JulesRules79

Is it worth it to spend the extra money to get first class seats on train? I'm traveling from 12/12 to 12/30 - will the trains be very crowded then? My friend has advised me to get first class seats because you can guarantee yourself a seat.

My routes are:

Rome - Florence - Venice - Vienna - Prague - Munich

My preliminary research is telling me to get a 3-country Eurail Pass + the Prague Excursion Pass. I'm under 26 so I can purchase the youth saver passes

And finally - are there are trips which I can make overnight (over than Venice - Vienna - heard the trip over the Alps is not to be missed).

Thanks so much for your help!

bob_brown

My experience indicates that first class is a good move in Italy. I never have seen a need for it in Germany and Austria, although I have ridden in both classes.

I am not meaning to single out Italy other than for the fact that in my experience there, trains were crowded more so than Germany and Austria.

But on some routes, particularly on Sunday, everything can be crowded.

Of course, others will have a different take on it.

Just recently we rode quite a bit in Germany, and there was no reason to ride other than second class. First class was not worth the extra cost.

In Austria, it is a toss up. I think it depends on your budget. I know on a long trip, 7 hours, from Zurich to Salzburg, I was happy to have the extra space in first class. But I had a senior discount pass and that made first class equal in cost to undiscounted first class.

I don't know about Prague. If it is an Austrian or German train, the same conditions apply. But I don;t have first hand experience there so I cannot say. (E.g. the train from Zurich to Salzburg via Innsbruck was Austrian. Zurich to Munich was a German train as was Zurich to Stuttgart.)

PalQ

It's not that 2nd class is so bad but first class is much much nicer and roomier - 25% less seats usually in same space. I've ridden trains for over 30 years in my role as a Eurail professional - i've written many articles about European trains and own a company that has sold European railpasses for years - I assure you that first class will by much more relaxed. The post above says second class is fine in Germany, well it may have been on the few trains he may have taken. I've ridden hundreds of German trains and often when there were many empty seats in first class, second class was full or nearly full. In first class you can often spread out, there's more room for luggage, etc. France, Britain, Italy, Sapin and Germany are countries where first class I highly recommend - Switzerland and Austria the difference is not as great - but there always is a difference. Anyway if you compare second class fares to the first class Eurail Select Pass, the pass may well be cheaper as you have. Remember with overnight trains if you leave after 7pm you put the next day's date in, meaning one day on your flexi EurailSelect pass. In any case ignore anyone who says there isn't much difference between classes - they just havn't travel on European trains that much!

ira

Hi JR,

If you are under 30 you go 2cl. It's a universal law.

>My friend has advised me to get first class seats because you can guarantee yourself a seat. <

You can purchase reservations in 2 cl as well.

Have you checked your itinerary at www.railsaver.com?

Often, point-to-point tickets are less expensive than a pass.

Are you sure that you want to do 6 cities in 18 days?

You will lose a day going and coming.
You will lose another day transferring between Rome/Florence and Florence/Venice. It's a full day from Venice to Vienna. You will lose a fourth day between Vienna and Munich.

That leaves you only 2 days or so for each city.

Enjoy your trip.

PalQ

I agree with Ira - when i first responded i failed to see your age - if you can get a youth pass go for it - lots of people your age from all over the world riding the trains - a great experience and with youth the comfort factor is less. indeed you may not want to be riding with the upscale business types or older American tourists in first class. if you find getting 2nd class seats a problem, you can always reserve ahead of the train - usually a 3 euro ($4) charge for each reservation so you're not out much if you don't use them. On the Rome-Florence-Venice route stick to IC trains which don't require reservations; many of the services are via EuroStar Italia highspeed trains that not only require reservations but impose a $10-15 supplement even to railpass holders. And you can wait ages in line to get the reservations. The Eurail timetable you should get free with your pass indicates which trains require reservations and which dont' though it doesn't list the about hourly InterCity (IC) trains between Rome and Florence, just listing the ES trains. If second class on the train you want to take is full, you may have to stand for a few stops until others get off - not such a travail for young people. And if you're in a mobbed second class train you can always go sit in first class and the conductor will charge you the difference between the fares. Go for second class; youth railpasses are an absolute bargain. (Prague Excursion just $35 in second class - giving a ticket to and back to any border, to Prague.)

tcreath

We rode both 1st and 2nd class in Italy, Germany and Austria. While 2nd class was fine, 1st class was much nicer and roomier, particularly on Italian trains. 1st class is also generally less crowded, so those with 2nd class tickets may not be able to find a seat on some trains, while 1st class usually has more seats available. Both are fine, but if you have the money spring for 1st class.

nanb

I do 1st class if the journey is over a couple hrs, or we have just landed from a transatlantic flight .
Have fun!

