Rail Pass or Not to Rail Pass – that is the Question
 

I’ve booked a trip to Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany and we are only taking the train. We won’t be using the train in Germany other than the sleeper from Amsterdam to Munich (already booked). I would like to know if I should get a rail pass or if we should buy point to point tickets at the station. We are playing the time schedule by ear so I don’t want to book any reservations in advance. I’ve looked at the Rick Steves’ site and see that Benelux 2nd class rail passes for 5 days in 1 month for the both of us would be $410 (DH qualifies for senior). I also tried the point to point, which looks like it would be half of that, however, we are not going until 1 Oct 2015 so can I assume the prices will rise? Will a rail pass save time at the station? Thank you in advance!

The itinerary is as follows:

Day 1: Fly into Brussels, overnight Brussels
Day 2: Train to Ghent, train to Bruges, overnight Bruges
Day 3: Bruges, overnight Bruges
Day 4: Quasimodo tour to Flanders Fields (no train needed), overnight Bruges
Day 5: train to Delft, train to Haarlem, overnight Haarlem
Day 6: Haarlem, train to Zandvoort?, overnight Haarlem
Day 7: train to Amsterdam, overnight Amsterdam
Day 8: train to Hoorn and Enkhuizen, overnight Amsterdam
Day 9: Amsterdam, overnight Amsterdam
Day 10: Amsterdam, overnight train to Munich
Day 11-14: overnight Munich
Day 15: home

It looks like these are mostly short local trips. I can't imagine that a pass would be cost effective - as you seem to have found. Why not believe your analysis?

The first three days, I know for sure, are very cheap, short, local trips. Brussels to Ghent is a bit over 1/2 hour. Ghent to Bruges is under 1/2 hour. Just purchase tickets at the stations.

Have you looked at the Benelux-Germany Pass that would cover the train fare for night train and let you use trains around Munich - but like others say above those are mainly short rides - if vs full fare tickets the pass is not cheaper then no - if it is about the same then go for the pass. But at $414 p.p. for the Benelux-Germany Pass for 10 days of travel that would be about 40 euros a day and with the slumping euro that does not sound like it would be cost-effective. In Holland ask about Daag Retour tickets that give a slight break over a return ticket - or used to at least.

For lots of great info on Benelux-German trains check www.seat61.com; www.budgeteuropetravel.com and www.ricksteves.com. Belgium may have some kind of day pass I think that could be cheap like maybe on Day 2.

another easy day trip from Haarlem is Zaanse Schans and its large collection of windmills - one working one always open to look into - take a train to Koog Zaandijk and walk a few blocks - Zaandvoort is a nice lively beach resort IF the weather is nice - a big IF in Holland at any time of year - I'd suggest Zaanse Schans may be more different than a beach resort, nice as it is.

http://www.amsterdamtips.com/tips/tr...etherlands.php

Oops it says Dagretour tickets are now the same as two one-ways but tells you how to use the chip card covering all public transports in Holland on trains.

I’ve looked at the Rick Steves’ site and see that Benelux 2nd class rail passes for 5 days in 1 month for the both of us would be $410 (DH qualifies for senior).>

The German-Benelux railpass I mention gives 10 days of unlimited travel within a one-month period for $404 p.p. and $504 p.p. in first class, which after zillions of rail trips of that type in Holland I would highly encourage - 2nd class on trains - especially at rush hours can be SRO in 2nd class (reservations not possible on most trains) but first clasws will be half empty - for the trip of a lifetime do you want to be fighting for the odd empty seat or just waltz on the train and find two seat adjoining each other nearly all the time. Again I base this on zillions of such trips - the $ 504 for 10 days may be a bargain (less days of course less the pass costs and things like Haarlem to Amsterdam are just a few euros).

Or Haarlem to Zandvoort just a few euros.

Buy local tickets since you have already booked your sleeper.
Use the single use tickets in the Netherlands, they cost a bit more but save the hassle of constantly loading a chipcard with money and getting the surplus refunded at the end of your trip.

There is no senior discount available on Dutch railways tickets.

"I’ve looked at the Rick Steves’ site and see that Benelux 2nd class rail passes for 5 days in 1 month for the both of us would be $410 (DH qualifies for senior)."


Fares from BE and NL national railway sites:

Brussels - Ghent - Bruges: €28 standard fare w/ stopover in Ghent; €6 + €6 for 2 senior (65) journeys for Leg 1 and Leg 2.

Bruges - Delft: €40 each standard fare with IC trains

Delft - Haarlem: €10 each standard fare

Haarlem - A'dam: €4 each standard fare

A'dam - Enkhuizen - A'dam: €22 each

That's around €200 total for 5 days just buying as you go.

"The German-Benelux railpass I mention gives 10 days of unlimited travel within a one-month period for $404 p.p. and $504 p.p. in first class..."

With regular tickets costing around €200, I don't think you need to pay €600 - $800 extra to get 5 days of travel you don't need... you ARE only looking at FIVE days of train travel, right?

I’ve looked at the Rick Steves’ site and see that Benelux 2nd class rail passes for 5 days in 1 month for the both of us would be $410 (DH qualifies for senior).>

OK total for both - prices I quoted on Benelux-Germany were p.p. so much higher - all your trips are indeed short and I would just buy tickets as I go along - again first class if you find a mob scene in 2nd class. Sorry not noting your $410 was for both - but that was 5 days and the German-Benelux is $404 for 10 days but you will not nearly need ten days of expensive train trips - just a few.

Thank you all for your responses. I will go with the point to point tickets. I was considering the rail pass for convenience, as well as not knowing if the prices would rise dramatically buying the tickets on the day off the journey.

PalenQ – thank you for the suggestion to Zaanse Schans. It looks lovely.

If you don't have a chip and pin card usable in the Nethetlands, you cannot buy tickets from a vending machine in the Netherlands. You have to use a manned ticket booth with cash.

greg - one exception to that I've heard from several sources - Schiphol Airport machines take American cards - at least they did last year. But yes the rest will not - you pay just a euro more at the man or womanned ticket window or you can do it online and save the euro I guess.