2 Questions: Train w/in Switzerland & Prague-Budapest-Vienna-Munich

1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

Hi,

I am happy to have found this site and I hope someone can help. This will be my first time planning train travel, I am travelling alone so am a bit nervous and have no idea how to book tickets- I have tried looking at websites but a lot are in different languages with no english translation and I'm finding google translate difficult to use.

(1) I will be staying at a friend's house in Berne and for this part of my trip we will be using his house as a base and doing daytrips throughout Switzerland. I'd like to visit Zurich, Geneva and some mountainous areas. Is the cheapest option to get a 4 day Swiss Railpass if we will be doing 4 days of travelling? We are both under 26 so can get the youth one.

(2) My biggest question is, my itinerary is as follows (dates flexible) and I'd like the cheapest train tickets and also dont know how to book:

13 Sept - Prague > Budapest
18 Sept - Budapest > Vienna
22 Sept - Vienna > Munich

If anyone can help me with planning this would be much appreciated as I have gathered that Eurail is a rip off and that the easy booking sites like Rail Europe are too....

Thanks so much!

So,
1) First of all, if your friend is a registered resident in Switzerland, then he can get Tageskarte Gemeinde (http://www.tageskarte-gemeinde.ch). It is certain type of a day train pass for residents, most of the people living in Switzerland know about it.
For you, as non European citizen 4 day Swiss Pass will cost 126 euro. Let's count whether it worth it:
Regular tickets fares: Bern-Geneva-Bern (92 CHF); Bern-Zurich-Bern (92 CHF) + fare for the trips to the mountains. It is rather obvious that Swiss Youth Pass is cheaper option comparing to regular tickets, but Swiss Railways promised to reintroduce discounted domestic tickets called SuperSaver (http://sparbillette.sbb.ch/home/?lang=4) since May 18th, so you might want to use those for your travels. For instance, previously SuperSaver discounted tickets Bern-Geneva used to cost only 13.8 CHF one way. As result, good chances that combination of SuperSaver tickets for each leg of your journeys within Switzerland would be cheaper then Swiss Pass.

2) Prague-Budapest can be really easily purchased online from the official website of Czech Railways - https://eshop.cd.cz/international/search_cd-mav.aspx It is in English and easy to navigate. Tickets start from only 19 euro and can be purchased any time between 60 to 3 days in advance. Better to do it earlier since tickets have limited availability.
Budapest-Vienna: Hungarian Railways do not sell tickets online, so you will have to buy them already in Budapest. Special discounted tickets are available - cost 13 euro (need to purchase those at least 3 days in advance). Regular one way fare is 24 euro.
Vienna-Munich: can be easily bought online from Austrian Railways website - https://ticket.oebb.at/bin/frame_ticket.pl?ticket=jticket.pl?ABBFSEL=8100003&ANBFSEL=8000261&LANG=EN Cost from 29 euro, sold up to 90 days in advance.

If you have any further question - feel free to ask

Thanks so much, that is amazingly helpful - you are fantastic :-D

Another question, what is the best way to get from Amsterdam > Brussels ? And the cheapest fo a day trip from Brussels to Brugges? Am happy to take a bus if that's cheaper and/or easier.

what is the best way to get from Amsterdam > Brussels ?

Well, not a big choice here - http://www.nshispeed.nl/en
Don't forget to choose "Youth 12-25". Youth fare one way tickets start from 24.6 euro

And the cheapest fo a day trip from Brussels to Brugges?

Regular return ticket Brussels-Brugge-Brussels for the train costs 25.8 euro (https://buy.b-rail.be/eTicketing/ETicketOrdering/InitStrutsActionToWelcome.do?change=lc&lang=3), during weekend return ticket is almost twice as cheap - only 13.8 euro.