Fodorite018

We have traveled both first and second class on the trains in Italy. The second class is fine for short stints. First class was definitely the way to go on the longer trips though! Also, one thing I noticed right away was the bathrooms in first class were much cleaner. Not sure if that was just a fluke or not, but it was definitely noticeable, lol!

JulesRules79

Thanks for all the respones!

It's still a toss-up for me though on whether to go first or second class - it seems like it may be worth it on some routes (i'm thinking the 8 hour ride from Venice to Vienna would be one of them) but not so much on others...

I'll do some more research in paying incremental fees to upgrade myself from second class to first class for certain trains/trips. That seems to make the most sense.

As far the 6 cities itinerary, I think I can handle it as I will only spend one night in Vienna and I'm in Rome by 8am on the 12th. And I'm hoping to take an overnight train from either Rome to Florence or Florence to Venice to save some travel time.

Thanks again for all the respones

kfusto

I am a regular traveller to Italy. I opt for second class on the Eurostar and it comes with a seat resevation jsut as does first.

For IC and regional trains on short hauls I save the money and go 2nd. If I was going to Sicily from Naples or some other long destination, I would pay for 1st.

ninasdream

I bought train tickets with the help of this forum for short trips this Spring in France & Belgium, and second class was fine. It was during Easter week. so there were crowds, but I found 2nd class less money and very comfortable. I am young-ish, and had just overnight bags with me. When I researched, there was much discussion of AC going to 1st class, or getting restored there first if there were mechanical problems. Don't know if the same thing applies to heat. Enjoy your trip.

Ira - as usual, you made me smile.

ira

Hi Jules,

Venice to Florence is only 3 hr.

Rome to Florence is only 2 1/2 hr.
You could take the 04:23 night train to Bologna (Arr 7:46)and the 08:22 back to Florence.

ben_haines_london

You are travelling from 12 to 30 December, in the busy Christmas period, so in some second class cars people will be standing in the corridors. No problem if on arrival in Rome you book seats on any day trains you will be taking. The one desk in Rome can book them all.

You see some Alps on the direct line from Venice to Vienna, but for the classic engineering and views of the great Alps you should add four hours to your journey, and travel (not Sundays) Venice 0651, Verona 0818 to 0902, restaurant car train, Innsbruck 1234 to 1318, restaurant car train, Vienna 1835.

You can take couchettes or sleepers from Vienna South at 2157 to Prague Smichov at 0624 and from Prague Hlavni at 2145 to Munich at 0625. Smichov is on the metro line, and gives you a longer night. I am afraid that no sleeper runs from Rome to Florence or from Florence to Venice, but InterCity day trains do run. Couchettes are well worth the 12 euros supplement.

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JulesRules79

Anybody have any opinions on this new routing?

I'm going to purchase express train tickets for Rome -Florence and then Florence - Venice while in Rome - sounds like it should be fairly easy; will buy second class seats because even if it's cramped, the rides are short.

From Venice, found a fairly cheap airfare on Volareweb to Prague for 90 euros (taxes included). Meaning, skip Vienna all together.

From Prague, take a train to Munich.

Figured this saves me 12+ hours in train rides and thus more time to enjoy Prague and Munich.

However, are there any "roadblocks" though that I'm not considering? (i.e. long transit times at the airports, etc). I've read though that getting to VCE is fairly easy from Venice.

ira

What time does your plane leave Venice?

PalQ

As for the Rome-florence and florence-venice 'express train' tickets when you buy them you will get a reservation with the ticket, reservations are required on the EuroStar Italia, express trains - you'll also pay about $10 or so more than the slower IC InterCity trains not requiring reservations. Anyway with the Eurostars you need not worry about finding seats in 2nd class - you'll have a reserved one! These types of trains, such as French TGVs and Spanish AVEs that require reservations negates some of the normal benefits of first class - being able to find empty seats much easier, so you may as well go 2nd class.

JulesRules79

thanks PalQ - I'm definitely more confident about what to do about the Italy trains.

The flight on Volare is at 11am - flight time is about an hour and half.

PLMN

Just to prepare you, the 1st class cars on the Eurostar Italy (Rome to Venice anyway)are not HUGELY better. They are better for sure, but the bathroom was gross and the cars smelled like stale smoke even though they are no smoking. (And I smoke by the way.)

To me the price difference was worthwhile, just don't expect FABULOUS surroundings.