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I have built an itinerary of major destinations for our trip in September.  We are trying to use trains predominantly with only 1 car rental for the tail end of our trip.  Our itinerary is outlined below and I think it would be best to purchase the 15 day pass as we want flexibility for day trips when in Switzerland and Lake Como.   If I bought the tickets individually, it would be be about $350CAD  less but I know that there are other benefits to the pass for day trips and other services.  Looking for advice on the approach plus a few other questions on what the passes can get for you. 

Itinerary is here: Hey check my Eurail trip https://www.eurail.com/en/tripplanner-map#adult=1&senior=1&start=2022-09-18&end=2022-10-03&travelDays=7&trip=8xAT01%2C25oHU03%2C2mhAT01%2C4a2CH01%2C4e3CH05%2C1sebIT03%2C3dzIT01
 

Major train journeys – Summary

  1. Vienna to Budapest – September 18
  2. Budapest to Salzburg – September 21st
  3. Salzburg to Zurich-Sept 22
  4. Zurich to Davos – Sept 23
  • Davos - plan day trips between Sept23-2

       5.Davos to Bellano Tartavalle – Sept 28

  • Lake Como - plan day trips from Sept 28-Oct 1

        6. Bellano Tartavalle to Milan – October 1

General plan with notes for day trips that I think the pass will be very useful and ultimately save us money.    I am also interested if there are any benefits to using ferries (Lake Como), public transport (ie. regional trains, etc.).

Couple of questions:

  1. Are reservations advisable/recommended for the main trips outlined above.
  2. Additional benefits to other transports (ferries, regional/city trains public transit).
  3. Day trips in Switzerland - any agreements for discounts for gondolas and mountain transport.

Thanks for any insights as we would like to book our pass in the next few weeks.

Indeed-IF you can tie to those dates/fixed trains, advance tickets may work out a lot cheaper-except in Swiss-where they hardly exist. You may want to check if buying a pass for less days + some tickets might be worthwhile.

@1. except for the overnite, all trains you mention are only-if at all- with optional RES. After Zúri not even really possible.

@2+3. city/local is never included-and the benefits (very few as such) are all clearly listed in the general pages. Do not expect too much from that. However-for fine details: in Wien, Bp, Züri also exist S-bahn routes-along the normal raillines with very frequent metro-type urban service-can use if that line just happens to go where you like-but they mostly aim the normal commuters.

It MAY be -often in Swiss-that a HTLbooking also gives you a free pass for very local free trips-only immediate area-sometimes only bus.

Seeing the tight schedule I guess in AT and HU you only visit that city-then search for local ride-at-will passes. These usually cost around 5-8€/pp/day


Thanks very much and I will likely go with the 15 day pass as the cost of the major routes was only a few hundred dollars less and provides us with lots of flexibility for day trips in Switzerland and Italy.  Appreciate the details on other misc. transport that will likely not be available with the pass.


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