Eurail or point-to-point

[spencert]

I know you've probably been asked this question over and over again, I must ask it one more time.

My girlfriend and I are traveling through Europe for 3 and 1/2 months, our rough itinerary includes London, flying from London to Portugal, Spain, France, Belgium, Netherlands, Germany, Czech Rep., Austria, Croatia, Switzerland, Italy and Greece.

Would it make more sense to purchase a Eurail pass or just buy point-to-point tickets?

Or should we just buy a 2 month pass when we are in Northern Europe and traveling more often?

Thanks in advance for you help.

[madamtrashheap]

spencert, welcome to GFE.

From the countries listed, it will be more economical to purchase a eurail pass that covers the countries you want to visit in the time you'll be travelling. Some of the countries aren't covered by general Europe passes (eg CZ, some trains in Switzerland) so then you can purchase P2P tickets to suit. Have a look at the link on the Homepage of GFE for Rail Europe as it will answer a lot of your questions and if you purchase your pass through them, it helps keep GFE alive and kicking and handing out advice.

Happy travels!

[Eagle]

spencert, I'm assuming from your starting location that both you and your girlfriend are U.K. residents, and therefore won't be affected by the three-month limit imposed by the Schengen Visa?

Which brings me to the next question. I don't believe those living in Europe can purchase Eurail Passes, but instead must use Interail Passes.

There are a considerable number of different types of passes available, so in order to buy the most cost effective one, you'll need to have a good idea of which cities you'll be visiting and in which order. Also, keep in mind that rail passes do NOT include the reservation fees that are compulsory on some trains. These must be paid separately.

You might want to have a look at www.railsaver.com as the site may be able to give you an idea of the best combination of rail passes and P-P tickets that would be most suitable. For a trip of that length, you'll probably have to enter the details in several different segments. Railsaver appears a bit "dated" at times, but it should give you an idea.

Good luck!