Should you buy a 2023 Eurail Pass? Here’s how to decide

Eurail Passes are famous as a way to save money while exploring Europe, but they are also confusing and often misunderstood. They are still an amazing money-saving tool for certain types of travelers, and not a wise idea for most others. Before Europe introduced dynamic rail pricing (like airfares, where the price varies depending on when you buy it), a Eurail Pass was an easy way to save money since all tickets had fixed prices that were generally fairly expensive. These days most travelers can save far more money just by buying their train tickets at least a few weeks in advance.

That said, Eurail Passes are still great for longer trips and especially for people who like to make plans as they go. Dynamic rail pricing made advanced tickets much cheaper, but it also made last-minute tickets MUCH more expensive. Below we will discuss Eurail Passes and whether they are a good idea for your trip or not.

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Note: This article was written in 2012 and has been continuously updated since then, so all information is current as of January, 2023.

Eurail 2023 changes: New countries and a mobile version

This actually changed in 2019 and 2020, but it’s still a big deal and not many people were shopping for Eurail passes in the last couple of years. Eurail Passes now include England, Scotland, Wales, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Macedonia.

For England in particular this is a big deal because train fares in that country are typically insanely expensive unless you book at least a few weeks in advance. Now with a Eurail Pass you can, say, go from London to Edinburgh for free and just hop aboard. The train system in Britain is very extensive but previously you needed to book everything way in advance or it would practically be cheaper to hire your own helicopter.

In fact, if you are including Britain on your planned Eurail trip, the pass will pay for itself much more quickly than in most other countries. For example, if you want to go from London to Edinburgh tomorrow you’ll have to pay about £75 for a one-way 2nd Class ticket, while if you want to go next week you can usually get it for about £25 each way. So having a Eurail Pass allows you to be more spontaneous without having to pay a fortune for the privilege. Since most people stay in London, this allows you to do some longer day trips with a Eurail Pass. You can go to Bath or York for the day on a whim and just hop on board trains in both directions. If you didn’t have a pass you’d be paying about £80 for those rides.

Eurail passes are now available in a mobile version

Until very recently, Eurail Passes were only available in paper form and they were quite confusing at first. You’d get a pass with a series of empty boxes on it and you’d need to enter your trip before you’d use your pass each day and then have the first conductor verify it. If you lost your ticket (and this was not uncommon), it was a whole ordeal to attempt to get a replacement.

Now in 2023 Eurail offers a fully mobile version that is delivered instantly to your mobile device with no delivery fee. And if you somehow lose your phone, you can resume using your Pass on your replacement with no extra headache.

If your trip will be 2 weeks or less, a Eurail Pass probably won't be worth it

About half of the questions I get in the lengthy comment thread of this article are from people planning a trip of 3 or 4 stops in two weeks or less. The good news for those travelers is that they can get fairly cheap train tickets in advance online if they have their dates planned, and a Eurail Pass won’t help at all.

Eurail Passes are ideal for travelers on longer trips, and especially those who don’t want to plan all of their destinations and dates far in advance. If you have your itinerary pretty much planned out and you don’t require much flexibility, you’ll be far better off just locking in your dates and buying your train tickets as early as you can. Again, they can be surprisingly cheap if you buy 2 to 4 months out.

If you are age 27 or younger, a Eurail Pass is probably worth it

Those 28 years old or over must buy the 1st Class version of any Eurail Pass, which is 50% more expensive, and the added comfort isn’t a big deal to most people. But travelers age 12 to 27 can buy the 2nd Class versions at the lowest prices, and the seats are comfortable enough for virtually everyone.

With this in mind, if you are lucky enough to still be 27 or younger, you should seriously think about getting a Eurail Global Pass Youth, partly because the sense of freedom instantly gets more expensive at age 28. The age cutoff was 25 until recently, so this change is a great deal for anyone who will be 26 or 27 at the start of their trip.

If you are age 60 or over, a Eurail Pass could also be great value

Another fairly recent change is that anyone who is 60 years or older at the start of the use of a Eurail Pass now gets 10% off the normal adult fare. That new discount is going to make this a great value for many travelers who might have been on the fence about buying a full-price pass before.

>>>Check prices on Eurail Passes

If you are planning on traveling in 1st Class anyway, a Eurail Pass is probably worth it

Most 2nd Class trains provide similar comfort and legroom to Business Class airline seats, or at least close enough, so for most people it’s not worth the added expense for 1st Class. However, if you are rich or elderly or fear contact with strangers, a 1st Class Eurail Pass is probably worth it no matter what.

Not only do you get much more comfort and legroom in 1st Class, with only 3 seats across instead of 4, but there is another advantage to 1st Class on European trains. Since it’s mostly business travelers and wealthy people traveling in 1st Class, the carriages are almost always mostly empty except in the mornings and late afternoons between large cities. In 2nd Class the only available seats might be two seats in an 8-seat cabin with all the other seats taken up by a loud family or a group of rowdy friends. In 1st Class you are all but guaranteed a peaceful ride, and usually plenty of empty seats from which to choose.

A hidden Eurail Pass benefit: Making extra stops on travel days for free

A one-way ticket between Paris and Amsterdam in 2nd Class on the high-speed Thalys service takes 3 hours 19 minutes, and costs €48 if you buy way in advance up to €149 if you buy at the last minute. A Eurail Pass can be helpful on this route for almost anyone because you often have to book two months in advance to get a fare under €90 or so. Even better though is the fact that the train stops in Brussels and Antwerp along the way, and both of those are really interesting cities that are perfect for a stop of 2 to 4 hours.

Brussels in particular is one I recommend a short stop in because the small historic center around what they called the Grand Place is amazing and gorgeous, while the rest of the city is rather boring by European standards. With a Eurail Pass you can jump off the train in Brussels and explore the city center for a few hours (luggage storage is cheap and easy) and maybe have lunch, and then hop on a later train to complete your journey to Amsterdam. There are opportunities like this on many if not most trips between larger cities, and if you buy the point-to-point tickets you have to stay on the train you booked.

