Comments on: How to Plan for European Train Travel: Rail Passes Versus Point-to-Point Tickets

By: Chick

Chick — Sat, 29 Jan 2011 21:15:10 +0000

I’ve used the Global Eurail Pass for the 3 months consecutively, and absolutely loved it. I went with a friend, and we found that although we couldn’t always just hop on any train, most times it really was that easy! Also, for certain trips where you do have to reserve we found alternative, albeit longer, routes that were free/without reservation, and actually got us off the beaten track a little bit more. Given that we had a really flexible schedule, and were traveling almost non-stop, lol, this was a great option!

By: Christina

Christina — Wed, 06 Oct 2010 20:27:21 +0000

Very interesting … Europeans don’t have access to EurailPass but have Interrail instead. It covers more countries but is more expensive. Anyone have experience of long train travels across Europe with kids ?

By: Marc

Marc — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 01:33:59 +0000

I have made a few trips to England and each trip I have used a rail pass. I have had good experience with using the rail pass. In the UK one normally does not have to resever seats which is nice, but some routes it is a good idea (like London to Edinburgh).
Generally it is a good idea to sketch out where you want to go on the train and then compare prices between point-to-point and the rail pass. Most times the rail pass is a cheaper, but not always.

By: Leisure Nouveau

Leisure Nouveau — Sat, 11 Sep 2010 14:10:06 +0000

How to Plan for European Train Travel: Rail Passes Versus Point-to-Point Tickets…

The other day we were discussing some ideas for our long trip to Europe in the Spring. We talked about Eurail Passes and how confusing they are, and then I found this great article on Vagabondish about choosing between passes and point-…

By: Erik - Europeish

Erik - Europeish — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 18:53:58 +0000

What a great and useful article! I have always found it easier to use point-to-point tickets, but after reading this, I’ll reconsider using a pass when I’m planning another trip by train.

By: Before YOU Backpack

Before YOU Backpack — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 11:48:43 +0000

Great in depth info… I always try and plan, get frustrated that it takes so much digging and end up paying more for last minute decisions and point to point tickets – anything that makes it easier for me gets a big thumbs up!

By: A Grab Bag of Travel News | Trip Quips by TargetVacations.ca

A Grab Bag of Travel News | Trip Quips by TargetVacations.ca — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 16:13:27 +0000

[...] *Bookmark this one: here’s invaluable advice for planning a train trip through Europe. [...]

By: Ali

Ali — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 16:13:06 +0000

Does anyone have any idea whether it is possible to travel from Geneva airport to Moutiers (France) via train on a Friday evening around 9pm? I know the snow train has not yet started running and have been assured that there are trains but can not find the detials online!!! thanks in advance!

By: Travelwriter

Travelwriter — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 08:55:31 +0000

Thanks for sharing this. While travelling through Europe I always used to take passes so I was able to change destinations and trains quickly

By: Ant

Ant — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 20:57:15 +0000

Another tip if you're looking for point-to-point in the UK is to book in advance. It is definitely not the case in the UK that, "Purchasing a ticket at the train station can often result in big savings" Here's the link for advanced tickets that will save you heaps with a bit of planning. Also, this article — although very good — is purely based on non-European travellers, Europeans have the better value option InterRail pass. I covered the pros and cons in this recent article