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Which EU Rail pass is right for me?

Karthik Vyas

Dear All,

 

Thank you for taking the time to read this email! I’m from Singapore, and l will be solo travelling to Europe for the first time this June. I am keen to travel by train and take in the scenery, and visit as many cities as I can! I have quite a few long train routes planned, and so I was wondering if I should book individual tickets, or get am EU Rail pass!

 

My itinerary as planned:

10 June: Fly in from Singapore to Amsterdam 

13 June: Leave Amsterdam for Berlin (Train)

18 June: Leave Berlin for Florence (Train). The Route is Berlin - Munich - Bolonga - Florence. Will be a full day train journey, to reach Florence on 18 night. 

23 June: Leave Florence for Rome (Train)

28 June: Leave Rome for London (flight)

6 July: Leave London for Paris (train)

12 July: Leave Paris for Amsterdam (train)

14 July: Fly from Amsterdam back to Singapore 

 

Based on the EU Rail Planner, they suggest the Global Pass - 7 days within 1 month. I have also considered buying individual tickets on Trainline. 

Based on this itinerary, my question is - is the EU Rail pass the right way to go? I understand that the EU Rail pass does not cover local public transport within the city, and as a student, wherever I can save money is good!

Please let me know if I should consider something else as well! And any other travel trips will always be helpful.

Thank You!

 

 

 

 

 

Best answer by thibcabe

Could you buy a Youth Pass ? Then it will surely be cheaper than advance tickets and you have flexibility, at least for the Amsterdam - Berlin day

Btw you could also take the train from Rome to Paris, then go to London a few days later and finally to Amsterdam (so no need to fly)

- Rome - Milan/Turin 13€

- Milan/Turin - Paris about 30€

You leave Rome at 10:50, change at Torino Porta Susa (42 min) and arrive in Paris at 21:18

Cheaper to go via Switzerland (let me know if you need suggestions) : 13€ + 10€ (09:25 - 20:41)

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  • thibcabe
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  • May 15, 2023

Compare the prices. A pass may or may not be worth it over advance tickets.

With a pass you need to add seat reservations :

- 10€ surcharge Brenner Pass (Munich - Bologna)

- 2 x 13€ Frecciarossa Bologna - Florence - Rome

- 30€ London - Paris limited quota book ASAP (afternoon availability only on your date)

- 32€ Paris - Amsterdam limited quota book ASAP

Check availability here : https://www.b-europe.com/EN/Booking/Pass#TravelWish

Regular tickets I can find :

- Amsterdam - Berlin 40€ on bahn.de

- Berlin - Verona (06:29 departure) 70€ or Berlin - Bologna (08:29 departure) 80€ bahn.de

- Verona/Bologna (1h margin from the previous train) - Florence trenitalia.com

- Florence - Rome trenitalia.com or italo

- London - Paris 98€ (afternoon departure) eurostar.com

- Paris - Amsterdam thalys.com

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Karthik Vyas
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  • thibcabe
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  • May 15, 2023

Could you buy a Youth Pass ? Then it will surely be cheaper than advance tickets and you have flexibility, at least for the Amsterdam - Berlin day

Btw you could also take the train from Rome to Paris, then go to London a few days later and finally to Amsterdam (so no need to fly)

- Rome - Milan/Turin 13€

- Milan/Turin - Paris about 30€

You leave Rome at 10:50, change at Torino Porta Susa (42 min) and arrive in Paris at 21:18

Cheaper to go via Switzerland (let me know if you need suggestions) : 13€ + 10€ (09:25 - 20:41)

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Karthik Vyas
  • Karthik Vyas
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  • May 15, 2023

Dear Thibcabe,

Thank you so much for your detailed response - this is a very helpful community! :D

I did consider travelling up to Paris before London. However, I have some plans with friends & family in London for those few days, so I have to be in London on those days (28th June - 6th/7th July). Thus, those London dates are locked in, which means that I’ll have to fly from Rome to London.

I’ll definitely look into the Youth Pass - I’m 24, so it will certainly help to bring the costs down. 

 

To your above answer on the reservations; thank you so very much for checking the prices on each individual leg of my journey; I truly appreciate the time that you have put in for me! I’ll be sure to compare the reservation costs; but at this point - it does seem that a youth pass may be cheaper? 

 

With that in mind though; I did have a general question; do you recommend making a  reservation? This carries with it 2 sub questions: a) how do I check if a journey needs a reservation? and b) even if a journey does not need a reservation, should I still get one? 

For example, I know that for Eurostar & Thalys I need a reservation. However, from what I see on Trainline, the Trains within Italy or the Berlin-Florence Journey do not require a reservation. Would be grateful for some advice on this.

 

Thank you!

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  • thibcabe
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General advice for seat reservations :

https://www.seat61.com/interrail-and-eurail-reservations.htm

https://community.eurail.com/train-connections-reservations-47/how-to-get-reservations-105

Reservations are (mainly) required in Italy, France and Spain + some cross-border routes such as Thalys and Eurostar

Berlin - Munich - Verona/Bologna has optional reservations but it is recommended to make one for such long journeys. Do not make them through eurail.com (way more expensive)

- 3€ per train on tickets.oebb.at

- 4.50€ per train on bahn.de

To book the Brenner Pass surcharge use tickets.oebb.at or cd.cz

Trainline can't help with that, regular tickets directly include the reservation.

5-day Youth Pass 243 USD + about 100€ in seat reservations. You might buy a longer pass for day trips too :) For example London - Oxford or such

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