Another example is the high-speed train between Barcelona and Madrid, which takes about 2.5 to 3 hours in each direction. There are some interesting cities in between, but in this case you could take a morning train from Barcelona to Madrid and then check into your accommodation, and then hop on another train from Madrid to Toledo, which takes about 30 minutes and costs €14 each way. Toledo is a historic and fascinating town, but it’s also pretty small and you can explore the main sights in an afternoon. With a Flexi Eurail Pass where you buy a certain number of travel days, you can save more money by adding on these sorts of nearby stops on travel days.

If you'll be touring major cities within ONE country, a single-country pass might be perfect, and Second Class passes are available for all ages

Until 2019 you could buy a Eurail “Select” or “Regional” Pass, which would allow you to buy a cheaper pass that only covered between two and five specific countries. As of January, 2019, those appear to have been eliminated when they also lowered the prices of the Global Passes by around 20%.

Single-country passes are still available and they MIGHT be good value for you, but it depends on which country and how much traveling you’ll be doing. If you plan on going all over a larger country such as Germany, France, or Spain, and especially if you like to make plans as you go, a Single-country pass for one of those might be your best deal. On the other hand, smaller countries (such as the Netherlands) or countries where train tickets are already fairly cheap (such as Italy) might be harder to get value out of. Long story short, for single-country passes you really need to check fares of the places you plan on going and see how they add up compared to the pass.

>>>Check prices for Single Country Passes

Eurostar (between London and Paris or Brussels or Amsterdam) tickets are now included for Eurail Pass holders for a €30 reservation fee

The European rail system is confusing at first, so it’s worth pointing out that the Eurostar trains between London and Paris or Brussels are a totally different system and the prices are more like air tickets. In other words, they start out cheap 6 months in advance and prices go up as the travel date approaches. Until recently Eurail Passes would only get you a 25% discount on Eurostar tickets, but as of 2018 you can use your Eurail Pass and ride for the cost of a €30 reservation fee (€38 fee for First Class). That is a big improvement because Eurostar tickets are expensive and this is like a 50% to 75% discount on them. Since you can now use your Eurail Pass within Great Britain, it’s now the best way to get around England and Scotland by train.

Our recent tests show that Eurostar fares one-way from London to Paris can be as low as €49 if you book about 3 months out, or as expensive as €177 for the same seat if you wait until the day of travel to buy. Round-trip/return tickets can be even cheaper if there is a promotion running.

>>>Check Eurostar prices

If you are on a really low budget, a Eurail Pass isn't a good idea

Here’s the thing. As we’ll discuss below, there are many potential benefits to Eurail Passes, and they will often save you money, but they do cost a lot and they only really save you money when traveling in the more expensive countries.

So let’s say you have a flight to Rome and then US$2,000 to last you a month after you arrive. Buying a Eurail Pass before you go would help you see a lot in that month, but you’d practically need to sleep in parks for your funds to last the whole time. You’d be better off moving slowly in the southern countries, or just in Italy itself, as a way to have the best holiday on your budget. You might also be tempted to use a Eurail Pass mostly on night trains so you can save the cost of a hotel or hostel, but those aren’t ideal for most of us.

The cheapest way to get around Europe by rail is to buy all train tickets online at least a couple months in advance. The fares are low, but they are non-refundable and non-changeable. See how far in advance you should buy train tickets to get those attractive fares.

If more than a little of your travel will be in eastern Europe, a Eurail Pass isn't a good idea

While eastern Europe (Poland, Czechia, Hungary, Ukraine, Croatia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Serbia etc), is where you’ll find almost all of the continent’s best travel bargains, its rail infrastructure continues to lag way behind. About half the region isn’t even part of the “Eurail Zone” and general rail coverage is still spotty in much of the rest. Worse still, in some areas the trains are much slower than buses, so you really have to research each leg individually.

The good news is that the trains operating in this region, and the buses that operate alongside and/or where trains aren’t running, are quite cheap. So if any significant part of your trip will be into this region, a rail pass doesn’t make sense.

Basic types of Eurail Passes

Long gone are the days of the simple options, replaced by specialized passes that are meant to appeal to different styles. It should be pretty easy to figure out which is best for you, and then keep going down the page to decide if it’s worth it at all.

Eurail Global Pass – 4,5, or 7 days within 1 month or 10 days within 2 months

Until recently the minimum number of travel days with 10 days within 2 months, but now you can buy as few as 4 days within 1 month for about €200 to €250 (for first class). This can actually be an interesting strategy if you are planning many shorter and cheaper trips (like within Italy or Eastern Europe), and also 4 or 5 longer trips such as Berlin to Amsterdam. This way you can buy only 4 or 5 travel days and only use them for your most expensive travel days, and just pay as you go or buy cheap advance tickets for your other journeys.

Eurail Global Pass – 15 to 90 consecutive days

This variation allows for unlimited travel on the system for between 15 and 90 total days. They are really only a good idea for people who are certain they are going to travel very often, with much of it being in the north of Europe. The problem with them is that if you really try to get your money’s worth, you will probably ruin your trip by spending too much time on trains in general. On the other hand, if you will be in Europe for 2 or 3 months and plan on traveling around a lot, you can get a LOT of use out of a longer pass. The 3-month pass is around €900 so it’s literally about €10 per day. Imagine going back and forth between Berlin and Munich or Barcelona and Madrid for €10 per day!

One Country Pass

Obviously these are for travel within one country only. Again, they can be great deals if you plan on extensively moving around one particular country.

Where to buy your Eurail Pass

Eurail Passes are cheapest and easiest to buy online, primarily from two main sources which offer all the same products at the exact same prices:

Eurail.com

This is a reliable company based in the Netherlands but with fulfillment offices in the US and Ireland. Price of Travel is a partner with this company, and if you use the links of this site we earn a small commission to help keep this site online. Eurail.com is usually cheaper than RailEurope (discussed below) by the way.

