Budgets - Trains/Cars

Planning - Budgets - Trains and Cars

Once you've narrowed down which cities you'd like to visit, the next step is finding the best way to travel between them. The factors that determine this are varied - if you are a lousy driver, can't read maps, and get scared in traffic then renting a car is probably out of the question. However, if you enjoy driving and want some added flexibility and control, then a car rental may become part of your plans. A rental car is also invaluable if you are planning on staying in a small town or want to explore the countryside.

Car Rental Prices

This chart shows the same car rented for the same time period in three different locations. It is based on a one week rental with the same pick-up and drop-off location.

	Compact	Intermediate
Italy (Florence)	$ 519.07	$ 617.58
Spain (Barcelona)	$ 341.86	$ 418.77
France (Marseille)	$ 372.21	$ 595.32

A car rented in these locations would allow the following; exploring the Tuscan countryside in Italy, rambling through the quaint medieval towns of Spain's Costa Brava, or lounging on the various beaches of France's Mediterranean coast.

Don't forget to factor in insurance - check with both your personal car insurance and your credit card to see if they include any foreign car rental insurance. You can add extra insurance to any of the above rentals starting at about $110/week and up depending on the type of coverage you desire/require.

Car seat rules vary from country to country so check ahead of time to see what you need. You can rent them from the company, or you can pick some up when you get there. We once saw booster seats in the grocery store for €10 each!

Also note that some countries require an international driver's license. They are easy and cheap to obtain, and if you happen to be pulled over for speeding (not that you would...) you may be asked to show it. It's good insurance to keep in your wallet 'just in case'.

Train Travel

There are a few different options when it comes to trains. If you only want to take one or two legs of a journey by train then it's generally best to buy your tickets individually instead of purchasing a pass. You can buy tickets from the Eurail site (or another ticket site) or from the train station after you arrive in Europe. A pass becomes useful (and cost effective) if you are visiting many different places or if you are under the age of 26.

Here is a comparison chart for a hypothetical trip to Italy. This is the total cost for a family of four (2 adults and 2 children under 12). The reservation cost pertains to what needs to be paid above holding a pass - it reserves an actual seat on a specific train. These are first class tickets which are generally worth the price difference. The parenthesis show the difference in time between high speed and a regular train.

Italy	Individual Ticket		Pass Reservation Cost*
	High Speed	Regular Train	High Speed	Regular Train
Naples -Rome (1 h/2h)	$ 264.00	$ 132.00	$ 64.00	$ 48.00
Rome - Florence (1.5h/3h)	$ 288.00	$ 182.00	$ 64.00	$ 48.00
Florence - Venice (2h/3h)	$ 364.00	$ 196.00	$ 64.00	$ 56.00
Italy Pass - 3 days travel			$ 770.00	$ 770.00
Total	$ 916.00	$ 510.00	$ 962.00	$ 922.00

As you can see from this chart, the cost of a pass is not worth it in this particular case. The pass quoted is the Eurail Italy Pass for 3 days of travel in 2 months. Adding a fourth travel day increases the pass from $770 to $858 (difference of $88), and assuming that you'd need to pay another $64 in reservations for an extra leg, that is $152 more. If you were taking a leg that costs more than that, then the pass becomes worthwhile.

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