Family of 6 adults, 2 kids.
starting in. Venice, then to Florence for three days. Florence to Paris for four days, then return to Venice.
Trying to understand the Eurail system, where to find train stations, secure correct passes. Any help appreciated
Best answer by BrendanDB
Well now I’m thoroughly confused. 🤣🤷♀️
It’s a bit confusing for a first timer, using trains in Europe.
As said before, the man in seat 61 has an excellent guide and intro to the ins and outs of European trains. Really read it thoroughly, it’ll explain a lot, especially the country specific pages. Feel free to come back to us, with more concrete questions. We love to help you out with difficulties and advice and suggestoins, but we won’t do the planning for you 😉
In short, to reassure you
Interrail/Eurail is your golden ticket for let’s say 95% of all trains in Europe, run by many different train companies, provinding you with immense flexibility.
Best plan your journeys via a good planner, like www.bahn.com (you just enter the common English name of a city in the search, it’ll give you results).
How to find stations? In 95% of next to the historical town or city centre, always very easy and convenient. Google maps or any other navigator app or website is your friend here.
But, as good as the product is, some sidenotes:
BUT, you can also buy normal tickets. A good idea if you have a fixed, limited schedule, that you’ve planned in advance. Use the local train operator websites to find tickets or use something like www.raileurope.com . Best compare the price of a pass+ reservation cost, to cheaper normal tickets bought in advance (reservation mostly included) bought two or three months in advance. Price difference can be big, so a bit of calculation to do on your part .
Start with this general introduction:
https://www.seat61.com/how-to-use-a-eurail-pass.htm
Then come back with specific questions if you have some.
Eurail is a pass valid on the vast majority of European railway companies. The pass is your ticket and sometimes seat reservations are required (extra costs). This will be the case on most of your journeys.
I'd double check whether Eurail passes make sense over regular tickets. It could but you'll have to make the calculations yourself.
Some links:
https://www.seat61.com/european-train-travel.htm
https://www.seat61.com/how-to-use-a-eurail-pass.htm
https://www.seat61.com/interrail-and-eurail-reservations.htm
Venice-Florence is very easy with frequent Trenitalia and .italo trains (Eurail not valid on .italo).
Florence-Paris is a long journey with a change in Milan and then either direct or through Switzerland.
Do you have to return to Venice? It's quite a long journey (10-12 hours on trains). Perhaps look at flying into Venice and leaving from Paris (multi-city).
Yes, our family is stationed at Aviano so we are starting from their house/town.
so, are you saying Eurail is not available for the Venice-Florence journey?
so, are you saying Eurail is not available for the Venice-Florence journey?
It is, but not on the Italo trains that also run there.
+7Well now I’m thoroughly confused. 🤣🤷♀️
It’s a bit confusing for a first timer, using trains in Europe.
As said before, the man in seat 61 has an excellent guide and intro to the ins and outs of European trains. Really read it thoroughly, it’ll explain a lot, especially the country specific pages. Feel free to come back to us, with more concrete questions. We love to help you out with difficulties and advice and suggestoins, but we won’t do the planning for you 😉
In short, to reassure you
Interrail/Eurail is your golden ticket for let’s say 95% of all trains in Europe, run by many different train companies, provinding you with immense flexibility.
Best plan your journeys via a good planner, like www.bahn.com (you just enter the common English name of a city in the search, it’ll give you results).
How to find stations? In 95% of next to the historical town or city centre, always very easy and convenient. Google maps or any other navigator app or website is your friend here.
But, as good as the product is, some sidenotes:
BUT, you can also buy normal tickets. A good idea if you have a fixed, limited schedule, that you’ve planned in advance. Use the local train operator websites to find tickets or use something like www.raileurope.com . Best compare the price of a pass+ reservation cost, to cheaper normal tickets bought in advance (reservation mostly included) bought two or three months in advance. Price difference can be big, so a bit of calculation to do on your part .
+10Well now I’m thoroughly confused. 🤣🤷♀️
.italo is a private high speed train company that runs in Italy.
You can use on the same routes the state company Trenitalia that is included in Eurail with they highspeed trains Frecciarossa (Reservation compulsory).
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