Josee
Traveller
0 comments
Posted 2 weeks ago
We want to travel from Arnhem to Berlin to Paris and London and back to Arnhem. Can I see before buying a ticket for Eurail how much the ticket surcharges are? I would like to know what will be cheaper. Normal tickets or Eurail.
MisterSteve
Traveller
916 comments
"Buying a ticket for Eurail" isn't a thing, Eurail is a pass bought for a number of days by people who don't reside in the Eurail group of countries (if you do reside within then you buy Interrail which has a restrcition which shouldn't affect this itinery). You are very wise to be concerned by the surcharges because 2 legs in this plan involve Eurostar trains via the Channel Tunnel which cost at least €30 per seat on the Paris-London route and €43 from London into the Netherlands, and they are subject to quota so you might not get one on your prefered trains.
Arnhem-Berlin would have no surcharge as such and a recommended (compuslory on some dates) seat reservation would only be about €5.
Berlin-Paris is harder to say because it depends on route. If you travelled via Cologne and used Eurostar from there the Berlin-Colgne section would be a simple optional seat reservation and Eurostar would want €32. If you travelled by DB ICE from Cologne to Brussels and then caught Eurostar to Paris their fee would be €27 - but a seat reservation on ICE would take the saving, If you travelled further south and used a direct TGV or ICE from south west germany to Paris the fee would be less than with Eurostar but that route has a reputation for reservation chaos, although they are compulsory their availablity isn't what it should be, especially if trying to plan ahead for early in a timetable season.
Using the Berlin-Paris overnight train would push up fees even more.
All of these routes have potential for discounted tickets with reservations included if bought online and early. Once they are released (a few months in advance) prices will rise as time passes. All Eurostar tickets are based on this practise (use www.eurostar.com), anything to, from or within Germany will have a tarif with the word Saver (Sparpreis in German) in the name - use www.bahn.com and do the price check for the international journey not split at the border. A random check of Arnhem-Berlin in late May is showing "Super Sparpreis" at €44.90 which is about €100 less than the flexible full price!
or the overnight train from Berin use www.nightjet.com , for Eurail surcharges go through the process to get the ticekt prices then go into discounts and find Eurail in the international part, this will recalculate the price.
nltrainer
Traveller
1343 comments
As above; EUrail is only for those who do NOT live in EUrope.
The very MIN in extra cost-assuming you take that €* train via chunnel both ways the shortest distance=chamge to other trains, is 2x30€/2nd cl. All the rest can do without any extra, though those not much used in how to travel by train will balk at that and there will also be more changes needed. You then run the risk of maybe, perhaps have to stand a short while..........