JC4every1

If I purchase a Eurail pass, can I use that for other trains? I'm using www.raileurope.com and checked Trenitalia which had different train schedules - not found in raileurope. Please help...
(this is assuming that my eurail pass is good for selected countries). Can I use it for any train in that/those countries?

Intrepid1

The "schedule" on the RailEurope site is notoriously deficient.

You might do better by checking www.trenitalia.com for Italy in particular or
http://reiseauskunft.bahn.de/bin/query.exe/en
which is the GermanRail site and very comprehensive for trains all over Europe.

If you are using a EurailPass it is generally good throughout the countries you buy it for with the notable exception of some private railroads which either don't honor it or will only give a partial discount.

The national railroads of the various countries will generally honor Eurail passes.

ira

Hi jc,

Before purchasing a railpass, enter your itinerary at www.railsaver.com to see if it will save you money.

Be sure to click "only if it saves me money".

suec1

Just seconding the message that RailEurope is a very poor source of rail info especially to mid-sized or smaller cities. Often journeys that are very doable don't show up there at all. Also fares shown there are usually more expensive than tickets purchased in country or on the websites of the national train networks. Bon voyage! SueC1

ben_haines_london

Tickets bought on RailEurope cost more than they do bought from the operating railway company, from any big station in Northern, Western, or Central Europe, or from other and better informed rail agencies in Florida and in Britain, which I can gladly list you for you if you ask me to

[email protected]

JC4every1

Thanks. I hope you're still there... 3 countries involved here: France, Switzerland and Italy. Do you have other websites for the 2 others?

ben_haines_london

Sorry. That should be ben.haines@:btinternet.com

JC4every1

Thanks Ben, hope you got my e-mail... while waiting for your response, here's our IT:
London - Paris (2 nights)
Paris - Luzern (2 nights) going to Geneva and Zurich
Zurich - Florence or Pisa (overnight train on April 7th)
Florence or Pisa - Rome (3 nights)
Should I take Eurostar and 3 day Eurail Selectpass... then just buy train tickets at the country? Or is there a better way?

Intrepid1

you may want to input your itinerary at www.railpass.com or www.railsaver.com to see if a pass would be more economical than point-to-point tickets.

Pass prices are SET so those generally cost the same no matter which agency you buy them from. What differs are the shipping and handling fees the agency may or may not charge. These can range from RailEurope's $15 up to $45 charged by others.

Point-to-point tickets are a different story. I have never seen evidence that RailEurope "charges more" than other agencies for these but I gather Mr. Haines has so I'll defer to him on that matter.

JC4every1

Thanks Intrepid...
Also, do you know what Rail Networks are private?
How about SBB, TGV, Trenitalia, are these under Eurail Network?

darnellkebo

Yes, I'd like to know the answer to that question as well. We bought rail passes via raileurope for $168.00 per person. We're using it twice, Rome to Venice and then Rome to Naples. However, I was looking at the timetables and only ES* arrives into St. Lucia, but I don't know if the rail passes cover ES*. I would rather refund the tickets if I have to pay a supplement and then buy point to point.

ben_haines_london

I do not use web sites of national rail systems to find fares, but rely upon the January issue of the Thomas Cook European Rail Timetable. I find this easier to use than web sites, and also I think national web sites often omit international fares. You can phone the reference library of a city near you to ask whether they have the January issue of the Thomas Cook timetable for you to go and see. But even that gives only basic second class fares. I use a mental list to add supplements for ICE, Eurostar Italia, and TGV (about ten euros), first class (add about fifty percent to second), and sleepers in 3-berth single sex compartments (about 50 euros). In your case your best move might be to e-mail a travel agent, pay less than ten percent fee, and book on a credit card from your home. My note below lists agents. I check about every second year, and RailEurope consistently charge a thirty percent fee on point to point tickets. Of course, if you e mail a range of agents, RailEurope included, with your needs you can compare charges. If you do that, please tell us all here on Fodors forum the figures various agents give you for thev same journey.

