Car Rental vs. Train
While you should travel the way you like, consider these variables when deciding if your European experience might be better by car or train:
| Concern | By Car | By Train |
|---|---|---|
| Packing heavy? |
No problem |
Must go light |
Scouring one area |
Best |
Frustrating |
All over Europe |
Too much driving |
Great |
Big cities |
Expensive/worthless |
Ideal |
Camping |
Perfect |
More like boot camp |
One or two people |
Expensive |
Probably cheaper |
Three or more |
Probably cheaper |
More expensive |
| Traveling with young kids |
Survivable |
Miserable |
Comparing Rough Costs
When comparing the costs of renting a car, leasing a car, using a railpass, or buying point-to-point train tickets, consider these factors:
- the duration of your trip (this dramatically affects the cost of car rental, but is less important for train tickets or railpasses
-
the miles you cover (important for point-to-point train tickets, but irrelevant to railpasses and car leasing--except for gas costs; car rentals also usually come with unlimited mileage); and
- the countries you'll be visiting (very important for choosing a railpass, but less important for car rental or leasing--though you'll usually pay more to drop off in a different country than where you picked up).
Here are sample per-person prices for three different trips:
Means of Transport |
2,000 miles in 3 weeks* |
4,000 miles in 5 weeks** |
6,000 miles in 8 weeks*** |
|---|---|---|---|
Railpass (first class) |
$610 |
$800 |
$1,200 |
Train tickets (second class) |
$500 |
$750 |
$1,400 |
Subcompact car rental (2 people) |
$725 |
$1,100 |
$1,700 |
Subcompact car lease (2 people) |
$675 |
$950 |
$1,300 |
Mid-sized car rental (4 people) |
$475 |
$700 |
$1,100 |
Mid-sized car lease (4 people) |
$425 |
$600 |
$750 |
Sample Itineraries
*2,000 miles in 3 weeks
Amsterdam–Rhine Valley–Munich–Venice–Florence–Rome–Cinque Terre–Swiss Alps–Burgundy–Paris. The best railpass option for this route is a first-class Eurail Saverpass (10 days in 2 months).
**4,000 miles in 5 weeks
Same as above, plus Barcelona, Madrid, Lisbon, Rothenburg, Provence, Tuscany. This trip is best with a first-class Eurail Saverpass (15 days in 2 months).
***6,000 miles in 8 weeks
Same as above, plus Scandinavia (Copenhagen, Bergen, Oslo, Stockholm), Berlin, Prague, Vienna, and more time along the route. The best railpass for this itinerary is the first-class Eurail Saverpass (2 consecutive months), plus a Prague Excursion Pass.
Fine Print
Rail: Second-class train tickets cost about 18 cents per mile in the south and east, 25 cents per mile in the north. I've selected the most economical first-class railpass for each itinerary (since only travelers under 26 are eligible for second-class railpasses). These railpass prices can be higher or lower depending on the specifics of your trip (e.g., how many days of rail travel). Reservation fees (for overnight trains or seats on some high-speed trains) are not included. Assuming two or more people are traveling together, I've listed the "Saverpass" rates for railpasses; individual travelers will pay about 15 percent more.
Car Rental/Lease: To get these car-rental and lease rates, I've averaged rates from various consolidators and car-rental companies. Rates can vary dramatically — it pays to check around. These prices are for cars with manual transmission (automatic costs about $100 more per week). The prices in this chart include tax, the cost for dropping the car off in a different country (about $200), and gas costs of about $4–7 per gallon at 30 mpg. Rental-car rates in the chart also include CDW supplements (though not the "super CDW" to buy down the deductible) and fees for picking up at an airport (about 10 percent) — remember that leased cars do not come with these expenses. Costs for parking and tolls are not included (because they depend on the specific route and time spent in each place).
Updated for 2008. For lots more tips, check out our best-selling Europe Through the Back Door travel skills guidebook.