Lots of questions here! Let me see what I can do...
Originally Posted by
CAtraveker
Please help. I'm not sure if I should buy a Eurail Pass or individual tickets for my journey from Venice to Budapest, from Budapest to Prague and finally from Prague to Berlin.
Always a tricky decision. It's worth doing a little maths first and figuring out how much it would cost to do it point-to-point (and also to look at how much you'll be using local trains when you're actually at the big cities - there's plenty out-of-town attractions that are easily reachable that way).
A pass can be less hassle, but on premium trains and overnight trains, it isn't, as you'll need a reservation and possibly a supplement anyway. You need to figure this into your cost calculation.
Also, what would an overnight train from Venice to Budapest cost and what website should I go to in order to buy tickets? Do I have to pay extra for an overnight train---what are my options for accommodations?
For this train, you have the option of a 2nd class seat, a 6-berth couchette, a 4-berth couchette, a 3-bed comparment, a double room or a single room.
The basic walk-up and cheapest advance prices are, respectively:
Seat: €55, €29
C6: €75, €49
C4: €80, €54
3-Bed: €90, €64
2-Bed: €105, €79
1-Bed:€155, €129
If you want anything but a seat, then it's extra. The cheapest advance prices are capacity controlled and must be bought 2 weeks in advance. There is an intermediate tier of prices too. Reservations are compulsory.
Now, buying... This is where it's difficult. If you live inside the EU, it's nice and easy, as you can buy online via
http://www.trenitalia.com/ If, however, you're not, then your credit card will most likely be rejected by that site. Which is incredibly annoying.
You could try raileurope.com, but they have hefty commission rates and fees. You could also try bahn.co.uk - they won't sell you it online, but do have a call center (English-speaking) who are very helpful. Finally, you can buy from a station when in the country. Easily done - there are often English-speakers, and if not, then a quick note can easily explain what you want. You may end up having to pay the walk-up rates this way, however.
From Budapest to Prague---what website would I buy my tickets from? Cost?
https://eshop.cd.cz/default.aspx?lang=E sells these tickets online. The cheapest advance ticket is CZK489 (€19). Again, alternatively, you can buy them once in the country.
And finally, from Prague to Berlin---is there an overnight train? Website to buy ticket from? Cost? Because I am crossing borders in each of the three trips, I am not sure if I have to buy tickets for each country separately or if there a way to buy a through-fare ticket on one site for each of the three separate trips.
Prague to Berlin is easy - either
https://eshop.cd.cz/default.aspx?lang=E as above, or
http://www.bahn.co.uk/ online. It's a 4h30 journey, so there's no effective night trains (unless you're out half the night and want to get the train at 3:40am!). Prices start at CZK746 (€29).
All international journeys here have through-fare tickets.