SBB and Trainitalia are state networks, and work smoothly with the pattern set up again after 1945 that each West European country’s rail system booked journeys on each other’s trains at the same charge as you would pay in that country, later including the same supplements for EuroStar Italia, InterCity Express in Germany, and so on. They moved on to the era of rail passes, which they accept, but they take the same supplements for premium trains as you pay point to point. I think this is true also of the new, non-country, systems such as Eurostar under the Channel and Thalys in north west Europe. I do not use American rail passes so am not sure, but I think that such private lines as many Swiss mountain railways are not covered by rail passes sold in north America. You gave me your intinerary and asked whether to buy point to point or a rail pass. I am afraid I do not know, as I do not use American passes. I agree with the useful thought that you may want to input your itinerary at www.railpass.com or www.railsaver.com to see if a pass would be more economical than point-to-point tickets.

Eurail run no trains. They are an accounting system between rail companies that lets non European pass holders take the trains of those companies, on domestic or on international trips. So, as you have found, Italian Railways run many local trains, for which a Eurail pass is good, but I am told that the Eurail booklet shows only the fastest trains. The German Rail web site lists all the trains, however slow, and the Thomas Cook book lists many of them, all you are like to need, and I find it faster to use than any web page.

I am glad to say that while most Eurostar trains from Rome to Venice go to St Lucia in Venice, some non-Eurostar trains do so too, as Thomas Cook says at table 620. An example with a restaurant car leaves Rome Termini at 1047 and reaches Venice Santa Lucia at 1638. Another leaves at 0847, you have a buffet car until 1240, where you change trains, and arrives at 1438. Or if you sleep well on trains you can save a day’s travel and a night’s hotel bill, leave Rome Tiburtina at 2253, change trains north of Venice, take a packed breakfast with good coffee on the day train, and come into the city at 0943

I doubt I have covered everything, so please write again. My note on agents follows

ben.haines@btinternet>com.

ben_haines_london

To book tickets, seats, and berths Americans can use Euraide in Florida, http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homep...e/homepage.htm, telephone 1 941-480-1555 fax 1 941-480-1522 [email protected]). Also they can book through four firms in Britain:

Trainseurope Ltd, of Cambridgeshire and London, take credit card bookings by phone and mail tickets to any address. Have the widest access in Britain to rail systems and tickets. http://www.trainseurope.co.uk/ - E-mail [email protected]. Phone 00 44 900 195 0101 - calls from Britain cost 60 pence or 40 euros a minute, maximum 5, but if the enquiry results in a booking, the cost of the call is deducted from the final invoice. Phone Mon to Fri 10 to 5 British time

German Rail UK: www.deutsche-bahn.co.uk/ Phone : 00 44 870 243 53 63 then 6. Fax : 00 44 208 339 4700. E-mail : [email protected]

Ffestiniog Travel, site http://www.festtravel.co.uk, e-mail [email protected], phone 00 44 176 651 2400

Inside France (Canterbury). Phone 0044 1227 450088. 29/30 Palace Street, Canterbury, Kent, CT1 2DZ. Booking form on site www.rail-canterbury.co.uk/. Or e-mail [email protected]/. This is the only agency for the slow connection rail, boat, rail from London to Paris or back.

[email protected]

GeoffHamer

There are no "Eurail" trains. Eurail is a pass which allows travel on trains run by the national rail operators who include Trenitalia, SNCF (France), Deutsche Bahn and SBB (Switzerland). In Italy, Trenitalia runs all express trains and most local trains; there are a few independent systems, but the only ones most tourists are likely to come across are the Circumvesuviana from Napoli to Pompei and Sorrento, and the Milano Nord line to Como. TGVs, ICEs, Eurostar Italia, and other high-speed trains are included in Eurail, but you may have to pay a reservation fee or a supplement. As people have pointed out countless times, do not buy a rail pass until you've checked whether it would be cheaper to buy tickets at the station. In Italy, basic train fares are cheap (about half the French fare per kilometre) so it's rarely worth getting a pass for Italy unless you plan to spend most of your holiday on trains.

ira

Hi darnellkebo

There are IC and ICplus trains from Rome to Venice for which you will not have to pay a supplement unless you wish a reserved seat (about 3E) in Italy.

ES* Rome/Venice is 67E 1cl and 45E 2cl each way

ES* Rome/Naples is 32E 1cl and 22E 2cl each way.

See www.trenitalia.com/en



You will paya supplement (about 10E) for a seat on te ES*.

