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A Complete Guide to Eurail Passes

Updated on 21-11-2019

Whew! We have completed our 100+ days extended tour of the Europe, which we named #NiVaEuro. There are so many stories and experiences we would like to share. One of them is travelling by European rail network which was an integral part of our plan. Eurail Pass certainly helped in making our international and Intra-national train journeys fast, fun, scenic, convenient and simple.

Complete guide to Eurail Passes, Europe
The high speed Pendolino EWD350 train by PKP Intercity Premium, Polish Railways

Having had a firsthand knowledge of using a Eurail Pass in a variety of situations, we would like to share all our experiences, tips and tricks. It includes a guide to using Eurail Passes, types of Eurail Passes and many more things. In short, a Complete Guide to Eurail Pass. It is, many times, incorrectly referred to as Eurorail Pass.

Background

We were still at the final planning stage of our #NiVaEuro trip of the Europe and the time had come to find answers for one of the more important questions.

How were we going to travel within Europe?

Cities within Europe are well connected by Air, Road & Rail and at many places waterways too. Our plan was a loose one, meaning there were unchangeable dates for a few cities because of peak time accommodation rush and the dates in between were sketchy.  It meant that we could not make transportation plans well in advance except for the first few days. So air travel was taken out of equation except for unavoidable conditions.

Hiring a car is a great idea for a few days but ours was a longish program involving multiple countries. We had already spent on the mandatory ​Schengen visa insurance and add to that the additional expense & hassles of buying vehicle insurance, high way tax stickers, finding parking place and so on. So we decided to keep this option on need basis.

We were left with Buses and Trains. Buses are less expensive but trains are more comfortable, especially during a night journey. Trains are also faster. After deliberating the pros and cons we decided to use trains most of the time, buses and flights when needed.

One major benefit of travelling by trains, which swung our decision in its favor, is that the main stations are often in the center of the city.

Complete guide to Eurail Passes, Europe
Places visited by us during our #NiVaEuro epic journey 2017, mostly on European Rail Network using Eurail Pass

Complete guide to Eurail Passes, Europe

Complete guide to Eurail Passes, Europe
Ni & Va (NiVa) enjoying the scenery in Croatia
Complete guide to Eurail Passes, Europe
Picture perfect! European landscape from train

What is a Eurail Pass?  

First and the foremost is that Eurail does not own any train stock or run any railways. Eurail is an agent or a facilitator that has agreements with as many as 32 European Railways to sell Eurail passes to prospective travelers. A Eurail pass is a single ticket (pass) that allows unlimited train journeys on the date of travel. What it really means is, that you can hop-in and hop out of trains as many times as you want at no extra cost, except for the reservation charges, if applicable.

During our own travels, on almost every one of our travel day we had taken multiple trains to reach our destination and many times even included a day trip. More about it in Tips and Tricks below. 🙂

Eurail however, does not sell point to point train ticket. For that you have to contact the local train station.

Eurail Pass is issued only to Non-Europeans. InterRail Passes are for Europeans.

Complete guide to Eurail Pass Europe
Eurail Pass kit that includes a large Eurail Map

How many types of Eurail Passes are there?

Eurail passes are designed to suit all pockets, any age group and many types of travel plans.

The Select Eurail Pass is if the travel is between 2 to 4 countries sharing a border. There are multiple options available as to the number of travel days with a validity period of 2 months.  Further options are available whether you want to travel first or second class or if you are a youth (12 to 27 years), Adults (28 and over) or family with kids.

The Global Eurail Pass is for those wishing to travel 5 or more countries. Various options are available as to the number of traveling days and validity period. There are also options for continuous travel. For instance, you buy the 3 months continuous Eurail Pass means that you have the option to travel on each one of the day on unlimited trains.

For Global Eurail Pass, if one of the travelling group is an adult then the only option is to buy a First Class Eurail Pass. However if youths aged between 12 and 27 travel alone or in a group, have the option to buy second class pass too. Good news for families is that two kids below 12 may travel free with each adult.

