eurorail

[chipy]

ok, i'm almost sure i'm going to Europe in the next few/several months. i want to hit up a few countries, one city per country and i was thinking about getting a Eurorail pass/ticket.

i went to Chebago's website and read that sometimes there are extra costs in addition to the Eurorail i would've already paid for (e.g. bed in a train). i also read i would need to make reservations for overnight train rides - which is what i am wanting to do.

my question is: what website can i go to see the train schedule from each city i want to visit and where can i make a reservation/see the additional costs?

cliffs:

- going to Europe (multiple countries/cities)
- want to buy Eurorail pass
- need info on reservations and extra costs
- where do i go to see this and make reservations?

thanks guys!!

 

[LS21]

easyjet
ryanair

 

[Bibble]

Originally posted by: LS21
easyjet
ryanair

I'd recommend these instead of train, but if you insist...

Try this

Also, yes you need reservations for overnight rides. Additionally, you are not guaranteed a seat without a reservation for daytime rides. They run you anywhere from 3 to 30 euros.

Honestly, I found that traveling Europe for 3 months by train (with a global youth Eurail pass) to be a rip. If I had to do it again, I'd just use the discount airlines listed above.

 

[stephenw22]

I just got back from a European trip a few weeks ago. We didn't use the trains very much, so we didn't bother with a Eurail pass, but...

You can find information on the extra fees and reservations on the Eurail website. (www.eurail.com)

Depending on which cities and which countries you want to visit, it may be cheaper to just buy advance tickets from the different train operators directly. If you book your tickets more than 2 weeks in advance, some places will give you big discounts. If you're only going to a few countries, I'd look into booking individual tickets. It may be cheaper than a pass.

 

[Sukhoi]

GF says:

She had unlimited pass for 2 mo which was a good advantage if traveling a lot. Then you can be very spontaneous about travel plans. If just planning on a couple cities the pass may not be worth the price.

Also only made reservations on about 20% of trains, but yes do need reservations for overnight trains and do have to pay extra about $20 EU for a bed.

 

[akshatp]

I disagree about the discount airlines like Ryanair/Easyjet being advantageous to train. We travelled London/Geneva/South France/Paris a few months ago and foudn the trains to be sometimes more expensive, but always much more convenient.

Also, those discount airlines boast low prices, but then charge additional fees to checkin (wtf?), baggage fees, airport fees, etc. With the train ticket what you see is what you pay. No extra charges when you get to the station. And its much easier to get to/from on/off the train than it is most airports. No security lines, no waiting for late planes (trains are VERY MUCH on time in Europe), no weather to worry about delaying your travel, etc.


That all beign said, the websites for booking your rail travel can sometimes be a bit confusing. PM me with some specific questions and Ill see if my past experience can help in any way.