gmajor23

I am from Malaysia and found out this website. I am really confuse about the passes and tickets, may I know the purpose of those?

I planned to travel by train from

1. Amsterdam to Brussels
2. Brussels to Paris
3. Paris to Venice via Milanf (overnight train)
4. Venice to Rome

Can I purchased all train ticket from this site? Are there offering the cheapest price?

Any other options I can turn to?

PatrickLondon

Not familiar with this particular site, but in principle I would always be careful of agencies and sites selling passes and tickets for services you can buy from direct.

Other posters here have recommended
www.bahn.de, the German railways website, as providing good information on rail travel across Europe.

http://www.seat61.com

kybourbon

It's doubtful a pass would be a good idea for these routes. Passes don't include seats supplements which are required on most of the trains you listed. They also don't include beds on overnight trains.

You can fly Paris (Orly airport) to Venice for about 50€ with Easy Jet. You just have to watch their strict check-in times and luggage weights. There are flights as cheap as 25€, but you have to pay 11€ for each checked bag.
http://www.easyjet.com/asp/en/book/index.asp?lang=EN

Venice/Rome fastest train is about 75€ if you purchase the ticket in Italy. That price includes your reserved seat.

ira

Hi gm

Enter your itinerary at www.railsaver.com. Be sure to click "only if it saves money".
If they tell you not to buy a railpass, you can believe them.

If they suggest a railpass, compare their price to any discount fares that might be available at the national rail sites:

1. Amsterdam to Brussels.........http://www.ns.nl/reisplanner-v2/index.shtml?language=en
2. Brussels to Paris.........http://www.b-rail.be/main/E/ OR www.voyages-sncf.com
3. Paris to Venice via Milan (overnight train)........www.voyages-sncf.com
4. Venice to Rome.......Buy your tickets when you arrive in Venice.

Also see www.thalys.com

As noted:
If you buy a ticket on a THALYS or other high-speed train the price includes a seat reservation. If you buy a ticket in a sleeper, the price includes accommodations.

If you buy a railpass, you must pay extra for required reservations and sleeper accommodations.

Enjoy your planning.

alihutch

If you want information about travelling by train in Europe, this site

http://seat61.com/

is excellent

TimS

Rail Europe is owned by a consortium of train companies and basically is a travel agency. It sells tickets, but at higher prices than you can get over the counter in Europe. It doesn't offer discount fares.

1. Amsterdam-Brussels: InterCity trains make the trip in 2h48min. Reservations are not possible and tickets are good on any train. Buy your ticket in Amsterdam. The fare is €37.80. Hi-speed Thalys trains make the trip in 1hr54min. Reservations are required. The standard 2nd class fare is €64. If you book well in advance (up to 90 days allowed) at www.thalys.com, you can get a Smoove fare as low as €25.

2. Brussels-Paris: A Thalys train is your best option. The standard fare is €88. Booked well in advance, you can get a Smoove fare as low as €25.

3. Paris-Venice: There is a direct night train from Paris to Venice (no need to change trains in Milan). You need to be able to handle French to book at www.voyages-sncf.com. To book in English, go to www.tgv-europe.com (a multi-language site operated by SNCF). To keep the site in English and to avoid being bumped to the Rail Europe site, choose Great Britain as your country of residence. Popular night trains can sell out weeks in advance. Book up to 90 days in advance to get a Depart fare of €55 for a bunk in a 6-person couchette or €65 for a bunk in a 4-person couchette. The couchettes are the same size. The only difference is how many bunks are pulled out. Book the 4-person couchette. The extra elbow room is worth the extra money.

4. Venice-Rome: Buy your ticket in Venice.

LikeLivingThere

We've used www.raileurope.com (U.S.) and been very pleased. Yes, the price may be slightly higher but the site is easy to use and we've never had a problem. We just show up with our tickets and board.

In the U.S. the tickets are mailed to your home. You'd have to verify how it's done for Malaysia.

Keep in mind that you can't book more than 60 days in advance. If we are beyond that I usually check schedules for the same days of the week we plan to travel (i.e. leave Paris on a Wednesday) and so far there hasn't been much change a few months later.

You do have to watch for supplements - I haven't had that issue because our trips have been relatively short.

If you are satisfied with the service, this is a lot easier than trying to book with three or four different train services, whose web sites frequently revert to the native language once you start jumping from page to page.