There are three main things you have to decide before buying your pass: countries to visit, duration of the trip, and estimated “train travel days.” And, a few trains don’t even have a first-class section, so you will have to seat in second class anyway.When reserving a berth on a sleeper train, most probably you will select a second-class reservation since the reservation fare is much cheaper (I’ll cover this soon).second class that has four slightly narrower seats per row in the same space. Maybe a slight difference in open seating arrangement is that first class has three seats per row vs. In 99% of the European trains, the only difference between second and first is simply, upholstery.If you’re a backpacker like me, then traveling cheaply is more important than “luxury.”.Of course, second class passes are cheaper than first class, and I highly recommend getting a second class instead of first. Things to note: You can save a lot of money on your passes if you’re 27 years old or younger, or if you’re a party of two or more. Some countries also offer their own local pass at their major stations, but again, at a higher price. While it’s better to buy the passes online, some major European railway stations offer some Global Passes, but their price tag is much higher than online. The mobile pass is activated the moment you start using the planning app. To do this, simply choose the “activate my pass” option at the Eurail checkout when you place your order. Since 2019, you can also pre-activate your paper Eurail pass online.
I recommend purchasing it at least a month ahead and always consider the shipping time to your address.Īfter you purchase a rail pass, you have eleven months to activate it at a train station in Europe (we’ll cover validation soon). The pass can be bought from eleven months to a week ahead of your trip. Be aware that passes are not available electronically (i.e., PDF). I recommend checking all the Eurail Pass shipping info to calculate the shipping and delivery cost and time based on your country. Just let your hotel or hostel staff know that you’re expecting a package. If you’re already traveling through Europe, the Eurail passes can be mailed to your accommodation. In that case, you should buy the Eurail pass while in your home country with enough time prior to your trip to receive the pass by mail. You can buy your Eurail Pass online, and after purchase, you will receive the activation code for your Eurail Pass straight to your email inbox.Īll that’s left for you to do is download the Rail Planner app, activate your Pass, and you’re ready to board your first train! What if you still prefer having an old-school paper pass?
I recommend thinking of a preliminary itinerary and going to a site like RailEurope (which I’ve used to do this) to compare the total price of all point-to-point tickets versus the pass.įor example, on my first “rail trip” to Europe in 2010, I visited five countries (which is a considerably big trip), but when I made my comparison, it proved to be cheaper buying my tickets point by point.īut, on my much bigger 3.5 months European trip, the passes made a lot more sense.Īlso, on two different trips I made to Spain and Italy in 20, both country-specific passes were cheaper for the number of trains and travel days I planned on using, rather than going with point-by-point tickets. If you plan to take just 2 or 3 trains in one or a few countries, then it’s probable that a Eurail pass is not for you, as the individual train tickets might cost less than a pass that might go partially unused.īut on the other hand, if you know you will be jumping here and there and taking trains regularly, then a pass might be the best option for you. The type of pass you choose will depend on how much, and where, you intend to travel. There are different types of Eurail passes with different prices, duration, and coverage. If you’re a European citizen, you will need an Interrail Pass instead.Įurail and Interrail are separate and different passes, but they strive to achieve the same goal, and they are used pretty much the same way. Countries covered by EurailĮurail passes are created by a European train carrier-owned consortium called Eurail, which sells European train passes to non-European citizens through various sellers. It is also designed to give you a lot of flexibility on the road and to lower the cost of your transportation. THE PRE-TRIP PLANNING… HOW DOES THE EURAIL PASS WORK?Įurail passes are made to ease your train travel experience through Europe for a specific time period (up to three months) and a specific number of countries (up to 33 covered countries).
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