Raileurope.com

They were founded in the 1930s and are based in New York, but owned primarily by the French and Swiss rail companies. They offer free shipping (2 to 3 business days) on all orders of US$399 or more, although now that a mobile version is available, this is meaningless. Price of Travel is a partner with this company, and if you use the links of this site we earn a small commission to help keep this site online.

Reservations on European trains for rail pass holders

For most of the fastest trains between major cities you’ll need to reserve a seat even with a rail pass. It can usually be done just before you leave and the cost is usually around €5. Here’s a full list of which European trains require reservations and which don’t.

Reservations are required on all intercity (longer distance) trains in or involving France, Spain, Switzerland, and Italy. For most trains in Germany, Austria, Netherlands, Belgium, and most of eastern Europe, you can usually find trains that don’t require seat reservations. Often, if you don’t leave until after 9:30am or so, you can ride on any train with no seat reservation, but you have to research each leg to be sure.

How to determine which trains require seat reservations, and also get schedules

You can click on the link just above this section for a list of countries and their seat-reservation policies, but in some cases it’s actually a bit more complicated than that. For example, you can generally ride without a seat reservation on fast ICE (Inter City Express) trains in Germany if you depart after 09:30 in the morning. They do this to free up seats for business travelers who pay full fare, and they don’t mind filling up seats with rail pass holders on trains leaving a bit later.

The best way to be sure about this is to download the RailEurope smartphone app (iPhone and Android). It’s a free app and you can download it and use it even if you buy from Eurail.com or don’t buy a rail pass at all. Amazingly enough, it has the entire European rail schedule built into it so you don’t even need to be online to use it. You just enter a departure city and destination city and it will show you all of the trains and connections going between the two. When you click on a specific train or combination of trains it will show you whether a seat reservation is needed for that particular departure. I’ve used this app literally hundreds or perhaps thousands of times to do my own research and help people find answers, and I’ve noticed that it’s accurate at least 99% of the time. Once in a blue moon you’ll enter two cities and it will show, say, a 20-hour journey when you are pretty sure it should be under 10 hours. Usually it’s actually correct, but I’ve seen a couple times where it missed something.

Factors to consider when thinking about any Eurail Pass

Assuming you know which Eurail Saver Pass option is the best one for your type of trip by now, we’ll go over the main factors that should help you decide whether it’s the best idea for you.

Eurail Passes are best for standard ‘medium length’ journeys

In almost all of Europe, the major cities tend to be between 4 and 8 hours apart by train, and these journeys are perfect for Eurail Passes. For example, from Vienna to Munich it takes about 5 hours on the train, and it’s scenic and relaxing. Flying between those cities would take about the same amount of time once you factor in airport transportation and security lines, and it’s far less pleasant.

However, if you are determined to travel between Rome and Paris, it’s about a 14-hour journey that will almost certainly be overnight. In this case, a cheap plane ticket is probably better, although taking shorter hops on the train is even better, so spend a day or two in Milan or Lyon on the way instead.

And of course, if you prefer to stop in various small towns between the big ones, then a Eurail Pass won’t pay off, except for the traditional kind for unlimited travel in a given period.

Eurail Passes are better value in northern Europe, France, and Spain, and poor value in Italy

Once you do a bit of research you’ll quickly learn that train tickets (and almost everything else) are much more expensive in Germany, Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, and Finland than they are in Greece, Italy, Portugal, and Spain. With this in mind, the regional passes can make sense if you are spending time in the south, but the Global Passes almost certainly won’t. Train tickets in Spain used to be fairly cheap, but in recent years they’ve added new high-speed trains between the major cities, and these are quite expensive.

Unlike most other countries, Italy really subsidizes its train tickets so they are quite reasonable even on travel day, and very cheap if you buy a month or more in advance. For example, you can go between Rome and Florence for around €49 if you buy on travel day, and as little as €19 if you buy well in advance. In most other countries, fares are double or triple that much for similar rides.

So consider your planned itinerary. If more than half of it is in the Mediterranean countries then look into a Regional Pass or just buy tickets as you go, because they tend to be pretty cheap. But if you are planning on spending at least half your time in Paris and places to the north of it, then a Eurail Pass is probably a money saver because those tickets are expensive.

Trains are almost always better than planes

Flying sucks, even in Europe

Until you’ve experienced the joy of traveling around Europe by train you might be tempted to “maximize” your time by flying low-cost airlines between each city. This would be a mistake. In order to get truly cheap airfares you have to purchase long in advance, buying non-refundable tickets. You might also have to commit to flights in the very early morning or in the late evening, because cheap tickets on convenient flights sell out quickly.

And again, most European airports are around an hour outside of the city. They are often on the main train lines, which helps, but still you have to deal with the madness of security and also try to get there at least two hours early. From one city center to any other city center it’s about 5 hours minimum, even if they are close, and those are pretty miserable hours.

Train travel is a positive experience

While it’s true that you do have to reserve a seat on many long-distance trains these days, you can usually do it just before it leaves, or the night before to be safe. And with many trains you can literally just hop on board as it’s pulling out of the station.

Not only are all the seats comfortable on trains, but you also have an interesting view most of the time. Better still, trains deposit you in the heart of every city, which is usually the neighborhood with the cheapest hotels and food. It’s a wonderful feeling to step off a relaxing train ride, buy a hot dog or sandwich at a local shop, and then be in your hotel room only about 10 minutes later.

Eurail Passes are better than train tickets alone

As someone who enjoys the process of crunching numbers and looking for value, I have to also mention that I’d buy a Eurail Pass even if it seemed like it would cost a bit more than the individual tickets. With a pass you get an extra element of freedom that is worth a lot more than you might expect until you’ve used one.