For our #NiVaEuro trip we got the 15 travelling days with 2 months validity. So we had to choose our starting date wisely to make sure we could cover as much ground as possible. We tried to schedule our longer travels during this period, because beyond two months we had to either buy 1 month Eurail pass or travel point to point. We decided on point to point as that was working out cheaper since we were covering just a few cities and staying more days in each of them after the expiry of the Eurail Pass.

Country Specific train passes

In addition to Select and Global Eurail passes one could obtain country specific multiple day passes too. The prices and conditions vary and the details are provided at One Country Pass.

The travel options starts from 3 days in a month.

Complete guide to Eurail Passes, Europe
Single Country Eurail Passes with suggested minimum price

Some discounts are available if you decide to travel as a group under 1 ticket.

Please note that all Eurail Passes are paper tickets. Mobile tickets are not available as of now.

Should I buy Eurail Pass at all?  Is it worth it?

It is not mandatory to buy Eurail Pass to travel on European Train Network. If the travel is just point to point then single tickets may work out better. Many times we have taken a bus because either the train timings were not suitable or the train was just too expensive.

Eurail Passes may not be the cheapest option but certainly is a convenient option and cheaper if you consider point to point individual first class tickets.

We personally found that during our trip, which involved long distances over 11 countries, Global Eurail Pass was certainly helpful, added to that some of the night journeys we took helped us save on the hotels too.

Other points you may consider before deciding for or against, is at the Tips & Tricks and Benefits section below.

Everyone’s travel styles, likes and dislikes are different. That means each individual must do her/her calculations to see if it is worth it. Feel free to discuss should you have any query. Some people like to travel only by train.
While I waited at Sofia ticketing counter to book my night train ticket to Varna, I met a couple of Australians who wanted to go to Plovdiv. I told them to take the bus as we had just been to Plovdiv the previous day by bus which was frequent, fast, cheap and most comfortable. They wanted to go by train only.

Of late some of the train companies have started variable pricing policy based on supply and demand, just like airlines. That is another input to the hair-pulling arithmetic equation! 🙂 🙂

Should I buy Eurail Pass in advance?

It is better to buy it in advance to save time. However certain Eurail passes may be bought at the station but may be more expensive. Global Eurail Pass must be bought in advance and preferably get it delivered at your home address. Eurail pass may be bought up to 11 months in advance, before your first travel day. It is also important to get it activated before travelling at the starting train station.  We got our Global Eurail Pass more than one month before the travel commencement.

Is Eurail Pass Valid in all European countries and all their networks?

Eurail passes are valid across 28 countries on over 30 rail companies. We found out early in our travels that reservation charges and sleeper are applicable in high speed and night trains for sleeper.

Complete guide to Global Eurail Passes, Europe
Moonshine during ferry crossing across the Baltic sea. Yes, using Eurail Pass!

In addition, it is also valid on Buses run by Deutsche Bahn (DB). Yes, DB the German train company also runs buses on select routes. We actually took a night bus from Copenhagen to Berlin. It included a bonus of 40 minutes luxury ferry ride. 🙂 Where the bus and train too (I am not joking!) are carried by the ferry to the other side of Baltic Sea.

There are numerous ferry services where Eurail Pass is valid.

We installed an app called RailPlanner to help us with train schedules and information which actually helped us in identifying the trains in which these passes were valid. When in doubt we double checked with the conductor at the train or when we had time at the ticketing counter.

Can I use Eurail Pass for travelling to many countries by multiple trains in a day? 

The Select and Global Eurail Pass allows you to travel across multiple countries (as specified in the pass) and take multiple halts on a single travel day. You may also go out to another country and return to the originating country.  For example Bratislava is just one hour by train from Vienna. Once could do a day trip easily.

It looks like Eurail does not cover one of the countries I want to visit. What shall I do?

