Italy and Greece
Approximate point-to-point one-way 2nd class rail fares in $US between the cities shown above. Add up fares for your itinerary to see whether a railpass will save you money. For 1st class rail fares, add 50%. Source: www.trenitalia.com.
Italy
Most travelers to Italy make short hops within the Milan-Venice-Florence-Rome circuit. For these trips, it's cheaper to buy point-to-point tickets in Italy as you travel. Do the math with our ticket-cost map on this page. Fares shown on the map include reservations where required for the fastest trains. Slower, unreserved trains can be cheaper. If you're buying your ticket at a major train station plagued with long lines, try the automated ticket machines instead. Or, you can buy tickets at major travel agencies (such as CIT) in city centers, or reserved e-tickets online at www.trenitalia.com. During the summer, it's worthwhile to spring for first class for its smaller crowds and better air conditioning.
The Italy Pass doesn't provide much hop-on convenience, since many trains require a seat reservation in addition to the pass. You'll need to stop at a ticket window or travel agency to reserve (optional €5 for most trains, required for some IC and EC trains as indicated in timetables; required €15-20 for Eurostar Italia). You can reserve several dates at once if you're ready to commit. Fast, reserved Eurostar Italia trains provide most of the service on the main Milan-Bologna-Florence-Rome-Naples line, although a few slower, unreserved options exist. For local lines like Florence-Pisa-La Spezia, reservations are neither required nor recommended.
Railpasses do not cover the Circumvesuviana train from Naples to Pompei and Sorrento ($5, see www.vesuviana.it/nebula for schedules) nor Milan's Malpensa Airport Express ($14, see www.lenord.it).
See also the France-Italy Pass (on the France page) and more two-country options below.
| Italy Pass | |||||
| Type of Pass | 1st Class Individual | 1st Class Saver | 2nd Class Individual | 2nd Class Saver | 2nd Class Youth |
| 3 days in 2 months | $265 | $225 | $211 | $180 | $174 |
| Extra rail days (max 7) | $32 | $28 | $27 | $23 | $21 |
| Saver price per person for two or more. Youth = under 26. Kids 4-11: half adult or saver fare, under 4: free. Prices subject to change. | |||||
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| Italy - Spain Pass | |||||
| Type of Pass | 1st Class Individual | 1st Class Saver | 2nd Class Individual | 2nd Class Saver | 2nd Class Youth |
| 4 days in 2 months | $380 | $331 | $331 | $293 | $249 |
| Extra rail days (max 6) | $44 | $38 | $38 | $33 | $30 |
| Does not cover travel in France! Saver price per person for two or more. Youth = under 26. Kids 4-11: half adult or saver fare, under 4: free. Prices subject to change. | |||||
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Italy and Spain can be connected by Grimaldi ferry service (20% discount with pass), or you can fly, but if you plan to travel by land, you should include France on a Selectpass for three or more countries.
Greece
Approximate point-to-point one-way 2nd class rail fares in $US between the cities shown above. Add up fares for your itinerary to see whether a railpass will save you money. For 1st class rail fares, add 50%.
Train travel is cheap in Greece, but limited to the mainland. Even there, you may find buses to be faster, cheaper, or more frequent.
| Greece-Italy Pass | |||||
| Type of Pass | 1st Class Individual | 1st Class Saver | 2nd Class Individual | 2nd Class Saver | 2nd Class Youth |
| 4 days in 2 months | $371 | $315 | $296 | $251 | $246 |
| Extra rail days (max 6) | $38 | $33 | $30 | $26 | $24.50 |
| Saver price per person for two or more. Youth = under 26. Kids 4-11: half adult or saver fare, under 4: free. Covers deck passage on overnight Superfast Ferries between Patras, Greece and Bari or Ancona, Italy (starts use of one travel day). Or 25-50% discount on Hellenic Med. Line ferry with basic cabin Patras-Corfu-Brindisi (does not use a travel day). Does not cover travel to or on Greek islands, except a 30% discount on Blue Star Ferries. Prices subject to change. | |||||
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| Greece Pass | ||
| Type of Pass | 1st Class Adult | 1st Class Youth |
| 3 days in 1 month | $147 | $124 |
| 4 days in 1 month | $194 | $171 |
| 5 days in 1 month | $227 | $192 |
| 6 days in 1 month | $272 | $239 |
| 7 days in 1 month | $317 | $286 |
| 8 days in 1 month | $366 | $329 |
| 9 days in 1 month | $411 | $378 |
| 10 days in 1 month | $458 | $425 |
| Youth = under 26. Kids 4-11: half adult fare, under 4: free. Prices subject to change. | ||
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