If you fly, you absolutely have to lock in your exact schedule weeks or months in advance, and if you buy train tickets individually you will be spending hours in queues and then waiting around. You can buy European train tickets in advance, though the convenience comes along with an extra fee. But with a Eurail Pass, on most routes you can just hop on any train you feel like.

Let’s say you are heading from Amsterdam to Hamburg tomorrow morning. The 09:00 train you planned for might seem a bit ambitious after a long night out, so you can instead opt for the 10:00 or 11:00 train. As long as you walk into Centraal Station 10 or so minutes before departure, you are on. If you are flying you can’t change your ticket, and if you are buying train tickets as you go you have to be in line at the international desk at the train station at least 30 minutes early, and even then you might miss it if they are busy.

Freedom and getting to feel like a big shot

Bill Gates doesn’t worry about the cost of plane tickets or train tickets. He just goes where he wants, when he wants. When you have a Eurail Pass, you get a taste of this yourself, and even if you don’t end up doing any new spontaneous legs within your trip, it’s a great feeling.

Let’s say you are staying at a hostel in Brussels, and two groups of new friends suggest that you go along with them to their next stops. One group is going to Bruges, which is a short and cheap journey, so you can join them by buying individual tickets (unless you have the unlimited pass, making it free). Then you restart your trip from Bruges, on to your next destination. The other group is headed to Berlin on a night train, which is long and expensive, but with a Eurail Pass you don’t even have to think about the cost. On you go, just like a rich person.

Buying a Eurail Pass is great for those who might run out of money

We all know people who keep meticulous track of every penny they spend, and who are always putting money away for a rainy day. And we all know people who can take a US$100 “entertainment fund” and burn through almost all of it in just a few hours. For the first type of person, a Eurail Pass can help you keep track of expenses, but it’s really the second type of person these are best for.

It’s sad to hear about people who have big plans to see their dream destinations, but they run out of money for transportation halfway into the trip, so they have to just stay put until they fly home. It happens. Locking in your major transportation costs before you leave home, and probably saving money in the process, is a wise move for anyone who isn’t as disciplined as they’d like with their money.

>>>Check prices on Eurail Passes

Bottom line: If you want to keep travel costs down, your choices will usually be a Eurail Pass or buying tickets at least a month or more early

In the last few years, almost every long-distance train ride in Europe has switched to a pricing system similar to low-cost airlines. In other words, tickets go on sale 2 to 6 months ahead of time at very low prices, and they keep getting more expensive as the train fills up and the date approaches. For most trips where a rail pass is possible, this is how things stack up:

Cheapest possible way: Buy advanced (non-refundable, non-changeable) train tickets at least 30 days in advance

Next cheapest way: Buy a Eurail Pass and make seat reservations as you go, usually only a day or less in advance.

Most expensive way: Buy train tickets as you go, or less than a week in advance.

Thinking about it this way should make the choice a bit easier. If you are the type who likes to plan each day and travel segment long before you even leave home, then buy tickets online for the best prices. This can be the best strategy for most shorter trips (10 days or less) because you simply don’t have enough time to change many things as you go anyway.

Buying a Eurail Pass won’t be quite as cheap, but you are buying a LOT of flexibility with the extra money. If you dream of making up your plans as you go, or even making up your plans just a few days in advance, this is almost always your best bet.

But if you wait too long, and just show up looking to buy train tickets as you go, they are going to cost a fortune. As recently as only a few years ago all seats would be the same price on many rail systems, so you could always just wing it. When each country computerized its rail systems so they can sell advanced tickets cheaper, they also had to keep track of seat reservations, so the whole pricing structure had changed to favor advanced ticket buyers and rail pass holders over those who’d prefer to just hop on any train as it is leaving the station.

Have a rail pass or itinerary question of your own?

It wasn’t planned but scores of people began asking me rail pass and itinerary questions at the bottom of this article and a few others. I’m happy to keep answering them and now I’m trying to organize them better as well so they are easier for other people to find.

If you have a question about specific types of European rail passes, please ask it in the comments below.

But if you have a question more about a European itinerary or other non-rail-pass questions, please click over to the European itineraries Q & A article and ask in the comments of that one.

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All Comments

  1. June says:

    Hi Roger,

    I am going to Europe for 22 days from July- August to attend my friend’s wedding in Italy. Need your advice on buying tickets. Eurail Pass is too expensive and I am planning to travel with plane and train.

    My trip starts from Amsterdam – Brussels-Italy (Milan, Rome) – Prague – Amsterdam

    Here is my plan:
    Jul 28 – 30 Amsterdam
    31 Brussels / Liege
    1 Aug- Fly to Milan
    1-9 Italy (Milan, Rome or Venice)
    10-14 Prague
    14-15 Brussels/Liege (to attend a festival)
    16-18 Amsterdam

    I want to spend more days in Prague so thinking of skipping Venice and Florence, just visit Milan and Rome. My friend’s wedding is at Laveno, about 30mins from Milan. Do you think the itinerary is too hectic?

    1. Roger Wade says:

      June,

      No, I don’t think your itinerary is too hectic at all. I’d say it’s very nicely paced and if anything, you could squeeze in a bit more if you wanted. Five days in Prague is plenty (you can see the main attractions in 3 days) so if you’ve never been to Venice before I would not skip it on this trip, especially since a 24-hour stay is ideal anyway. And Florence is actually more interesting than Milan for most people, but there is plenty to see in both. This looks good. -Roger

      1. June says:

        Many thanks for your prompt reply!

        I usually don’t plan so detailed in advance as I always believe no plan is the best plan! Will you suggest me to buy pay as you go ticket instead of rail pass? Also Not sure if I should buy Italia rail pass.

  2. L.A. says:

    Hi Roger,

    I am going to Europe for five weeks. I am landing in London and heading back home from Rome. So far this is how my itinerary looks:

    London – Paris
    Paris – Amsterdam
    Amsterdam – Berlin
    Berlin – Prague
    Prague – Krakow
    Krakow – Budapest
    Budapest – Vienna
    Vienna – Munich
    Munich -Venice
    Venice – Florence
    Florence – Rome

    I have been toying with the idea of buying a Global pass, but I am 27 years old, which means I would have to get the first class. Do you think it is worth it?