It is no big deal. If you so badly want to visit that country, all you need is to buy a direct ticket by train, bus or plane, to that country or city. Of course make sure you have the passports and visas for that country.  Please note that the United Kingdom is not part of Eurail but Ireland is, although it does not share a land border with rest of the Eurail countries.

Is Schengen Visa Valid in all of the Eurail Pass network countries?

Eurail pass covers a few Non-Schengen countries too. It is up to the traveler to ensure she/he has valid documents to enter Non-Schengen countries. Having said that, we found during our planning stage that some of them allowed entry if one had a valid multiple-entry Schengen visa. This was actually a blessing in disguise as it enabled us to travel over 100 days by travelling to Serbia, Croatia and Bulgaria and save our Schengen days. Other Non-Schengen countries covered by Eurail Pass are Bosnia & Herzegovina, Montenegro, Romania and Turkey.

The passport control happens on the train. If it is a Schengen to Schengen border crossing there may or may not be a cursory check. However for Schengen to non-Schengen there is a mandatory passport control and the officers actually board the train and checks the passport. It may take a few extended minutes to a few hours. We will write about our border crossing experiences separately. 🙂

Tips and tricks for using a Eurail Pass

  • Activating Eurail Pass: Before commencing your journey using a Eurail Pass, it needs to be activated by filling up the starting date and getting it stamped at the ticket counter. This is imperative and not doing it is tantamount to travelling ticketless!
  • How and Where to use: Before boarding or as soon as you board before the conductor comes to check the tickets, the travel date must be entered on the pass at the designated column and the train, bus or ferry details filled out in the attached travel diary. It is likely that for one travel date on the pass, there may be several entries of individual trains on the travel diary.
  • The conductor would then punch the date on the pass and the train details on the side. We found that many times the train conductors would not punch the date or would not punch at the right place. That is okay. Once in a while, you will come across a conductor who would want to see your passport too and he is well within his rights to do so. This is just to ensure the identification of the person carrying the pass. There was at least one conductor who had never seen a Eurail pass, or so it appeared to us. But there were no questions asked any way. Probably lack of knowledge of English was the reason. In general the conductors were very courteous and on many occasions they helped us with our luggage too.
  • Reservations and other charges (country specific): On some trains, generally the high speed trains, prior reservation is obligatory and the charges vary from Zero euros upwards. Yes, there was no reservation charges for our Krakow to Wroclaw night train. There are other trains in which reservation is optional. While one can jump into the train without reservation, it is possible the seat you are occupying belongs to someone who has reserved it.

Here is an experience. When we boarded the train from Prague to Brno we decided not to get a reservation and occupied two vacant seats but soon we were displaced by others having reservations. It was peak holiday season! The conductor helped us in procuring one seat for Nisha and I sat in the restaurant car for the rest of the journey. 🙂

Other charges that may be levied is the sleeper charges. This could be very nominal or very expensive depending on the country and the train. The most expensive for us was EUR72 each on a first class sleeper in Austria by OBB. It had its own perks of personalized service, wake up call, free snack, coffee / tea and breakfast too. While it was not cheap, it certainly was worth the experience with an attached private shower. 🙂 🙂 We did this only for experience and I am sure air ticket might have been cheaper and faster.

  • App for travel planning: We downloaded the Railplanner app for planning our journey schedules. It is a very robust software and gives multiple connectivity options. One could give route suggestion and select only trains on which reservations are NOT mandatory to save money.

In addition we also used app by regional railways like DB, OBB, CD and PKP etc. to get a feel of the reservation charges upfront.

  • Point to point, short distances and bus connectivity: It is important to research well if you want to save on the travel days and money. For example, to go to Trier we decided to take the German one day pass for two at EUR52 which gives complete coverage in Germany for almost 24 hours. Many times to do a day trip, it is not worth using the Global Pass because either there are no good connections, there is no first class or takes too much time. In such situation we have taken buses which are generally quite inexpensive.

When we travelled from Prague to Brno, we realized later that we should not have used the pass and instead booked a second class journey which would have cost under 10Euros a ticket.

