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2015
14
September
Should I Invest in a Eurail Pass for My European Adventure?

Question:

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Emily

hey guys,
Just wondering what your opinion of the eurail pass is?
Going to go to Europe for a month in July and not sure if its worth $900 for a continuous month pass.
Proposed route: Berlin> Croatia > Greece > Italy (South-->North) >Switzerland > Brussels (maybe) > Amsterdam
The plan is to stay in each city for ~3 days.
Most likely taking a ferry from Athens to Italy and may blablacar some parts.
Are there better options?
Thanks!

Humans say...

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Shauna

I just did a Europe trip in march/april, traveled through 13 countries during the two months and I honestly think the eurail is worth every penny. You can jump on any train (sometimes you reserve for a seat) and you can just go anytime. Flexibility is amazing, especially if you decide you want to stay longer in a country and travel to near by towns. Or if you miss a train it doesnt matter. Plus the eurail gives you access to the sbahn in Germany/Austria which is the city train and helps get you around in places like berlin which is huge.
The ferry from Greece to italy is about 12-24 hours and you have to stay in the deck area for your free pass with eurail. I didn't do it because you have to get on a bus and then a train to a town called perissa in greece. I was just confused by where to go and we did a 15hr ferry to a Greek island so I was perfectly fine not going on a ferry again.
I should warn you there is only one train per day in to greece if you take the train there. It leaves from sofia,Bulgaria at 3pm and takes you to thessaloniki. And make sure to book your athen train right away, we didn't and 3 trains sold out and we had to wait 13 hours till we could get the next one.
On another note, My train pass ended when I was in frankfurt and we tried to book a train without it to Munich. for one way it was going to be 100$ euro. So it can add up quickly if you don't have a pass and don't book in advance. I was told it can be cheaper if you have your whole trip planned out and book early for trains. I didn't have a plan and the eurail was the best thing I think.

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Vivien

I think this depends on how much time you have. To train from one location to the next can take 1/2 day or more in travel time. Unless you can get a night coach everytime, you'll miss a lot of time in the city.

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Julian

It's probably cheaper to buy individual tickets so you should check to see how much it would be for each of those legs

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Vivien

I was thinking it maybe better use of your time going via Ryanair or easyjet. I wouldn't get enough vacation time to ever use a railpass.

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Santina

i suggest that you buy a pass, i live here in Italy in the south and often go up to Rome and it costes me about 60 euros one way its a lot so you are better of whith pass.

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Rachael

If you do, buy an erasable pen! Just don't get caught using it. We used one years ago on our eurail passes and got a couple extra trips out of it.

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Santina

i did the same thing years ago RACHEL Rachael Comeau-Wolgien never got caught

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Sandy

I did the euro pass and did not find it worth it at all. we were better off buying tickets and perhaps taking some last minute flights with Ryanair

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Tessa

Berlin to Croatia and Croatia to Greece, you should just fly. Unlike Western Europe, trains in the East are old school commuters that will take whole days to arrive. Your time is better spent taking a quick flight to those locations. Believe me. The train from Hungary (Budapest) to Croatia (Zagreb then Split) takes like 17 hours. It gets worse the further east you go.

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Renay

I have just done trains in Eastern Europe (Bulgaria, Romania to Budpaest 21 hours), very slow, had someone try to steal from us when I was alone in the compartment, not able to purchase food on a 24 hour trip, got woken up during the night twice to check passports ... fly if you can, Ryan Air or Whizz Air, cheap and fast

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GenElise

.
Andrew Nacionales:
Only place I think you'll need a pass is for western eu it's more expensive but there are always buses which cities are you planning to visit

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Sarah

I would buy a separate pass for Belgium, Netherlands (Called the Benelux pass) as it's much cheaper! Then buy a Eurorail pass for the western countries you plan to spend the most time in (eg Germany/France) then buy cheap a cheap flight to get across Europe to your starting place, and individual tickets for Eastern Europe. I did a lot of research and this is the cheapest way to do it.


A.I. says...

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Is the Eurail Pass Worth It?

The Eurail Pass is a popular option for travelers who plan on doing a lot of train travel in Europe. It allows you to travel on most trains in Europe for a set period of time, and can be a great way to save money if you're planning on doing a lot of traveling.

However, the Eurail Pass is not always the best option. If you're only planning on doing a few train trips, or if you're not sure how much you'll be traveling, it may be cheaper to buy individual tickets.

To help you decide if the Eurail Pass is right for you, here are a few things to consider:

  • How much will you be traveling? The Eurail Pass is a good option if you're planning on doing a lot of train travel. If you're only planning on doing a few train trips, it may be cheaper to buy individual tickets.
  • What type of train travel will you be doing? The Eurail Pass covers most trains in Europe, but there are some exceptions. For example, the Eurail Pass does not cover high-speed trains in France and Spain. If you're planning on doing a lot of high-speed train travel, you may want to consider buying a different type of pass.
  • What is your budget? The Eurail Pass can be expensive, so it's important to factor in the cost when making your decision. If you're on a tight budget, you may want to consider buying individual tickets or looking for other ways to save money on train travel.

If you're still not sure if the Eurail Pass is right for you, you can use the Eurail Pass calculator to estimate the cost of your trip. The calculator will take into account the number of days you'll be traveling, the type of train travel you'll be doing, and your budget.

Based on your proposed route, here are a few things to consider:

  • Your route is ambitious, and you will be doing a lot of train travel. The Eurail Pass may be a good option for you, as it will allow you to travel on all of the trains you need to take.
  • You are planning on taking a ferry from Athens to Italy. The Eurail Pass does not cover ferries, so you will need to factor in the cost of the ferry ticket when making your decision.
  • You are planning on using BlaBlaCar for some of your travel. BlaBlaCar is a ride-sharing service that can be a cheaper way to travel than taking the train. However, it is important to note that BlaBlaCar is not always reliable, and you may need to make alternative arrangements if your ride falls through.

Overall, the Eurail Pass may be a good option for you if you are planning on doing a lot of train travel in Europe. However, it is important to factor in the cost of the pass, as well as the cost of any additional travel expenses, such as ferry tickets and BlaBlaCar rides.









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