Should I buy my eurail pass online from home here in america, or should I wait until I get to europe? I have heard both suggestions and I\'m not sure which is more beneficial. Also, if we are going to be in Europe for 3 weeks, would the 15 day pass be enough? What do you think? Any suggestions are greatly appreciated...
Reply to this Personally, if you're over 25, I think the answer is NEVER. The discounts given to students may make an unlimited pass worthwhile (in which case, buy it here, since it's the same number of dollars as it is Euros if you buy it there) but realize that they are NOT your friend, and some of the stuff you expect to get discounts on just won't work that way when you get there. The ferry from Algiceras to Tangiers, for example, hasn't had that deal since March 2005, but they may still be advertising it. When you get there, all you'll hear is "No Discount" and maybe if you press hard enough, they'll pull out the memo that negates the promise. DO NOT get the version where you have to get Reservations. Though they claim the fee is $5-10 USD, going more than down the street will mean a Reservation Fee of $100. In Spain, the reservation fee was identical to the price of the fare without the pass.
Can it be good? I suppose so, if you're under 25 and get the Unlimited version. To address your question, if you're going to be in your first city for 4 or 5 days, and the same in your last city, then yes, of course, 15 days is enough of the 21.😊
Good luck! Enjoy!
Reply to this Hello James
If you do intend to buy your pass - do it in the US - it is supposed to be very difficult, if not impossible, to get one once you arrive.
I used two back-to-back Eurail passes a long time ago (1992) and found the best way to go was NOT to get the "Global Pass" which allows unlimited consecutive days as it is very expensive (I agree with JT). Instead, go for the "Global Pass" or the "Select Pass" which allows a specified number of days (varies between 5-15) within 2 months. This way if you stay for 4-5 days at a time in a city, you can then use one day of your voucher to visit somewhere new, and then spend another 4-5 days in another city and the another vouhcer to move elsewhere, and so on. It will allow you to visit quite a few cities within the period of 2 months.
The important factor to know about this system is that travelling after 19:00 (7pm) at night is considered to be travelling the following day - so it is possible to leave at night at say, 20:00 (8pm) and travel till 21:00 (9pm) the next day (a lot of travel mind you) and it is only considered a single day.
Reply to this Actually, I'm saying that the Select wasn't such a hot idea either. Seems the schedules worked hard to befuddle those potentials. The Reservation fee was the killer though.. $95 reservation fee on a fare that wouldn't have been much more that $170 in the first place, so why did I give them 600 Euros for the blasted pass?
I bought mine in Italy with no problem at all, except of course that I paid 600 Euros instead of $600 USD...
***IF YOU BUY IT AT A TRAIN STATION*** (or anywhere else but..) make CERTAIN that it is EXACTLY correct. Despite printed statements that it was refundable if unused, all anyone said for 2 hours straight was "No Refundas," even when looking at the text in their own language that prescribed a refund was part of the deal.
In my case, not wanting to waste a day of travel on a short hop, I just paid for Rome to Florence, and saw the error in Florence. But Florence told me I'd have to go back to Rome to get it fixed, that they hadn't issued it, No Refunds, etc. Finally they said "Okay, we send it in and in 2 months we see what they gonna do. You giva me da pass." Uhm, no, asshat, not without a refund in hand. So, overall, just avoid the things. You'll probably do as well to just pay for fares when and if you need 'em.
Reply to this Two summers in a row, i purchased Eurail passes. I bought mine at STA travel in the US. Then when you get there, it takes merely 5 minutes to validate the pass and be on your way. I had no problem making seat reservations in Germany, Italy, and France and they usually cost $5-15, you only need these on trains that will be busy or popular routes. A lot of times you can just hop on the train or just go sit in the dining car if you can't seem to find a seat thats not reserved.
I would kind of plan out in your head the places that you want to go, and count out a basic number of days that you will be traveling. You may not use all the days, but its much better to have a couple of extra than a couple of days you have to buy full fare tiickets.
I highly suggest the passes. They make travel much more flexible and easier while you over there.
Reply to this Caroline, glad you had diffferent experiences than I did (and I don't know when you were there, mine was summer of 2005,) but again I must repeat my warning. They wanted to charge me $100 USD for the Reservation in Florence, Italy for a train going to Barcelona or Madrid. The whole thing proved a waste of nearly $600 USD, and neither Eurail nor my bank was of any use in the matter. Meanwhile, the full fare just wasn't all that bad - no more, in any event than the $600 wasted with them.
I was told that I needed reservations on ALL trains in Italy and in Europe. Maybe you can get away with just hopping on the train and presenting the pass without reservations, that might work, but to do it as they told me to do would not allow that. In fact, they told me the reservations wouldn't even be available from Florence to Madrid for 3 days... but I was able to get there by paying for fares just fine - all the way to Algiceras (sp?) in one long day's travel.
WHatever the case, NOTHING more flexible than buying the ticket when you need it.😊
Good luck.
Reply to this Falc, let me see if I have this right...You're saying that regardless of the possession of a rail pass, you had to pay extra fares? I am planning on purchasing an unlimited rail pass for 15 days. Hopefully, i wont run into the same problem...?
Reply to this Is it true that i cannot buy a pass in europe (im canadian), and that i have to buy it before i leave? i arrive in london. will i be able to buy a rail pass for non-europe residents in london?
Reply to this Aesop/James, Sorry for the tardy reply. Yes correct. I bought the pass in Rome, and when I got to Florence (Firenze) they wanted 100 euros as a Reservation Fee for travel to Madrid and on to Algiceras. To add another piece of injury, in Spain they first said you couldn't even get a train ride down there... then I pointed out to them that the train could take me to (Seville?) the stop when the other one starts up to Algiceras. Brainstorm! Yes, we can. 4 Euros reservation So far okay, right? I get to the station and the entire fare was 4 euros from there on to Algiceras! Then, at that port, I brought the ticket to the ferry office, and was told "No discount-a". I pulled out the handy brochure and pointed to the part where it says the ticket provides discount for the ferry to Tangiers. He pulled out his book of memos, and showed me one from several months before that said they'd discontinued that arrangement. Last I checked, months after returning home the map was STILL showing that as a place your ticket will get you a discount. Regardless, I wouldn't trust 'em again. I'd have been better off just paying the fares from my pocket.
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