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RAIL PASSES GUARANTEED LOWEST PRICES at RAILPASS.COM Click Here
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Europe first time for 2 weeks in June
eatpraylove
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first of all very useful site..I already feel lil better after panicking out at my last min. state! Planning to stop over in London and visit for 2 weeks in June..Countries/routes of choice:

#1 (most ambitious)
London – 4 days (incl arrival day)
Paris – 4 days
Switzerland – 2
Rome – 3
venice – 1

Other options include removing venice and/or only a day in Switzerland as a via point..

Is it doable? I checked, Eurostar ticket is up to $121 to Paris (from $65 being the cheapest advertised).. would a flight be cheaper, and where to look for one?
Also, does the itinerary call for a multi-city pass or would point to point or day passes do – I would do one day trip from Paris and may be rome-venice..

Also, any tips on what (and what not to) see in this time..any pointers to medium/budget accos (hidden gems so to speak) off of the tourist track..greatly appreciated!

I am leaving from sfo with $2500 for 15 days
London, Paris, Zürich, Rome, Venice
Requesting help with Transport, Itinerary, Sights
oldlady
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I would save Switzerland for a future trip. The major cities (particularly, IMO, Zurich) in Switzerland aren’t that great and the travel time involved in getting to places that are great makes 1 or 2 days in Switzerland pretty useless. Fly or take an overnight train from Paris to Rome and add Florence or an extra day each in Rome and Venice.

You might find a flight that’s cheaper than Eurostar, but since Eurostar is priced like an airline, you may find the cheap seats are sold out for you date on flights, too. Check our “cheap flights” forum for tips and help. Make sure to figure taxes, costs to get to/from airports, baggage fees, etc. In the cost of a flight. If a flight is almost as much as the train, I’d opt for Eurostar — it’s faster, more comfortable and you can usually pick a time that works best for you.

The trip planner has a recommendation for a rail pass for your itinerary — that’s the best general rrecommendation you’ll get. You might beat it with a fair amount of work and some luck. Check pricing for point to point tickets (passes is the wrong word) on the individual national rail company websites. The links are in a sticky at the top of this forum and under “transportation” on the “travel tips” tab. If you can actually buy on-line advance purchase,non-refundable specials (the Italian rail company probably won’t take your credit card, you might need to navigate the buying pages on the French site in French as well as work out how to pick up your tickets, etc.) you might get by cheaper than the recommended rail pass. Point to point tickets will probably be cheaper than a pass if you skip Switzerland.

eatpraylove
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hey, thanks so much!!

1. For Lon-Paris. I am getting Eurostar for $274 for three of us for a 5:25 am train. Other times are more expensive. Flights from easy jet ( 2 bags + CC fee) are coming to $190. Is going by eurostar for lon-paris worth the price difference?

2. yes I can drop swz..I was just thinking to go via zurich and just get to enjoy the scenery on the way

3. eurail pass (3 country as recommended) vs point to point. I am leaning towards latter..given the hassle of getting reservations and having more flexibility. I am traveling with kids so not sure how much I will be able to do..and if it is worth it. i read there is a discount on eurostar with the eurail select pass but not sure how much or if that will make it worth..

thanks for the help again!

I am leaving from sfo with $2500 for 15 days
London, Paris, Zürich, Rome, Venice
Requesting help with Transport, Itinerary, Sights
oldlady
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Quote:
Flights from easy jet ( 2 bags + CC fee) are coming to $190. Is going by eurostar for lon-paris worth the price difference?
Not for me. I would guess you’ve got roughly $40 each getting to and from the airports. CDG to gare de Nord (where you arrive on Eurostar) is 8 euros each, London to whichever airport is at least as expensive.
Quote:
. eurail pass (3 country as recommended) vs point to point. I am leaning towards latter..given the hassle of getting reservations and having more flexibility.
You may be correct in assuming that a railpass isn’t the best deal for you, but I think your reasoning is based on some misconceptions. Generally, the hassle of getting reservations is the same hassle as buying tickets — except in Italy where it’s easier to buy a ticket with reservation from the automated kiosk than to buy “just a reservation” to use with a railpass. A railpass gives you more flexibility than buying tickets. If the train you choose doesn’t require a reservation, then you just hop on — no need to stop and buy a ticket.
Quote:
i read there is a discount on eurostar with the eurail select pass but not sure how much or if that will make it worth..
I think the passholder fare for adults on Eurostar is about $85 each, so pretty much a wash with what you’ve found. Passholder youth fare and regular youth fare are almost exactly the same, so not worth it if you qualify for a youth pass.