By the time we reached Austria our Global Eurail Pass had expired. We found that there were train companies which were not on RailPlanner app that provided cheaper services; for example from Salzburg to Vienna. The information available on the station was sketchy except for a couple of advertisements. The tickets had to be bought only on-board the train.

    • To save a precious travel day, if your travel is within just one country for one day, then it is advisable to explore single country single day unlimited travel passes issued by the local / regional railways. For example, while in Germany we got a day pass (Quer-durchs-Land-Ticket) for 2 with the only condition that we stick together. 🙂 In fact as many as 5 adults could have travelled on that pass on payment of a marginal additional fee. For us it cost EUR 52, to travel as we pleased on any German regional train network and S-Bahn for one day that is from 9:00AM to 3:00AM. This helped us to take a day trip to as far as Trier from Frankfurt and back. A total of over 400KM by train.
    • Recording in Travel Diary: For each sector of your train journey a line of details must be recorded on the travel diary. Not doing this may attract admonition to fines depending on the mood of the conductor. 🙂 The travel diary has space for 25 journeys. If you run out of space you could use one tear-off from the Eurail Guide for global pass which comes with the pass and if you run out of that also, then you can download extra page from Eurail website and attach it to the ticket.
    • Classes of tickets: For sitting journey there are First and second class. Depending on the train and country, the first class could be cabins or open seating with wide seats.
Complete guide to Eurail Passes, Europe
1-2 arrangement in First Class. Hallmark of comfort and luxury in train travel
  • Night Trains: Many night trains have sleeper coaches. They could be 4 or 6 couchettes to a cabin or just 2 in a luxury cabin. What we did a few times was joined the 2nd class cabin seats to provide reclining position. Of course one could flip up the arm rest for more space too. This is possible only if it is not crowded.
  • 7 PM rule: This is the most attractive part of Eurail and we fully used this feature to the core. By properly using this rule one could travel for more than 24 hours on a single travel day!

Normally a travel day starts from midnight and ends at next midnight. However, if the travel commences after 7:00 PM on a day and the train is scheduled to reach final destination after 4:00 AM then you are allowed to mark the travel date as the next day and use up the whole of next day travelling too.

For example.  We took a train from Krakow on 5th at 10:00 PM which was to reach Wroclaw on 6th at 6:00 AM. We marked the travel date as 6th on the travel diary. On reaching Wroclaw we dumped our luggage at the locker and proceeded towards Jelena Gora and a couple of other places and explored till evening. If this rule had not been there then we would have had to mark both 5th and 6th on the travel diary and thereby losing a travel day.

  • The 7 PM rule is applicable only to Global Eurail Pass.
  • High Speed Trains: It is important to note that most High Speed trains charge reservation fees. On the plus side is that it saves quite some time.
  • Luggage: Luggage is not a problem as there is lot of storage space on the rack above the seats or designated space near the wagon door. If it is not there then we just keep it alongside our seats on aisle. There are luggage related rules but it is seldom followed or checked.

In most of the cities we visited, there were either coin operated luggage lockers or manned luggage store at the train station. We often used this facility after checking out of the hotel and before the night train. It gave us extra hours to explore the city. Once we even left our suitcases at the Sofia station for a couple of days while we went off to visit Varna ! The charges were nominal.

  • Bicycle: Bicycles are not covered by Eurail Pass and you must enquire for the trains and charges at the ticketing counter.
  • Pets: Similarly Pets are not covered. Small pets generally are allowed free of charge. However it is best to enquire at the station for the applicable charges and conditions.
  • Food and Drinks: You may bring food and beverages from outside and consume it in the train. Many stations have shops where one can stock up. Some trains will have a restaurant car too or a push cart selling food and beverages. They are more expensive than on street but not exorbitant. Bottom line is eating and drinking is ok on board European trains.
  • Although some public transports are included in Eurail Pass, it is not cost effective as you are supposed to make an entry in the Journey Diary and thereby use up a valuable travel day.

