Firstly, every time we’ve used Eurail Passes, we’ve found them to be amazing value. This time, we’re actually trying to track what we would have spent if we were buying point-to-point tickets. We’ll let you know how it ends up.

The reason a Eurail Pass might cost more than point-to-point tickets is if you are travelling in cheap countries! Italy is much cheaper than Switzerland; Spain is much cheaper than Sweden.

Before you organize your Eurail Pass, you should have a rough idea of where you’re going to travel and when. Use this to your advantage by checking those prices online before you buy. It’s not the most accurate, but Jizdenka does a very good job of accessing international train costs. You can supplement this information with information from the national sites.

Whatever you choose, enjoy your time in Europe

The ride was smooth and beautiful, plus we were met by a friend in Bern and had a great time exploring the local towns, floating down the river towards the parliament buildings, and hanging out with new-found friends at a few parties.

The name confusion is based around a branding change made to simplify and shorten the name from “Euro Pass”. Even now, years after the change, people still refer to the Eurail Pass as Euro Pass or Euro Rail Pass.

Travel on the Eurail Pass

The Eurail Pass gives you hop-on, hop-off access to most of Europe’s train network. Bookings are more and more necessary in Spain and Italy, which comes with extra costs.

The traditional Eurail pass covers 21 countries, as of 2009: Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Republic of Ireland, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and Turkey. Other passes, such as the Eurail Selectpass, allow one to select a series of bordering countries. For fare calculation purposes, some regions count as one country: Benelux, Slovenia-Croatia, and Serbia-Montenegro-Bulgaria. The United Kingdom is notably absent, but provides a separate set of passes. Source: Wikipedia

Where can I buy a Eurail Pass?

Eurail Passes are generally only available to people from outside Europe (and some other States). Although you can buy a Eurail pass inside Europe, it’s both easier and cheaper to buy them outside. If you’re already in Europe, consider having them sent to family or friends, then posted to you by courier. In some cases this case save you a chunk of cash!

What about the InterRail pass?

The InterRail pass is a different ticket again. It is only available to residents of Europe.

Eurail or EuroRail

Whether you call it the Eurail, the Euro Train or the EuroRail Pass, you’re sure to have a lot of fun travelling around Europe. Check out more Eurail Stories or information on Euro train passes for inspiration, tips and advice for European train travel.

Tip 10: Seasonal sales

Look for special deals. Although the Eurail organisation closely controls ticket prices, they do offer occasional discounts.

You can get reduced price passes by keeping an eye out for seasonal sales. Check Rail Europe now for current specials.

Tip 9: Plan a little

The Eurail Pass gives you the ability to jump on and off any train which can lead to spontanious decisions with divine results. But if it doesn’t work out, you might get stranded in a town for a few hours more than you bargained for. Or you might arrive in a seedy station late at night. You don’t want to spend your European vacation admiring the train stations’ architecture. Or then again, you might. I don’t know.

The best site to help you plan your trip is probably the German rail site: bahn.de. It has comprehensive coverage of routes and timetables for all of Europe.

Tip 8: Documentation

Keep your passport handy. Because the Eurail pass is attached to your name and passport number, it’s important to keep them both easy-to-access when you’re on the train. I had my passport checked about one time in five when I was asked to produce my tickets. This isn’t about border control, it’s about ticket control.

One breakfast in Rome, the next in Ljubljana, another in Budapest, the week after in Copenhagen. Get on board of the ESNtrain and enjoy during one, two or up to 25 days, traveling throughout Europe in a unique way and visit up to 40 cities.

Nora Kleisli from ESN train told us,

The journey is the reward: the encounters of people from all over Europe, the friendships that are made and the borders that are overcome by personal relations.

Traveling mainly during the night, participants will have the pleasure of waking up in a different city every morning, where they can take part in activities especially organized for the ESNtrain.

It’s going to be a blast — book now on www.esntrain.org and then come back to Eurail Stories and share your tales.

Tip 7: Beware private lines

Not all train lines are part of the system. In fact, when I was travelling in Switzerland I ended up on a private line which cost me a whopping 120 extra euros. Make sure your train is covered by the pass or expect to pay for the consequences.

Tip 6: Watch for seat reservations

On some services, especially high-speed intercity trains seat reservations may be compulsary. These reservations must be bought in advance from a local ticket office. Most journeys, however, don’t require supplements or reservations.

If you want to upgrade your seat to a couchette or sleeper then a reservation must be made and supplementary costs paid. Sad but true.

Tip 5: Discounts

It’s much cheaper to get Eurail passes for under-26es. However, the more expensive passes give you access to first class. To save money, get your Eurailing done before you hit the magic number!

You can also get discounts if you’re travelling as part of a group so get some friends together together before you buy.

Check Rail Europe for the latest deals for under twenty-sixes and group travellers.