    Thanks!

    1. Roger Wade says:

      L.A.,

      This is a tough one. London to Paris will be on the Eurostar, which you probably know is separate and should be bought as soon as possible for the lowest fares. Then Paris to Amsterdam is going to cost about €80 even for second class unless you reserve well in advance, and the Amsterdam to Berlin will be about the same. After that it gets a bit cheaper individually, so traveling in Second Class, your cheapest bet is going to be buying as you go. Unfortunately there is no pass other than the Global that would work for you, and traveling solo you don’t qualify for the 15% Saver discount.

      On the other hand, if you don’t mind spending a bit more it’s really nice to do a trip like this in First Class the whole way. This is a really fun and ambitious itinerary where buying many of the tickets well in advance would save you some money, but with a rail pass you can pretty much go wherever whenever you want, which is worth a lot on a long trip like this. So if you are in a cheap mood, buy as you go, though for a bit of a splurge it might be worth it. -Roger

  3. Roger Wade says:

    Clarenz,

    Does this mean you are planning on visiting all 12 cities in 15 days? Obviously that means that you’d be spending around 4 hours each day on a train, and even though these are scenic journeys, I wouldn’t recommend going nearly that fast. Not that you asked, but I’d skip Brussels (or spend a few hours there on your way from Amsterdam to Paris), skip Milan, skip Pisa (or just spend a few hours there on a day trip from Florence), and probably save Munich or Berlin for another trip.

    Unfortunately, you can include France on a 3, 4, or 5-country Select Pass, so if you want to go through the country you’d need a Global Pass. The good news is that you’ll save the most money with a 15-Continuous Day Global Pass with the Saver option (two traveling together). Even if you only take 8 or 9 journeys, it would be cheaper than individual tickets because you are going through mostly expensive areas. And with the Continuous 15-day option, you can change cities every day if you have the energy, at no extra cost. -Roger

    1. Roger Wade says:

      Clarenz,

      Yes, that’s correct. Eurail Passes are only available outside of Europe. European residents can buy different passes that are more restrictive and usually more expensive as well.

      Booking hostels in advance is wise, especially during high season since the cheaper and better places fill up on most days. There are 8 daily express trains from Amsterdam to Paris, leaving at least every two hours. You have to reserve a seat even if you have a rail pass though. Here’s a link to the schedule for that route: http://www.thalys.com/nl/en/train-timetables/Amsterdam/Paris
      -Roger

    2. Roger Wade says:

      Clarenz,

      I’m not sure how long shipping takes to SE Asia from France (where Rail Europe is located) but I’d think 1 to 2 weeks. However, all of these rail passes can be validated any time within 6 months of purchase, so if you ordered one in July you can start using it in October or even December. I hope this helps. -Roger

    3. Roger Wade says:

      Clarenz,

      My understanding is that seat reservations are basically the same price regardless of where you book them. The problem in this particular case is it sounds like you are booking on one of the TGVs in France, and those high-speed luxury trains do have a higher reservation fee, as well as a quota of pass-holders.

      Here’s a list of all the reservation fees where they are needed.

      The average of the ones that require reservations is about €5, but there are a few exceptions, particularly the TGVs in France. -Roger

    4. Clarenz says:

      Hi Roger,

      Would like to get your advice on below items:
      I already plan to buy Global pass for my Europe trip, do you think I should make a seat reservation at the same time as well?Or I should make reservation of seat(5Euro) when I’m arrive at the train station?
      The reason i ask because currently Rail Europe Train has summer sales(Example: 1200 Euro discount 80 Euro).
      But I face the problem was from the website i cannot found the cheap )5Euro) seat reservation as you mention to me before. Therefore until now I still do not buy the global pass yet.
      Pls help.
      In addition, would like to know if I purchase goods(bad) at Paris but I will flight from Munich to my hometown, can I claim the tax at Munich airport for goods that bought at Paris?

    5. Clarenz says:

      Hi Roger,

      Would like to get your advice on below items:
      I already bought Global pass for my Europe trip(15days), I would like to know is it for those day trip on domestic train still need to make reservation or with Global pass, the domestic train/metro is free?

      By the way, how to go to Mount Tiltis from Bern / Interlaken?
      Is there any additional charge / train fees?
      I will depart from Paris to Swiss- Interlaken & Mount Tiltis then only procees to Milano.

      Pls help.
      In addition, would like to know if I purchase goods(eg: bag) at Paris but I will flight from Munich to my hometown, can I claim the tax at Munich airport for goods that bought at Paris? What item that can rebate for VAT tax?

      Thanks in advance.

      1. Roger Wade says:

        Clarenz,

        I’ll answer those that I know in order…

        Depending on the country and the type of train you are taking, you may need a seat reservation even with a rail pass. Here’s a list that covers all of them:

        https://www.priceoftravel.com/3388/which-european-trains-need-reservations-find-out-here/

        On a day that you are using a rail pass, you can ride domestic trains and suburban rail lines for free, but not buses or subways or other urban public transportation.

        To reach Mt. Titlus you take a train to Engelberg, which is the town at its base. From Bern it takes a bit under 2 hours and from Interlaken it takes a bit under 3 hours. Trains leave hourly from both cities.

