The truth about Eurail Passes

For Spring Break I got a 3 country eurail pass, I'sm still deciding whether i saved money or spent more. I paid $496.. for France, Greece, and Italy. I thought that would be the end of it, I would just show it at any ticket window and as the french say, VOILA!! But not even, I experienced my first trial after Normandy when the Abbey group came back to Paris for the split. My friend Jaffe and I, both were excited to catch our overnight train to Venice, Italy. We have everything planned out, we would catch the train that leaves in 30 min. and well be in Venice for 3 days, hostel booked and everything. We get to the window after waiting in a long line, and she tells us they dont have a spot on this train for eurail pass holders. And wouldnt have another train going for 3 days. Which messed up our entire spring break trip that time and each time after that we tried. To make a long story short, If you decide to take this route to travel during spring break..keep this in mind. YOU MUST HAVE THE PASS SENT TO THE U.S. THEN SENT TO YOU, OR YOU CAN BUY IT BEFORE YOU LEAVE HOME. YOU WILL RECIEVE A MAP...AND I CAN TELL YOU NOW ITS NOT JUST FOR SHOW AND TELL...USE IT...YOU WILL RECIEVE A TIMETABLE BOOK THAT TELLS YOU ALL THE TRAINS THAT THE EURAIL PASS COVERS AND THE TIME THAT THEY WILL LEAVE...KEEP WITH YOU AT ALL TIME, THIS WILL BECOME YOUR BIBLE. FOR EVERY TRAIN TIME LISTED THAT HAS A LITTLE SQUARE BOX WITH A..R.. INSIDE MEANS YOU NEED TO MAKE A RESERVATION. IF YOUR TRAIN HAS A RESERVATION REQUIRED MAKE SURE YOU MAKE THE RESERVATIONS AHEAD OF TIME. SOME TRAINS ARE FINE TO MAKE THE SAME DAY, BUT MAJOR STATIONS LIKE ..PARIS TRAIN STATIONS AND SOME IN ITALY..YOU NEED TO MAKE RESERVATIONS. THERE ARE ADDITIONAL FEES TO MAKE THE RESERVATIONS. THE EURAIL PASS DOES NOT FULLY COVER A SEAT ON THE TRAIN, IT ONLY PROVIDES A DISCOUNT TO THOSE WHO HAVE THEM. FOR CERTAIN TRAINS SUCH AS EUROSTAR ITALIA THE FEE IS 10 EUROS, THE TGV IN FRANCE IS 3 EUROS AND SOMETIMES THE FEE IS DIFFERENT....FOR EXAMPLE IF YOU HAVE TO TAKE A TGV OUT OF PARIS, THEN CATCH A EUROSTAR IN ITALY YOUR FEE WOULD BE 13 EURO...THE COST CAN GO UP DEPENDING ON THE TRAINS YOU CATCH... ALSO THE PASS INCLUDES FERRIES FROM ANCONA ITALY TO PATRA GREECE. THIS IS AN OVERNIGHT FERRY AND IT DOES HAVE A 7 EURO PORT FEE.. BUT IT IS SO NICE, IF YOURE GOING TO GREECE THIS PROBABLY WOULD BE THE CHEAPEST WAY TO GO..THEN CATCH A FLIGHT FROM ATHENS IF YOU NEED TOO....THE EURAIL PASS WORKS FOR SHORT DISTANT TRAIN TRIPS.. IT WAS HELL TRYING TO GET EVERYWHERE WITH A EURAIL PASS AND IT WAS EXTRA MONEY WE HAD TO SPEND THAT WE DIDNT HAVE...BUT WEN YOURE IN FRANCE AND YOU HAVE SPRING BREAK AROUND EUROPE YOU JUST TRY TO LIVE IN THE MOMENT...as they say...

http://www.eurail.com/