Octobertraveller2018
Traveller
0 comments
Posted 6 years ago
What are the benefits of having a Eurail pass if you still have to pay extra for a seat on the train travelling from country to country. Wouldn\'t it benefit the traveller to know upfront whether Eurail is the best option for a cross Europe journey. I did so much research but I might have settled on the wrong ticket and I am travelling from 12 - 31 October 2018.
Wouldnt it be helpful for someone like myself who is coming from Cape Town South Africa that when you plan your itinerary with the Eurail journey tracker they could advise you on which rail network you need to purchase an additional ticket and which associated networks you need to book to cross into another country.
is it possible that someone could still help me with this ?
For example : With my Eurail pass 8 in 22 days :
- which train company can I book with from Barcelona to Paris
- which train company can I book with from Paris to Belgium
- which train company can I book with from Belgium to Warsaw
- which train company can I book with from Warsaw to Austria
- which train company can I book with from Austria to Switzerland
- which train company can I book with from Switzerland to Italy
Peter
Traveller
9333 comments
Hi.
A rail pass can be a great value if you travel long distances and select "good" countries. These "good" countries are in your case: Belgium, Germany, Poland, Austria, Switzerland and Italy. Only France is a bit difficult and Spain as well.
I know you have 8 travel days in total. But is your route already fixed? Do you plan stops in Belgium, Austria or Switzerland? Belgium to Warsaw is a very long trip. I personally would skip Warsaw and replace it by Berlin, Prague or Krakow. And Switzerland to Italy, do it with your rail pass for free on the routes of Glacier and Bernina Express: [ux]https://rail.cc/blog/zurich-milano-albula-bernina/[/ux]
Now to the extra reservations you have to buy with Eurail...
Barcelona to Paris is a direct TGV train [ux]https://rail.cc/blog/interrail-reservation-guide-tgv/[/ux] . Currently reservations are only available locally in Spain or France at stations. The fee is about Euro 38 - read here for details: [u]https://rail.cc/en/eurail-train-reservation/ave-spain-france/317[/u]
Another option and much more scenic is to cross the Pyrenees mountains. First by free local from Barcelona to Latour de Carol: [u]https://rail.cc/en/eurail/barcelona-to-latour-de-carol[/u] - then by night train from Latour de Carol to Paris for about Euro 21: [u]https://rail.cc/en/eurail-night-train/latour-de-carol-paris-icn-3980/75[/u]
If you want to save one travel day, buy the ticket for Barcelona to Latour de Carol separately for Euro 12. All in all: more scenic and you save the night in a hotel.
Also you could include the Little Yellow Train, read here: [ux]https://rail.cc/blog/little-yellow-train-video/[/ux]
Paris to Belgium: either by direct Thalys train for Euro 20 from Paris to Brussels [u]https://rail.cc/en/eurail-train-reservation/thalys/41[/u]
Or by TGV train from Paris to Lille for Euro 10 [u]https://rail.cc/en/interrail-train-reservation/tgv-sncf/42[/u] and then by free IC train to Belgium.
In Belgium you travel for free with Eurail, except of the Thalys train which you usually don\'t need. To move around there, do not use Eurail travel days, buy single tickets locally on [ux]https://rail.shop/beurope[/ux]
Belgium via Germany to Warsaw: use a free ICE train from Brussels to Cologne (not the Thalys). There you change to Berlin by free ICE train (as all others in Germany). And then by "Berlin-Warsaw Express" to Warsaw: [u]https://rail.cc/en/eurail-train-reservation/berlin-warszawa-express/77[/u]
Warsaw to Austria... I recommend the direct night train here [u]https://rail.cc/en/eurail-night-train/warsaw-vienna-en-407/68[/u]
Austria to Switzerland is free...
And then see the blog post mentioned above for your travel to Italy.
If not bought already, support the free content and help on rail.cc with the purchase via our partner link at no extra costs for you [ux]https://rail.shop/eurail[/ux] - thank you! :)
Pete :)