        I’ve never actually done the VAT rebate thing so I’m not sure, but I do think it’s for one country at a time so you’d have to claim your refund when leaving the country of the purchase, because it’s them that collects the tax. The country next door probably doesn’t want to refund tax they didn’t collect, though again, I’m not really sure. -Roger

  4. Ellen Powell says:

    Hi Roger,

    THANK YOU so much for all your advice. I am still struggling with what pass to buy (if indeed I do so). My husband and I have a vague idea of timing but nothing set in stone. We are both under 26 and travelling in September so not as peak as say June/July/August. I also organise very well so we get a lot in our days and don’t tend to do lots of the night life in the countries. The plan is to do overnight trains wherever possible too. Here’s how our itinerary is looking so far:

    1. Flying to Turkey from London (Not sure where in Turkey yet as with all the trouble going on in instanbul) staying here a couple of nights
    2. Ferrying to Greek Islands (Mykonos 1 night, Santorini 2 -3 nights, Athens 1-2 nights)
    3. Either flying or training to Italy from Athens – (Florence 2 nights, Cinque Terre 3 nights, Verona 1 night, Venice (Been to venice before so only passing through) 1 day and then overnight train from Venice to Munich. I have spent a lot of time in Rome but my husband hasn’t so if we had to pass through Rome via train we would stop here for a day.
    4. Overnight train from Venice to munich. Staying here for 3-5 days with a few day trips
    5. Munich to Vienna. Staying in Vienna 3 nights
    6. Vienna to Prague. Staying for 3 nights
    7. Prague to Sweden, Sweden to Norway and maybe possibly VIA copenhagen for a day if it is easier

    The last leg (Norway and Sweden) we have allowed around 7 days for but haven’t researched it enough to know where to stay etc.

    Sorry for vague itinerary.. it’s looking about 4-5 weeks in total. However I was also toying with the possibility of not including turkey/greece/italy in the eurail time and just paying as we went but not sure which way provides better value. We try travel late night or early morning as well but I haven’t allowed some travel days in areas as still researching. The dilemma is mainly if the pass is worth it and then I will start reserving seats and accommodation.

    Many thanks in advance for all your help!!
    Ellen

    1. Roger Wade says:

      Ellen,

      As of now there is no international train service out of Greece (or Turkey for that matter) so you’ll want to fly to Italy. And those trips within Italy will all be fairly short and cheap, so you wouldn’t want to use a pass for them.

      For the rest of the trip you’ll be covering too many countries for a Select Pass, and you won’t have enough travel days for a Global Pass (they start at 10), so there isn’t really a pass that works for you. That’s unfortunate because any trip after Prague would be quite expensive on its own. Prague to Stockholm would take a very long time so a night train to Copenhagen might be more realistic. But honestly, if I were you I’d fly from Prague to Stockholm as it’s almost certain to be much cheaper, and the scenery up there isn’t too amazing either.

      When you sort out the Scandinavian part of your itinerary it might make sense to buy a Norway-Sweden Regional Rail Pass. Those start at 4 travel days, and if you are trying to see a lot in a week it’s probably going to save you money. Also, (and you might already know this) when planning for Norway you’ll want to spend no more than one night in Oslo, and concentrate on the fjords and such near Bergen. Hopefully this helps, and feel free to follow up if you have other questions. -Roger

  5. hussain, ashraf says:

    Dear Roger
    I have gone through your site and got many information including the correspondences between the travelers and yourself. It’s nice, helpful and interesting and therefore tempted me to consult you for your expert advise for my plan to central Europe.

    I am a student of University of Indianapolis-USA (Athens Campus), Athens and want to travel 4-5 countries’ major cities starting from 27 June ’13 for one week. The plan is as under:

    27/6 Athens – Milan (1310-1445) by flight
    as I have already bought a ticket in EasyJet (from Athens to.
    Paris on 1-Jul which I will get changed on Athens-Milan on
    27/6). Direct from the airport to Milan city tour and night stay.

    28/6 Milan-Venice by rail (03hrs)
    early morning rail to Venice, roaming around the city/site seeing until late evening.

    29/6 Venice-Innsbruck by rail (5hrs)
    Late-night rail with berth to Innsbruck. Arrival in morning in Innsbruck, the whole day visit the city, night stay.

    30/6 Innsbruck-Munich, by rail (3hrs)
    Morning rail to Munich, the whole day visit, stay the night.

    1/7 Munich-Zurich, by rail, (5hrs)
    Late-night rail with berth to Zurich. Arrival in morning Zurich. The whole day visit the city, alps and other sites visits.02 nights stay.

    3/7 Zurich to Paris, by rail,
    Early morning 01-02AM with rail berth to Paris. The whole day visit of the city. Late night flight to Athens.

    I know this seems very hectic, but I have not much time and at the same time wana visit such countries.

    I therefore need your help in this regard. Pls. guide me about the railway pass as well as other information useful in this connection.
    I’d be very much thankful for your prompt advise.

    Vey best regards
    Hussain, Ashraf
    [email protected]

    1. Roger Wade says:

      Ashraf,

      The best and cheapest pass for this trip would be a 5 Travel Days in 2 months 4-Country Select Youth Pass for Italy, Austria, Germany, and Switzerland. As of 2013, France can’t be included in a Select Pass (3, 4, or 5 countries), and your itinerary is way too short for a Global Pass. That would obviously cover your first 4 journeys completely, but you could also use it for the Switzerland part of the Zurich to Paris trip. So you’d go to reserve a seat in Zurich, and you can use your pass for the Zurich to Basel portion, and they’ll just charge you for the France portion. -Roger

      1. ashraf says:

        Lots of thanks Roger
        Your advice is a good guide.
        I’d try to follow the same.
        Once again much thanks
        ashraf

  6. Roger Wade says:

    Marisol,

    Your last question first, yes, I do think you are attempting way too much for 33 days. Two days is enough for Venice or Bruges, and even for Athens if you stick to the main sites. I’d skip Ibiza and Hamburg on this trip, unless you have specific reasons for those. In fact, I’d save Amsterdam and Bruges for another trip as well.

    One way to think about it is that any day you are traveling, you don’t have time for sightseeing. With 14 destinations in 33 days, you’ll only have about 20 days of actually seeing what you are going to see. From the time you check out of your hotel, even if it’s near the train station, it will be probably 6 to 8 hours before you check into the hotel in the next city. Even if you fly it’s about the same amount of time spent going to and from airports. After a day traveling, you won’t want to rush to a museum if you get in at 4pm.

