[Idyllchat] traveling by car

[Bob Bestor]

You can buy a 1st-class, 5-day, 3-country (Switz, 
Italy, Germany) Eurail Select Saver Pass for $688 
for two persons. It provides 5 days travel in a 
2-month period. If 5 days isn't enough you can go 
to a 6-day pass for $758. The 8-day pass is $902 
and the 10-day version is $1038. (This assumes 
that your Italy-Munich route will be via 
Switzerland. If, on the return trip to Munich, 
you want to go through Austria, which may be more 
direct, it will mean adding another country to 
your pass for a few more dollars.)

I don't think roads and the drivers should 
concern you...in Germany and Switzerland both are 
better than in the U.S. Italy's road are fine, 
the drivers though are a bit less predictable 
than in Germany-Switzerland. Currently, you can 
rent an air-conditioned, 4-door compact car (VW 
Golf, Opel Astra) in Munich for $598, including 
the 19% VAT (figure about two-thirds of that if 
you rent the car for 14 days). That vehicle gets 
30-32 miles per gallon, so if you travel 1200 
miles (Munich-Zürich, for example is about 200 
miles) at $6 per gallon you'll spend another $250 
on fuel. You'll also have to pay to park 
sometimes and there will be a few tolls in Italy.

The Eurail Select pass limits the days you can 
travel to 5, 6, 8 or 10. However, there are other 
passes such as the 21-consecutive-days Eurail 
Global pass, but it costs $701 per person. The 
rental car offers ultimate flexibility. It is at 
your disposal 24/7 for the entire term of the 
rental and moves on your schedule. The car also 
provides easier access to small, country villages 
where accommodations are less expensive-and 
parking is much cheaper or free.

The train is relaxing, comfortable and 
stress-free; no traffic jams, no getting 
lost...it takes you directly to the city center. 
And you enjoy the scenery more than in a car. 
But, unless you're taking day trips from a 
central location, you will carry all your luggage 
and gear...including everything you purchase 
while in Europe...on and off every train. And you 
will likely spend a few euros/francs on taxis. If 
it were just the actual travel-riding in a rail 
car vs driving-rail wins hands down. But cost and 
flexibility seem to tilt this toward the rental 
car. After all, the per day, per person cost of 
the 5-day Eurail Select Pass is $69, the 3-week 
car rental, including fuel, is about $20 per 
person (assuming, of course, you drive the car 
every day). And with trains the scope of your 
travel is pretty much tied to where the rails go; 
and they don't go everywhere...especially in 
Italy.

The best, but most expensive, solution involves 
both; train for the longer trips and a car for a 
few days at principal destinations. Be aware, 
however, that you'll pay almost twice as much on 
a per day basis for a rental car in Italy than in 
Germany, and about 10-15% more in Switzerland.

Bob

>My husband and I are planning a trip to South 
>Tuscany (Montalcino) in September.  We are also 
>planning to visit an exchange student in Munich 
>and my husband's relatives in Switzerland.  We 
>are trying to decide the best way to travel 
>between these three points.  We will probably be 
>flying into and out of Munich, so will need to 
>go from Munich to Schwanden (Switzerland) and 
>from Schwanden to Florence.  After our two weeks 
>in Tuscany we will go back  to Munich to fly 
>home.  We have narrowed it down to: train, part 
>train/part car, or all car.  We would really 
>prefer doing it all by car, but are concerned 
>re: the difficulty of managing an unfamiliar 
>road system and all the parking (or lack 
>thereof!) problems.  Cost is an issue with us, 
>so we want to do this as economically as 
>possible.  Any thoughts on how we should 
>proceed?  Thanks so much.  Marie Maines
>
>Ray and Marie Maines
>7909 Woodland Drive
>North Richland Hills, TX 76180
>ph  817-503-8371
>cell 817-422-4183
>fax 801-203-5799
>rm_maines at hotmail.com
>
>


-- 
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Email: travel at gemut.com, Web: http://www.gemut.com
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