very Confused about eurostar/eurorail/swissrail...someone help
 

Hi!
I have been trying to find out the best way to travel by train from london to paris and then paris to switzerland....I am vetry confused between all the different train names....I know that swiss rail is internal switzerland.....but whats the difference bewteen eurostar and eurorail? they seem to have different timings and prices...which would be a better option to travel from london to paris? I plan to be in paris for just one day and then take a train to switzerland. If I get a swiss pass....will I get discount on my travel between london and paris as well? Can I buy all these passes from one place? I live in N America...I am really confused.....Hope someone can clear this up for me. Thnaks.

Hi Ank,

The Eurostar is the teain that goes between London and Paris.

Eurail is an agency that sells tickets.

The cheapest price for the Eurostar is currently found at www.raileurope.com.

Get the one-day RT ticket for $90.

From Paris to Switzerland, you can purchase tickets online at http://www.voyages-sncf.com/

((I))

If all you are doing is going from London to Paris to somewhere in Switzerland, then your cheapest option is simply buying point-to-point tickets as you go. Rail passes only make financial sense if you plan to do a lot of rail travel. But they do have the seductive allure of being able to hop on any train, any time, going most anywhere and without having to worry about buying tickets.

Thanks for the answers. I was wondering....I do need to travel a lot in switzerland so the swiss pass would make sense right? But then eurostar would take me from london to paris....so that is a seperate ticket and then paris to switzerland would again be a seperate ticket? AM I right? Sorry i sound silly but its a bit confusing for me.
Thanks for the help.

There are two ways to buy rail transport in Europe:
1) Point-to-point tickets (<i>e.g.</i>, London to Paris)
b) Rail passes (<i>e.g.</i>, Swiss Rail Pass)

You should buy PtP tickets from London to Paris and Paris to Switzerland. Once in Switzerland, your choice depends on how much you plan to move around. At a certain point, one of the Swiss Rail passes might make sense.

Go to railsaver.com and plug in your age (it makes a big difference) and itinerary. Select &quot;Only if railpasses save me money&quot;. Figure out what you need to buy. Then go to one of the U.S. agents, such as raileurope.com, to buy your tickets/pass. Various outlets have different fees and shipping. Shop wisely.

&gt;....I do need to travel a lot in switzerland so the swiss pass would make sense right? But then eurostar would take me from london to paris....so that is a seperate ticket and then paris to switzerland would again be a seperate ticket? AM I right?&lt;

Yes.

PS
Very good advice from Robe.

Another Swiss option is the Half Fare Card. For 99 SF you get 1 month of 1/2 fares on every route.