    However, if you do include most of these cities, I’d recommend a 30-day Eurail Global Pass or a 10 travel days out of 60 Eurail Global Pass. -Roger

  7. Vikram says:

    Im planning on travelling for roughly 12-14 days in Europe where I want to cover Italy 4-5 days(Rome and Florence/Venice),Spain 4 days(Barcelona and Valencia/Seville) , 3-4 days Amsterdam and Brussels (Maybe) and end up in France (Paris)(Base in Europe). I am awfully confused on what to chose as flights seem cheaper. I plan on taking the 3 or 4 Countries pass. Catch a flight from London and go to Benalux-Italy-Spain-France(If I choose the 4 country option)What would you suggest?
    > Does the pass cover the local trains in Italy and Spain? eg (Rome-Venice-Florence)?
    Note: I am 24, and have no problem with booking in advance whether its trains or flights.
    Thank you in advance…

    1. Roger Wade says:

      Vikram,

      Normally I am the last one to say that people are trying to see too much in too little time, but for you, this is a crazy itinerary.

      The train passes definitely cover all the local trains, so going from Venice to Rome would be covered, but really you should think about cutting at least half of your destinations before deciding on trains vs. planes. The thing is, whether you are taking trains or flying, it eats up most of a day whenever you change cities. Even if flying, you’ll have to leave your hotel at 9am to catch a noon flight, and you won’t check into your hotel in the new city until 4pm. Trains can be better and at least you see something on the way. For example, Florence to Rome only takes a couple hours with good scenery, and you don’t waste time going to and from airports.

      For you, in 12 to 14 days, I’d recommend Venice (1 day), Florence (2 to 3 days), and Rome (3 to 4 days) as minimums, and then add Paris or Barcelona for the rest. Save the rest for your next trip.
      -Roger

      1. Vikram says:

        Thank you for your reply,
        Actually Paris is taken care of as I a relative staying there so I would be spending 3-4 (Either in the beginning or the end of the journey) days in Paris anyway.SO excluding Paris I have 12-14 days left to cover the places I mentioned. So 7 days in Italy, 5 days Spain and 2 days in Amsterdam seems ok? Or am I pushing it too much again? To sum it up I have 18-20 days minimum for all the mentioned places so what would you suggest…
        Thanks in Advance

        1. Roger Wade says:

          Vikram,
          I think 7 days in Italy works okay as a minimum, but longer would be better, of course. Five days in Spain should be good if you stay in and around Barcelona rather than trying to hit multiple cities that are many hours away from each other. You might even take a day or two in Nice, France along the way. It’s interesting and very close to Cannes and Monaco for day trips.

          If you want to spend 2 days in Amsterdam then you’ll definitely need to fly. I’d recommend saving it for another trip where you also hit Berlin and Prague and Bruges, but I understand the draw of Amsterdam, and you can have a fun 2 days there if you can work out good flights. -Roger

      2. Douglas Cooper says:

        I love reading the advice you’re giving; it’s very informative and helpful!

        Last year, my partner and I flew into Nuremberg, where we took the trains (a Select Pass/3 countries) to several cities all over Bavaria/Thuringia; Prague; and Switzerland. It was a truly wonderful experience, although we had a couple of mishaps along the way.

        I was very careful in planning every side trip, noting the train number and it’s route. That proved very helpful because we were having dinner in Eisenach and I knew we had to be at the station at a certain time to catch our train back to Furth before leaving to Prague the next morning.
        We arrive at the station and the attendant tells us that there are no trains leaving until the next morning. I insisted that she search the listings, but she kept denying it. I found the train number in my diary and asked her to look it up. Sure enough, the train was on time. So, it’s important to keep some notes!

        OK, my question:
        We’re going to be flying into Prague…and we want to visit a couple of cities in Poland, back to Prague, then to Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Slovenia, Croatia…before ending up in Palermo, Italy. We’ll be spending two months for all of this.

        What would you suggest?

        Thanks!
        Doug

        1. Roger Wade says:

          Douglas,

          I appreciate the compliments, and I can relate to your story of that mystery train. We can’t always assume that the local employees know everything that is going on.

          As for your upcoming trip, I’d be able to provide even better advice in a few months since I’m going to be touring that whole area starting in September, including quite a few places that I’ve yet to visit. In Poland I’ll recommend the obvious, which is Krakow, and it also happens to be one of my favorite cities in Europe for its very pleasant and gorgeous town center along with very affordable prices. On my upcoming trip I’ll be stopping in Warsaw and Wroclaw, and possibly Gdansk as well. Most people agree that Krakow is the star of the show and that Warsaw isn’t as interesting, but still I’ve heard generally good things about those other cities.

          After Prague again I’d recommend Salzburg and then Vienna, of course. Salzburg is a wonderful town for tourists, the sort of place most people daydream about moving to after a first visit. The train trip to Vienna will be quite scenic, and Vienna is one of Europe’s great cities as a former empire HQ.

          As for Slovakia, my only experience is a visit to Bratislava, which in basically a suburb of Vienna. To be honest, I didn’t find anything very compelling there, at least compared to the other cities you’ll be visiting. If you want to spend a day or two there I imagine you’d enjoy it, but if you skipped it I don’t think you’d regret it.

          Obviously in Hungary you’ll visit Budapest, which joins Krakow on the list of great value and very worthwhile. Beyond that, I can’t say much until after my upcoming trip. There isn’t really a “second city” that I hear much about in Hungary. Slovenia is another that I’ll be visiting for the first time later this year, but again, I haven’t heard many raves about it, which is one reason why I’ve waited this long.

          Croatia is a different story though. Zagreb is pleasant enough for a couple days, but the charms of Croatia are along the coast. You can take the train down to Split and then a bus down to Dubrovnik, both of which are highly recommended. There are also several popular islands off the coast between those two towns, and I hear great things about those as well. Of all of the former Yugoslavia countries, Croatia got by far the best real estate and it has most of the remaining highlights. The coast of Croatia isn’t nearly as cheap as most other places on your list, just so you plan for that. There is also Plitvice National Park, which looks amazing though I’ve yet to visit myself.

