FOR EUROPE RAIL PASSES
Of course you've heard of traveling
Europe with a Eurail Rail Pass. But is it really cheaper than point-to-point
tickets on SNCF,
Britrail, or Deutsche Bahn DB? Do I have to get a full rail pass or just
one for certain days or countries? How do I budget for the cities iI
want to see by rail and ones I want a rental car?
How
do Europe Rail Passes really work? See How Eurail
Passes Work
See Also Fly, Drive or Ride the Railsfor a comparison of flying versus driving or rail travel.
I
know how they work
I just want to buy a rail pass: Get a Rail Pass
CAR RENTAL DISCOUNT DEALS
Save up to 20% in Europe at Hertz when you book in advance!
Best
Car Rental Rates in Top Destinations on Travelocity
Priceline.com Rental Cars - save up to 30% 
Where
to rent a car in Europe?
A big company or a small one? The big travel services have deals at all the major car rental companies and offer guarantees that smaller ones don't. Some of the companies vary by country,
If you have a really specific need, sometimes the individual companies may have a listing that doesn't show up in the travel engine booking site. So you can search directly.
Avis and Hertz are the big boys and some prime locations and worldwide mileage perks. And they can offer some very good deals, aside from being famliar companies with reputations to maintain. And if you have a problem with them, they have reputations to protect.
For Europe based car rental agencies Europcar has been really good for taking rail between cities with many good locations in rail stations. Sixt also has good convenient locations in larger cities, especially Germany and England.
Read more on Renting a Car In Europe Part 1 Part 2
Convert Kilometers to miles
RAIL SEARCH
You can check national rail line schedules on the links to the left. The German and Swiss rail sites are best for searching schedules even on other rail systems. The French and aItalian Rail sites are a bit clunky and in their local language. If making many trips, I've personally had very good luck with the Eurail Passes. I've found the Select Pass most cost effective for stops in different cities in fewer countries over a longer stay, though local country discounts can be found.
NIGHT TRAINS
I've found the Night Trains
useful for long trips between cities. You can save a hotel night by
sleeping on the train. (see SAVE
ON HOTELS? TAKE THE NIGHT TRAIN)
HIGH SPEED TRAINS
The bullet trains go fast, like the French TGV, but without a pass they can cost almost as much as a plane and only save an hour on less than a long haul. If you have a Rail Pass they only require a reservation fee of around $14. Discount prices are offered for early reservation. Some peak hour highspeed trains require an extra charge.
If you're on a tight schedule transfering in Italy, allow yourself a good margin, because since Mussolini's gone, Italian train schedules can be "maybe now, maybe a little later"! ©Bargain Travel Europe
These articles are copyrighted
and the sole property of Bargain Travel Europe and WLEV, LLC. and may
not be copied or reprinted without permission.
See Also:
TRAVELING
EUROPE ON A BUDGET
SWITZERLAND
SCENIC TRAINS
EUROPE
HIGH SPEED TRAINS - TGV - ICE
THALYS HIGH SPEED PARIS BRUSSELS
TGV, &RAIL EUROPE PASSES FOR FRANCE
CITY NIGHT LINE – SLEEPER TRAIN
