What's the break even amount on a eurrail pass? Snowflake details inside
January 19, 2018 12:42 PM   Subscribe

So I'm in Spain. I plan on getting on a train and going from San Roque or Algecerias and taking it through spain, through france and eventually getting off in Geneva. Then the goal is to take trains to Zurich. And from there down to Rome for a couple of days and eventually to take a train to Naples. So I was looking at the non consecutive four day Eurrail pass. And it's pricey. 5 days within 2 months the total price 427 euros. I THINK it's going to be less to just book individual tickets but I'm not sure. IS it cheaper to do it ala carte?
posted by rileyray3000 to Travel & Transportation (15 answers total) 3 users marked this as a favorite
 
I've done trips to Europe for the past several years, and so far, getting a pass has been cheaper than a la carte only once (when we were in France the whole time). To check, I usually just go on to Rail Europe and find all the trains I am more or less planning on taking, and see how much it adds up to. Most times it hasn't even been close.
posted by just_ducky at 1:04 PM on January 19, 2018


As for the route, I think you could go to Seville or Málaga in regional or mid distance trains and from there take the Seville-Barcelona high speed AVE route. From Barcelona you can go to Lyon in another high speed train (AVE/TGV) and from there to Geneva. But I can't say much about the pricing because it changes with passenger class, special offers and how close the travel dates are (it's cheaper to buy train tickets in advance). Play a bit in the Renfe website.

I can't really tell you anything about trains in France/ Switzerland/ Italy or Eurail (I'm European so I can't use it, I'd have to use Interrail), sorry.
posted by sukeban at 1:08 PM on January 19, 2018


Don't use third party reseller sites like Rail Europe to compare prices, go to the actual transit system websites.
posted by humboldt32 at 1:09 PM on January 19, 2018


Are you travelling now/soon, or later (like spring break, summer vacation times)? If you're traveling now, point-to-point might be best. If your travel is during popular, crowded travel times, Eurail can be a helpful asset.
posted by late afternoon dreaming hotel at 1:15 PM on January 19, 2018


Keep in mind as you make your comparisons that several countries have additional seat fees that you need to pay even with a Eurail pass, so that needs to be worked into your calculations. (I'm pretty sure Spain is one.) When I was travelling by rail in Europe, I used Seat 61's advice to plan routes and select cheaper options... I think I remember reading advice on the site about when to buy vs. not buy a Eurail as well.
posted by snorkmaiden at 1:15 PM on January 19, 2018 [3 favorites]


Also, depending on your schedule, it is possible to buy tickets in advance on some systems, and save a handsome sum. I've done it a few times on Italy's Frecciarossa lines. You *do* have to know exactly when you are traveling, and there are no exchanges or refunds.
posted by dbmcd at 1:34 PM on January 19, 2018


Response by poster: So as a clarifier, this would be for travel now or in the very immediate future. All to be finished by no later than Feb 15th.
posted by rileyray3000 at 2:18 PM on January 19, 2018


If you're traveling now, point-to-point might be best. If your travel is during popular, crowded travel times, Eurail can be a helpful asset.

Why do you say that? For instance, today I can buy a ticket from Amsterdam Centraal to Köln, Easter weekend, for €29,90. That's way cheaper than a day of Eurorailpass. In fact, at busy times you'll want a seat reservation which you have to arrange and pay extra for your Eurorailpass.
posted by humboldt32 at 2:19 PM on January 19, 2018


So I'm in Spain.

Oh, well I don't think you can get a Eurorailpass in that case, anyway.

I would go to The Man in Seat 61 and do whatever he suggests.
posted by humboldt32 at 2:21 PM on January 19, 2018 [1 favorite]


Do you know what days you're traveling for sure? Because if you do, price them out on Trainline.eu, which offers basically all European train lines in an outstanding English-language interface. And it will let you compare fully refundable fares. My guess is even the refundable point-to-point fares will add up to being less than the pass. As I understand it, the pass is really only a good deal anymore is if you are riding really long trains for many days.
posted by wnissen at 4:05 PM on January 19, 2018


If you were in the US right now, I'd recommend you call Budget Europe Travel Service for advice. They are a legit business based in Michigan and my go-to for long-haul train trips in Europe outside a specific area. They've even advised me to fly instead of taking the train on a few trips so I truly trust their advice and pricing.

Because you are in Spain right now, on the go and unsure of an exact itinerary, I'd consider spending more for the convenience and flexibility of the Eurrail pass. In order to get the good deals on such long distances, you usually need to book your tickets a few days to a few months in advance and have a set schedule down to the hour. Or, if you're on the group, you need the language skills in each place to learn about and even negotiate deals with the train salespeople.

You could always get the Eurrail for the cross-country treks and buy in-country for domestic excursions. Right now on ItaliaRail you can buy a ticket from Rome to Naples for next Friday between $15-58, with most somewhere in the middle but with limited seats at each price. For starters, I'd get a price quote from someone at Renfe for the trip from Spain to Switzerland. I tried putting in some destinations but it seems you need to check in person (or be more skilled at their app, which you surely are!)
posted by smorgasbord at 5:57 PM on January 19, 2018 [1 favorite]


Almost certain to be cheaper to go a la carte for what you want (given the occasional charges for reservations). The man in seat 61 is an excellent resource, but I'd also add Rome2Rio as a transport comparator - just in case the bus/plane is a better/faster/cheaper option. I've found them pretty accurate as a guide for European travel, although they don't always pick up on the sleeper-train options over long distances.
posted by AFII at 2:43 AM on January 20, 2018 [1 favorite]


If you're resident in Spain, Interrail's cheaper than Eurail (particularly Eurail bought in Europe). They need an NIE number, apparently. And they can now be used in the country you live in on the first and last days nowadays, so that's good.
posted by ambrosen at 3:34 AM on January 20, 2018


Still likely to be cheaper à la carte, but I'd go for the spontaneity of the pass for that level of price differential.
posted by ambrosen at 3:35 AM on January 20, 2018


The peerless* rail information site The Man in Seat 61 has a whole, giant guide about figuring out whether a railpass is worthwhile.

*Seriously, it's one of those sites that is just what the internet is for
posted by Happy Dave at 12:12 PM on January 23, 2018 [1 favorite]


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