Scanrail HELP!
 

If I get a Scanrail pass is it good for both Denmark and Norway? Does it cover ALL trains and ferries ( e.g.the ones that go from Copenhagen to Oslo)? Do I dare purchase them on the net? Is there a better way? Do I need both a city card AND a Scanrail pass? Can I get a city card on the net? Thanks for any help you can give this Scandinavian novice!

ttt

ScanRail is good for Denmark, Norway, Sweden and even Finland, though the latter is not a Scandinavian country.

covers all trains save a few remote lines you won't encounter.

covers many ferries but not all also gives discounts on many and covers or gives discounts on some buses

ScanRail only comes in 2nd class but sometime the 3-country Eurail Select Pass doesn't cost much more and it's first class - especially since the current sale where if you buy Eurail Select before end of Mar, 2007 on a six day or longer pass you get an extra day.

ScanRail has special fares for youths under 26 and old farts over 59

city cards don't duplicate Scanrail benefits except for a few trains running thru cities like Copenhagen but to use these with the pass you'd have to use a day on the pass - not up to snuff on City Cards myself.

But a few train trips in expensive Scandinavia can make the pass payoff.

Where to buy? prices are universal but handling and shipping fees can vary, adding on up to $15-30 on a pass. I always recommend BETS (800-441-2387; www.budgeteuropetravel.com; ask for their free European Planning & Rail Guide that has a good chapter on Scandinavian rail travel) for their expertise, lack of mailing/handling fees and that you can talk to someone with questions like yours and get a definitive answer - i.e. which boats are covered, etc. www.ricksteves.com also has good info on passes.

Thank you! You are a WEALTH of info. This will really help.

The ScanRail pass covers some boats in full but more generally i believe gives a 50% discount...and the 50% discount can be better than 100% coverage!

Why? because the rules of the railpass dictate that you use one of your flexible travel days (on flexipasses good for a certain number of days in a wider time frame) but if it's a discount you need not use a day of travel but just need your pass to be valid.
And many boats, for some weird reason in an area where prices shock even folks from Switzerland, are relatively cheap - so a 50% discount off say $40 can be better than using one of your 100% travel days on a flexipass.

Thank you for all your help. I just bought 5-day rail first class passes for the 3 of us and the guy at BETS (Budget European Travel Service) spent an hour on the phone with me giving me tons of ideas and info. That was a great idea. I find that with city cards and a 5-day eurail select pass we will save a ton of money and can go everywhere we want to go. Now to decide what to see and what not to. Such fun already! THANK YOU!

Fares on many international ferries are cheap because the operators make money from tax-free sales of alcohol aboard. Drink prices ashore in Scandinavia are high because of high taxes, and many passengers make round trips on ferries to take advantage of the lower drink prices.