses? One day, we will probably stay in Stuttgart and see the town, without a day trip outside of town. And one day, we may see Berlin (a friend is driving us there from Hamburg).

If the "subway" or "Metro" is operated by the country's national railroad system (think S-Bahns, for example), then yes, the pass can be used.

For U-Bahns more than lilely not.

One exception (sort of) is in Switzerland where if you have the SWISSPass you can use it on the city transport systems in numerous towns.

Or consider a 4-country Select pass saver at $395 for 5 days or $433 p.p. for 6 and buy a Swiss pass for as little as $156 p.p. saver in 2nd class.

If going to Zermatt the Eurailpass will give you no discount on the Brig-Zermatt train - you'll have to pay about $50 r.t. Brig-Zermatt and will not give any reduction to my knowledge on the Gornergrat train - Swiss pass will take you in full to Zermatt and then give you 50% off Gornergrat train, about a $100 value not covered by Eurailpass.

The Swiss Flexi gives you a min of 3 days 100% covered travel and then on the other days before you use up the 3rd day 50% off everything that moves in Switzerland.

Just presenting options - i realize you have done your homework impressively already but maybe not that option.

Swiss passes can be bought in Switzerland but currently are about 15% cheaper in the U.S. thru RailEurope. I always recommend BETS (www.budgeteuropetravel.com) because of their Swiss rail expertise and they won't charge the $15-18 mailing fee RE does for this order. Eurailpasses can be bought in major European stations but at about 20% higher than the dollar price they are sold for in the U.S.

I thought on RailEurope it said the Global Pass gives you 25% discount onthe special Swiss trains. Things have really changed since I was there last (~7-8 years ago). I only had gotten the regular Eurail pass for all countries, and I almost never had to pay for any special trains. I didn't have the Swiss Pass....only the general Eurail pass and I didn't have to pay anything from Brig-Zermatt and got 50% discount at least on the gornergrat. Jeez...these people are really sucking our money out.

I don't know what to do....just spend the money, I guess. I don't really see any other options at this point. I'll check out one of yours I hadn't looked at...before I give up completely (SelectPass + SwissPass).

To my knowledge of using passes annually since 1969 and studying the matter Eurails never passed on the Zermatt train but i could be wrong or get 25% discount on specialty trains.

I think i'd call BETS (800-441-2387) and see if the 25% is true on the Zermatt area mountain top trains. It is in the Jungfrau area but not elsewhere is my impression - but they in my experience will have the definitive answer.