Serious question, is a rail pass ever worth it for a short trip?

I just planned a 5-day trip through Germany and compared buying point-to-point tickets versus a 4-day Eurail pass. The individual tickets came out 60 euros cheaper, even with a couple of last-minute train changes. When do you actually save money with a pass?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_wendy2mo ago

You're only looking at the ticket price. The pass wins on flexibility, hands down. What if you see a cool town and just want to hop on the next train?

ryan_stone1mo ago

Feel the same pain about those extra fees. They really do add up and make the whole flexible travel idea feel like a lie. It turns a fun trip into a math problem you didn't want.

uma_nelson852mo ago

The real cost is the seat reservation fees they don't tell you about up front. I used a pass last summer and every fast train in Italy or France needed a paid booking on top of the pass. That spontaneity gets expensive fast when every "hop on the next train" moment comes with a 10 to 30 euro fee. You end up planning just to avoid those fees, which kills the whole flexible point. It feels like a bait and switch after you've already paid for the pass itself.