Rail Ticket Help

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Dec 29th, 2002, 04:40 PM

Laura

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Rail Ticket Help

We are spending two weeks Rome, Venice and Paris this Spring. We would like to use the rail service. Where is the best place to buy rail tickets, and is the France-Italy Rail Pass worth buying? Also, can the pass be used to intercity trains (to and from the airports to the city centers)? Thanks for your help.

Dec 29th, 2002, 04:45 PM

Rex

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You will almost surely do better with point-to-point tickets, purchased IN Europe. Check out www.railsaver.com if you want an illustration of the difference. And you might do far better to fly from Paris to/from Italy - - check out www.airlibexpress.com - - and hope that they don't succumb to the financial pressures they are currently facing. Best wishes, Rex

Dec 29th, 2002, 04:53 PM

Patrick

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I would differ in opinion from Rex if I understand your plan right. If you are thinking of a train trip from Paris to either Rome or Venice, one between those two Italian cities, another trip back to Paris and any other major trip, I'd go for the France and Italy Pass. Since you say "we" there must be two of you so that pass will cost $239 each for four days of first class travel in 2 months. That comes out to $58 each of four trips. I find it hard to imagine buying just the three above mentioned trips in first class for that amount of money. But additional days purchased would need to be used for more major trips than just from airport to city center to make them worthwhile.

Dec 29th, 2002, 05:21 PM

Rex

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I have no problem respectfully disagreeing with Patrick on this. Riding one time between Paris and Italy would require more love of trains than I have. Doing it round trip would be to ignore the purpose of airplanes, in my opinion. Patrick's analysis appears indeed to be sound. It's just the assumptions with which I disagree.

Dec 29th, 2002, 05:53 PM

Laura

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Thank you both for your suggestions We will fly into Rome, take the train to Venice, then to Paris and fly home from Paris. My husband and I thought it might be fun to take the train. I checked out www.airlibexpress.com They are very inexpensive. Has anyone traveled with them?

Dec 29th, 2002, 05:57 PM

Rex

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From http://www.fodors.com/forums/pgMessages.jsp?fid=2&tid=34383704 Autho r: mjs ([email protected]) Date: 12/27/2002, 05:00 pm Message: Flew Airlib in November Venice to Paris. As above posters have noted E30 vs E180 per ticket. This really adds up if you have more than one ticket to buy. I would also much rather spend a night in a decent hotel than on any train. Will have to watch Airlib's financial status as they might go under. Pay with a credit card and you should be protected from any financial loss. Keep an alternative plan ready. Good luck.