Has anyone had the Scandinavia Rail pass? I'm looking at the 6 days in 2 months or 8 days in 2 months option ($426 and $474 Cdn) for next summer and am wondering if it is better to get the pass or just buy tickets as I go. Any advice would be appreciated.

The debate of whether to buy a Eurail pass can be extremely difficult. On one hand, you have a sense of security and the freedom to move around western Europe with little to no extra charges; further, there are particular discounts that come with the pass. On the other hand, there is that fear of wasting the pass, of overspending, and feeling bound by the trains when it might be easier or cheaper to travel by bus (e.g., in Spain it is often cheaper and faster to take the bus, as the original poster mentioned).

I decided NOT to buy the Eurail pass, as it will not fit into my travels. I shall be traveling for four months throughout Great Britain, France, Spain, Portugal, and Germany, among other places. Perhaps if there was a "four month global pass", I would consider it. However, because I won't be doing much city-to-city travel, it turns out that the buses and trains will be cheaper than a pass.

However, I didn't arrive at this conclusion easily. I live in Seattle and just north is Rick Steves' store. There, they have a counter dedicated to Eurail passes. They are full of valuable information. For example, when I mentioned that I will be gone for four months, the pleasant lady told me that most people doing this would simply buy two different passes, one for three months and the other for a month. When I mentioned that I would be traveling throughout Great Britain, she informed me that they encourage a completely different pass.

Anyway, I bring this up because she showed me a convenient map that the company drew. It tells the traveler, in US dollars, how much it costs to travel point-to-point. While the values may not be exact, they are close enough to get an idea of whether you should buy the pass or not.

To access this, go to: http://www.ricksteves.com/rail/comparetickets.htm, then click Time and Cost Map. I hope this is handy for those struggling to decide to buy or not to buy the Eurail pass.

Hey all!

I leave for Europe in less than two weeks, (Nothing like waiting until the last minute, eh?) and I would love some advice on my travel plans. I'm traveling alone and this is my first trip overseas. Here's my itinerary:

April 30th: Seattle-Paris
May 7th: Paris-Cambridge to visit a friend (fly or train?)
May 10th: Cambridge-Paris (fly or train?)
May 14th: Paris-Annecy (train)
May 16th: Annecy-Turin, Italy (train)
May 18th: Turin-Nice (train)
May 19th: Nice-Avignon (train)
May 20th: rent a car in Avignon and cruise the coast for 2-3 days
May 24th: Avignon-Paris (train)
May 27th: come home!


At first I thought I'd just get a 7 day France-Italy pass that would cover all my train travel, including from Paris-Calais and then hop a ferry to Jolly ol' England to travel up to Cambridge. Then I realized it would prolly be easier to fly from Paris to London to maximize my visit with my friend in Cambridge. Then I could get a 5 day pass and save a little money there (well actually that money will just end up being spent on my flight to London!)
I'm only spending a few days in Turin visiting someone, is it worth it getting a France/Italy pass or would I be better off just getting a France pass and buying separate tickets from Annecy-Turin and then Turin-Nice? 5 days in France vs. a 5 day France/Italy pass is only a difference of $8, so I suppose I just answered my own question. But what about getting to Cambridge from Paris?

Any general advice would be appreciated!

Thanks!
Mari

Cambridge-London, not sure, London-Paris via Eurostar. 90 euros for the cheapest seat bought a month ahead of time.

Ryanair might well be a bit cheaper on the london-paris run, but be more of a pain in the butt. You still have to take the metro from the airport to the center of the city, or a cab. The train takes you right to the center.

Buses might be cheaper yet, via ferry.

I just did this cost analysis of a eurail pass. It might prove useful:

http://www.nomadicmatt.com/travel-blogs ... rs-add-up/

But I have heard that using the buses are cheaper than the trains.