flexibility

We've had our share of difficulties getting from place to place, as often occurs when traveling. In France, in the spring, there are always train strikes. We had the misfortune of being in Europe when the volcano erupted, but I've got a feeling that's not quite normal. The point is that things will always go wrong, and you have to be a little flexible. It is difficult here when things mess up your itinerary, since we Abbey students usually have a pretty full schedule. But you have to be ready for it nonetheless.

I bought a Eurail Pass for the time I was in France and Italy. My deal was the 10 days in 2 months pass. And it saved me a massive amount of money. They stamped the pass every day that I used it, so if I went to Paris in the morning and came back at night, I only had one stamp on the pass. The pass costed around $415, and a trip to Paris and back on a fast train costs about 110€. I went to Paris four times, (330€ saved) I traveled to Venice, Florence, Naples, Rome, and back to Paris for less than 100€ (it still costs money to reserve the fast trains and the overnight trains). It would normally have been 250€ just to get to Venice and back. (150€ saved) That was the equivalent of 6 days of travel, and the pass already paid for itself.

Get a Eurail Pass.

The only drawback to the Eurail Pass is the fact that it goes on trains, which are not necessarily reliable in the spring due to strikes. But that's something you have to deal with whether or not you have a pass, so it's still completely worth it.