          From Split or Dubrovnik you can take a ferry to Italy, and the Dubrovnik to Bari one would probably serve you best. From there you can take trains across to Sicily (including the trainferry). In two months you could easily see all of the places mentioned above and still have extra time to add in some things you find out about on the way. I hope this helps, and I’m sure you’ll have a fantastic trip. -Roger

          1. Douglas Cooper says:

            Roger….
            What type of rail pass should we get? We had the Select Pass (3 countries/ 1st class) the last trip…and that was MORE than sufficient, although, the trip back from Basel to Furth dipped down into Austria and we had to pay (we weren’t expecting that..but it was a minimal fee).

            With the countries that we want to visit, do you think we should get another Select pass (I’m not even sure how to map that one out…) and get separate side trips along the way?

            All the accommodations are easy, since MOST of them are with friends who own apartments/inns to rent…so, there’s some leniency with too many time constraints.

            My biggest concern, then, is what type of EURail pass to get.

            Thanks!
            Doug

          2. Roger Wade says:

            Douglas,

            As of two months ago, the only Select Eurail Pass is the 4-country version. You could conceivably get one for Poland, Czech Republic, Hungary, and Austria, but I don’t think it would be good value for you. Except for Austria, those are among the cheapest countries for individual train tickets. A Select Pass can be very good value for France, Germany, Spain and many others because those fares are very high when you buy at the last minute. But for the trips you seem to be planning, I’m not sure that the total would pay for a rail pass even if you bought the tickets on the day of travel. You might try to check fares on bahn.de (the German rail site) just to confirm.

            If you buy those tickets online in advance (from the official rail site of your departure country) they will be far less than the cost of a rail pass. And it’s a little coincidence that you mention Furth because that’s where my grandmother lived so I spent a couple partial summers there in my youth. Let me know if this makes sense and if you have other questions. -Roger

          3. Douglas Cooper says:

            Thanks! I was thinking that we would do a 3 country pass (Czech Republic, Austria, Poland) and then just buy side trips while we’re there. The main trip from there would be traveling down to Split…and then of course, we’ll ferry onto Italy.

            Furth was where we had our “home base”, basically. We had GREAT accommodations at Quality Hotel Bavaria on Nurnbergerstrasse. The staff was WONDERFUL and our breakfasts (every morning before boarding trains) was exceptional. The staff there made us feel very much like family…and that was greatly appreciated.

            So, from there, we would venture out to Prague and back and through Switzerland, and then returning back to Bavaria and Thuringia.

            Furth is a LOVELY town with a very low-key pace.

            Oh, the place we stayed in Prague was BEAUTIFUL and VERY inexpensive while being convenient to the rail station and a decent walk to the different points of interest.

    2. Morag says:

      We are two 60 year olds hoping to travel this summer, mostly by rail. Barcelona -San Sebastien? – Nice – Monaco – Florence – Rome- Venice – Split (Dubrovnik) – nothing decided for sure. Does a Eurail pass make sense for us. Any other places you would recommend visiting in these areas? (We have already visited Paris & other parts of France as well as southern Spain – not really interested in Germany, Austria, Switzerland)

      1. Roger Wade says:

        Morag,

        I don’t think a rail pass would suit you well on this trip. The Barcelona to Nice trip would be expensive on its own (much cheaper if you buy 2 or 3 months in advance), but the other trips are fairly inexpensive by European rail standards. The trips within Italy are quite cheap if you buy a few weeks in advance, and still pretty reasonable even on travel day because the distances are short and Italy heavily subsidizes rail travel.

        You are covering all the best places with your plans so far. You might also look into visiting Plitvice National Park in Croatia on your way to Split, although it’s not on or near the rail lines. And when in Italy you might also consider a few days in Sorrento, which is the ideal base to visit Naples on a day-trip along with the Amalfi Coast, Pompeii, and the island of Capri. Sorrento itself is lovely on its own. Otherwise I think your plan looks fantastic as it is. Have a great trip. -Roger

  8. Rafael Sousa says:

    I will accept your recommendations.
    Actually, my budget is the same as the European Backpacker Index 2012.
    Hope it works! =)
    Thank you again and as a frequent reader of this website, I have one feedback:
    I think you can post more topics about Eastern Europe. I know that is more common go to Western Europe but I guess EE has they beautiful places as well.

    Looking forward the next topic,
    Rafa.

  9. Rafael Sousa says:

    Thanks Roger.
    So I think I have to buy each stretch of my trip separate – always comparing the price and the duration of the trip to choose between train of bus. And is not a problem if I but the tickets one day before, am I right?
    Thank you again,
    Rafa.

    1. Roger Wade says:

      Rafael, exactly right. I spent most of this summer traveling around Eastern Europe (currently in Serbia) and even in high season it was easy to buy tickets even just before departure. But for international trains I think it’s wise to buy the day before because sometimes the lines at those windows are long, and once you have a ticket you can breeze into the station at the last minute. If you buy tickets the day of, you have to get there quite early just to be sure.

      And don’t hesitate to take the buses because they tend to be comfortable and pretty fast as long as you get the express ones rather than the ones that stop in each town. Bon voyage. -Roger

  10. Rafael Sousa says:

    I’m travelling 53 days just in Eastern Europe and almost all of the trip will be by train/bus. Do you recommend to buy a Europass?

    1. Roger Wade says:

      Rafael, I’m glad you asked this because I should have mentioned Eastern Europe and I will add it. About half of Eastern Europe isn’t part of the Eurail system, so you have to compare your itinerary to the main map. Also, just as bad, the trains in the included parts of Eastern Europe tend to be as slow or slower than buses. Coverage is spotty as well, so probably not a good fit for your trip. -Roger