Is a Eurail pass worth the money? 2-week trip in Italy & neighboring countries
Posted by I_Only_Follow_Boxing@reddit | Shoestring | View on Reddit | 10 comments
Hello everyone.
I will be flying into Rome, Italy mid January and flying out of the same airport at the end of January. I don't really have a set itinerary as of yet because I mostly just want to hike to different places and take trains, but I was wondering if the Eurail pass is worth it?
I was thinking of doing the 5-days in a month pass for $282 USD, but was curious if this is worth it from those who have done this before. If this helps - I definitely plan on spending a few days exploring northern Italy and some of Switzerland by the Alps. Even looked into the Bernina Express.
summerofgeorge75@reddit
In addition to trains don't forget bus travel like Flixbus. I found them delightful for the most part and traveled all over Europe. In my limited experience the tickets were half the price of train tickets.
stickybeek@reddit
It is cheaper, but generally slower (in Italy) compared to the trains, the bus stops are not always so convenient, and most importantly it is not nearly as nice.
summerofgeorge75@reddit
I agree with everything you say 100 percent! But sometimes saving 20-50 euros is worth a little inconvenience! There's been times in my life where I counted every pfennig., thankfully now not so much!😁
MushroomBright8626@reddit
I recommend Flixbus
stickybeek@reddit
It totally depends on how far you want to travel, and how much flexibility you want.
Eurail is nice because you can just turn up and if space is available you are on (paying the appropriate supplement)
However if you are more of a plan ahead type you can get tickets for so much cheaper if you buy many days in advance, and stick to your schedule.
Also for just Italy not sure it's worth it, if you want to go to other countries however it will definitely pay for itself.
I_Only_Follow_Boxing@reddit (OP)
Thanks for the advice! Sounds like it may be a good idea to just get something like the 3 trips in a month deal so I can use it to travel between countries
gargar070402@reddit
In Italy right now; Itabus (similar to Flixbus) costs me €10 per trip on average, sometimes as cheap as €5 if you pick the right bus. Took this Venice to Florence, and about to take it Florence to Rome and Rome to Naples. If you’re okay with 3-4 hours on a coach bus (assigned seating too!) I’d 100% recommend this over the rail pass
I_Only_Follow_Boxing@reddit (OP)
Oh wow, I didn't even think of that. Sounds like a much better option for me!
megselvogjeg@reddit
Normally I'd say just do it, but Italy specifically really abuses additional reservations.
Before buying the pass download EuRail's app and check your itinerary. Most routes in Italy require an additional reservation fee, sometimes a significant one. Based on that, you can decide if it's worth it. (The app is free and you can build and plan your trip without buying a pass. The app will tell you if there is an additional fee, and how much it costs.
I will say though they really don't oversell the versatility of the pass. I have changed my destination to another country while on the train before, and made it successfully with only an incredibly minor delay.
AdmiralMoonshine@reddit
Eurail pass is only really worth it if your trying to improvise and stay flexible, and even then only in a few select countries. In places like France and Italy a lot of the trains require an additional payment for a reservation anyway though so it’s almost pointless. If you know where you want to go and are confident about not missing trains, I would just book those trips in advance. It’ll probably be cheaper. However, if you want to wing it and have the freedom to change your itinerary on a whim, I’d go Eurail. Just understand that you’re paying extra for that flexibility.