Eurail Passes
A Eurail Pass can be your ’ticket to Europe’ if you know how and when to use them. They can only be purchased ahead of time in your home country and they are fairly expensive. I have found the 15 day pass to be the most useful and have covered most of Europe over the years by using this particular pass on five different trips. Once your pass is activated on the first day you plan to use it…the clock starts ticking. If you are prepared to get up early every day to be on the first train in the morning heading for the next city on your itinerary, you will get more than your money’s worth out of the pass.
What’s the Cost?
Your pass entitles you to first class accommodations on the train (adult pass) and if two or more are traveling together, there is a discount. A check of the latest fees (December 2010) indicates that a Youth Pass for those 25 years of age and under is $469.00 for 2nd Class Travel. Adults 26 years of age and over can only purchase a First Class ticket, which is $719.00 for one person or $609.00 for two or more traveling together.
Things to Consider
Once in hand, the ticket is a valuable commodity and can be lost or stolen. For a small fee of around $12.00 you can purchase replacement insurance for your ticket, which I recommend. Since I first began using Eurail passes, I have noticed an increasing requirement to make a reservation the day before each leg of the trip and also to pay either a reservation fee or a supplement, all of which tend to defeat the purpose of the pass. Some countries are more apt to require these than others. During my first trips with the Eurail Pass I needed only to get on the train and show my pass, enabling me to skip the long lines at the train stations and the language barrier at the ticket window. It was also easier then to get on and off the train several times during the day in order to visit more sights. The requirement for reservations and supplements negates these conveniences.
Should I Get a Eurail Pass?
The Eurail pass is now valid in 21 countries, but, unfortunately, some of the most interesting countries in Eastern Europe, like one of my favorites…Poland, are not included. Hungary and Romania are now included and hopefully more will be added in the future. It would not be cost effective to visit a country that is not included in the pass in the middle of your 15 day pass period, as the Eurail Pass would be running concurrently and you would be wasting days. Therefore, careful planning ahead of time is necessary. Once you have a rough itinerary planned, check the internet for the point to point ticket costs and see how they compare to the cost of the Eurail pass. You may find that it would be cheaper to purchase point to point tickets. In summary, the Eurail pass is ideal for first time travelers to Europe who want to see a lot in a short time, but may not be the best idea for leisurely travelers with only a few planned stops on their itinerary.
France is the worst for reservations as practically all the major cities are connected by TGV, which means reservations are required. You can do local/regional trains but it is harder to find information. I took regional trains from Paris to Brussels via four trains. It took a while but I stopped off in cities I would not have otherwise discovered.