First c

tatersalad

We are soon to travel Czech & Slovak Republics, plus Hungary and Austria. I did price out point to point tickets, but did purchase East Rail passes at a somewhat higher cost (about $45US). At the time I thought that that convenience would make it worthwhile.

Now, if I had to do over, with all the good advice and web sites that this board has shown me; I would reconsider.

JC4every1

I'm getting a headache with all these info. Why can't life be simple...
Ok, I think we need a rail pass of some sort because our trips include 3 countries (Select Saver Pass). Because I did check railsaver and I am saving if I get a rail pass.
I'm getting mixed signals... but majority is advising NOT to buy from RailEurope. Do I buy my pass when I get to Europe then - cheaper than what we will be paying for here? We also need a sleeper for 2, but I need to make a reservation to be sure or our IT will be messed up. What do I do? My headache is turning into migraine! Do you think that for $1,000 for 2 adults in 8 days out of London via Eurostar is too much? We took a 5-day pass within France, Switzerland and Italy. Includes a sleeper (1 night). And the pass puts us in first class. Is this a mistake?

JC4every1

PS: I think $1000 is too much. Oh and the Eurostar ride is 2nd class.

jenneepoo

Been researching this a bit myself lately for this year's trip, which is still to be determined.
Rail Europe's products are geared towards people who are looking to plan farther ahead of those who are more comfortable waiting until they reach their destination. Meaning you are paying more for the privilege of booking with someone who speaks your language, uses your currency, and will ship you tickets/passes/reservations to your home in the States. You can avoid standing in lines, language barriers, using the Euros in your pockets if you purchase ahead of time from Rail Europe. The website is LOUSY, but I just looked and it's been updated a bit for 2005. www.bahn.de is terrific for planning routes (rail europe's only shows direct routes) and www.trenitalia.com is certainly the source for ITaly travel, but you can't buy your tickets from them and have them sent to the US. Thomas Cook is the ultimate, but can you buy it in The States? not to mention that it comes out monthly...
The private railways that a Eurail pass doesn't cover are few and far between. There's a leg on the Glacier Express route that requires a supplement if you have Eurail Pass and the aforementioned Circumvesuviana to get to Pompei are the biggies, plus municipal transit systems like Paris's MEtro wouldn't be covered.
You CAN NOT buy Eurail passes in Europe! These passes are for tourists, not locals. Sometimes there are local variations, but you might not be eligible to purchase them.
With a Eurail pass, you get a discount on London-Paris. It doesn't matter whether your pass is first vs standard class; you can choose either on Eurostar. I don't imagine that the first class is really so much better that it's worth the added expense.
Call Rail Europe or email them from their crappy website, tell them your itinerary and make the agent there compare the prices for you - that's what they are there for. Feel good about your decision, one way or the other; they should be able to prove to you one way or the other. I had a good experience, but if *you* are conflicted, at least give them a chance. It really does depend on how much rail travel you are doing whether or not a pass is justified, and Rail Europe is the only company stateside that can do reservations. If they can not answer you to your COMPLETE satisfaction, find an alternative. Planning should be fun, not migraine-inducing!
Buon Viaggio!

ben_haines_london

If you use one of the agents I list you can pay ten percent or less fee for the privilege of booking with someone who speaks your language, uses your currency, and will ship you tickets/passes/reservations to your home in the States. You can avoid standing in lines, language barriers, using the Euros in your pockets if you purchase ahead of time from them. The same is true of Rail Europe, but for point to point fares, and seat and sleeper reservations, you pay thirty per cent or so as fee. I agree that it is good to get Rail Europe’s fares, but suggest that with one e mail sent to five agents (Eurostar plus four) you can see who makes the best offer. I find it hard to feel fully satisfied by any agent if you do not know what other agents offer. I suggest e mail, not phoning, as that lets you ask the British agents their prices, too. You will have best results of your e mail does not show that you are asking others too.

You can buy the Thomas Cook European Rail Timetable, ISBN 0952-620X via their site http://www.thomascooktimetables.com/. They make small changes monthly to please professional travel agents and lovers of detail like me, but train times change so little that ordinary users can buy a copy now, use it to plan, and travel on it three months or so later: it will not be seriously wrong.

Eurostar first class is not so much better that it's worth the added expense. I used it once (Eurostar paid)

Ben Haines