Do you have an idea of where you want to visit? A pass can be useful if you're doing a lot of traveling, depending on which countries you visit, and it's sometimes good for spontaneous travel - again depending on country. 

But don't forget you can also buy tickets for each journey cheaply in advance, or as you go along.

Hi @ralderton 

Thank you for your reply. It’s been a while since I’ve been to Europe my very first trip was a Top Deck tour.

We know for sure that the last 2 weeks will be Greece and Italy with finishing in Italy. I’m assuming we can get a train from Athens to Venice ? 
 

I think Spain is on the list and maybe possibly Germany im not sure but if those 4 countries in sort of mind how is the best way to do it ? Any advice is appreciated 

There are 2 options - you can opt for pay as you go, either buying advance budget tickets (available from almost all operators across Europe) or get a Eurail Global pass which gives unlimited rail travel on almost all trains in Europe operated by the national operators and some privately owned companies such as Eurostar.

As Australia residents you get unlimited rail travel in all the countries including the UK, if your relatives in Scotland are joining you they require an Interrail pass (Identical but only allows up to 2 days travel in the UK).

Both Eurail and Interrail Global passes allow the same unlimited travel outside the UK.

There is no restriction on how you use these passes in that each train journey is simply added to your pass as you travel and does not link with any other before or after so you can fly in and train back, you can break journeys wherever and however you want and so on.

There are 2 types of pass, a flexi pass and a continuous pass.

A Flexi pass allows you a specific number of travel days within a fixed period (e.g. 7 days in a month). A month works as from the first date travelled (Say 16 March) until the same date minus one of the next month (15th April). Once you have used the scheduled number of travel days the pass in no longer valid - it cannot be extended, so a 10 day in 2 months would actually give you a max of 10 travel days to use in your 6 weeks (To me that would be a suitable  choice). However there is also a 15 day in 2 months which is not much more expensive and would give you freedom to do both UK and European excursions.

A continuous pass is simply that you can use it in an unlimited way on ANY and ALL days in the period purchased. 

Flexi passes are priced a bit lower than continuous passes so those with a fixed itinerary can save over those who have a dynamic approach to travelling (i.e more interested in backpacking and trying to see 20 cities in 20 days). So a continuous pass for 2 months would cost about 750 euro and a 10 days in 2 months pass would be about 420 euro. (15 days in 2 months is about 520 euro). You need to confirm these prices as Eurail will give you prices in Aus$

 https://www.eurail.com/en/eurail-passes/global-pass

Bear in mind a continuous Eurail pass could be used by yourselves for extensive travel in the UK as well as excursions to the European mainland, which can be very expensive for fully flexible travel on peak time trains - a full priced return journey to London can easily exceed 300 euro (even more first class). Your UK relatives and you could travel a lot cheaper of course with advance fares, but that becomes quite challenging if you want to change your itinerary.

One other consideration is the cost of reservations on most high speed trains across Europe (The UK and Germany are currently free for reservations with a Global Pass). These are generally between 3 and 10 euros per seat but certain cross border trains can be quite expensive. (Eurostar and Thalys plus French cross border TGVs are examples).

Bear in mind most of Europe has exceptional regional train networks that have no reservations and ideal for a slower style of travel.

Obviously only you can decide but just ask if you need any further info.

@Yorkie thank for that. I know for sure the last 2 weeks will be Greece to Italy. I was looking at the map and the train stops at Venice, Bologna, Florence and Rome we need to finish in Rome because we are coming home from Rome. Can we get off at Venice have a couple of days and then get back on ?

There are multiple daily trains between Venice and Rome yes. You could stop in Bologna or Florence along the way but you need reservations on the high-speed trains.

There are no international trains to/from Greece.

The easiest option would be to go to Patras by train + bus (all included) and then take an overnight ferry to Ancona and then travel to Venice.

https://www.seat61.com will give you great advice. Please use that website as much as you want.

@thibcabe thank you for that. My partner can’t do ferry’s she gets very sea sick unfortunately 

Currently Greece to Italy is extremely difficult by train (if even possible). You should either fly or Ferry from Greece to Italy.

As I detailed in my previous post, once you are using a Global pass you are in total control of how and when you travel, You simply add your planned train to your pass and it creates a travel ticket and you use it. If you decide to stop and catch a later train you simply delete the unused train ticket and add the new one. (Plus getting a reservation if required).

Then you will have to take buses to Sofia I guess. Or fly to Venice…

I'm not sure a Eurail pass would be worth it for the Greece part. It will be way better from Venice onwards to Rome, Switzerland, Germany...

Ok perfect thank you. My other question is say we wanted to go to Munich for the weekend from my partners family in Scotland is that possible by train or again better to just fly from day Aberdeen to Munich ?

As for Italy it has an excellent high speed network across the upper half serving the stations you mentioned. Many people catch the ferry from Greece to Bari and then work their way up and across.

As I mentioned earlier Greece (and the Balkan countries in general up to Romania) are currently a rail nightmare for any but the most committed travellers with a lack of cross border opportunities, frequently only one routing and one train a day (often a night train).

If you look at Google Maps you will see that to get to Italy from Greece is a journey up through the former Yugoslavia and round to Trieste and Venice. The majority of recommendations I have seen have proposed heading for Budapest but I believe a mixture of trains and buses can reach Zagreb.

 

Munich from Aberdeen would take you a night and a full day. You could get the Caledonian Sleeper down to London, then pick up a Eurostar, and be in Munich at 1913 that evening.

Or travel to London and Brussels during the day, then an overnight train from Brussels to Munich.

https://www.seat61.com/Germany.htm#london-to-stuttgart-and-munich-by-train

It’s not something I’d do for a weekend, but it might be enjoyable for a slightly longer trip - maybe spending a day or two en-route somewhere, then flying back?

From Aberdeen you would need to travel to London and take a Eurostar to Brussels. From Brussels there is a regular service to Frankfurt and onward connection to Munich. This is easy in 2 days and you should be able to stay overnight in Brussels. You could feasibly make it to Munich with an early start and a very late arrival

 https://www.eurail.com/en/plan-your-trip/eurail-timetable?ol=ABERDEEN+%28UNITED+KINGDOM%29&ov=007089760&dl=MUNICH+%28GERMANY%29&dv=008099999&vl=&vv=&t=1680145200000&ar=false&rt=&tt=&mc=&mct=0

This would be a 4 day weekend to give you a couple of days in Munich (Fri - Brussels, Sat - Munich, Sun - Brussels and Mon - Aberdeen. 

The only reservation cost would be the Eurostar crossings at 30/38 euro (2nd/First). 

If the budget will run to it I would get a first class pass for these sorts of journey - Both the Aberdeen to London and Eurostar services include comfortable seats and on-board drinks and food for first class. 

Correction. It would be London to Brussels to Cologne, then sleeper from Cologne. And you wouldn't be able to get down from Aberdeen in time to make the 1301 Eurostar to Brussels.

However, this route does work in the Northbound direction. Overnight train from Munich gets you into Cologne before 7am, for connections arriving in London just after 2pm.