Other Benefitsof Eurail Pass

    • There are many first class lounges scattered in Europe and a holder of First Class Eurail Pass can use this facility on the date of travel. You can indulge in complimentary drinks and snacks. We had a late night train from Vienna to Zagreb and we could use the super luxury lounge while we waited. 🙂 It was as good as any Airport lounge. There was so much food that we had to forego our dinner.
    • Discounts on various sightseeing tours and entry ticket to museums and other attractions. Just ask if the discounts are available and flash your Eurail Pass to avail the discounts.
    • You don’t have to stand in line for tickets unless a reservation is necessary.
    • Eurail have created a few historic and scenic itineraries that you may follow.
    • Discounts on accommodation are available at select chain of hotels and hostels.
    • Some scenic trains such as Bernina Express and Glacier Express is covered by Eurail Pass. Only reservation amount need be paid.
    • Superfast ferries between Italy and Greece are covered including stopover at the beautiful island of Corfu.
    • Long distance ferry rides in Spain, Italy, Croatia, Greece, Switzerland and many other countries are fully covered or heavily discounted. If it is not fully covered you save your travel day too!
    • In some countries public transport is included S-Bahn in Germany.
    • Wi-Fi is available on some of the high speed trains.
    • Laptop and mobile charging points in first class and some of the second class coaches.
    • Longer the journey, better are the chances for striking a conversation with a fellow traveler and learn about the place.
    • Finally if you send the ticket and travel diary back to Eurail (postage is prepaid) then they will send a small gift in token of appreciation. Eurail uses this data for their research and analysis.
Complete guide to Eurail Passes, Europe
A token gesture by Eurail on sending the completed Travel Diary

What happens when you lose your Eurail Pass?

If the Eurail Pass is stolen or misplaced then it is a dead loss and it cannot be replaced. We will have to buy a new pass. On buying a pass protection insurance, some amount may be redeemed depending on the balance number of days left.

Is Rail Pass different from Eurail Pass?

Rail pass is equivalent of Eurail pass for European citizens and permanent residents in Europe. Some of the rules of service are different so also the pricing.

How to order a Eurail Pass?

Eurail passes may be ordered on by visiting by clicking here or www.raileurope.co.in

Watch out for seasonal discounts from time to time.

Please note that once the order is confirmed it is almost impossible to change it. It is important to be sure of what type of Pass you want, the names and other particulars before ordering.  You can pay by credit card, debit card and PayPal. You may of course cancel it at a fee of 15% if the Eurail Pass is not validated.

Create Your Own Story!  

This is the tagline for Eurail Passes and our story is as follows.

We had a Global Eurail Pass valid for two months and included 15 travel days.

We performed 31 journeys on 15 travelling days.

Out of 100+ days our Global Eurail Pass was valid for 2 months in which we travelled to 21 cities in eight countries, namely, Poland, Germany, Czech Republic, Hungary, Bulgaria, Serbia, Slovakia and Croatia.

Our first journey was a DB bus journey from Copenhagen to Berlin (which included ferry crossing) then by train to Gdansk.

Last journey was a day trip to Varazdin from Zagreb.

Eurail Pass ran out when we reached Slovenia.  We still used trains for all of our journeys in Slovenia and Austria and finally to Munich. For Ljubljana to Lake Bled we use bus because it was much more convenient.

In this period we performed 6 night journeys saving 6 hotel nights.

In addition, we took three independent bus rides and one local train trip for day trips as they were much cheaper and saved 4 precious Eurail Pass travel days.

We travelled to 7 cities in two countries before Eurail Pass kicked in and 9 cities in 3 countries after its expiry. Germany was our base where we entered and exited many times.

Whenever we reached a destination in the morning, we normally took off for a day trip to another town or village to extract more juice from the Eurail Pass. Hum to aise hain Bhaiya! 😀 😀

Conclusion

The essence of the matter is, if your plan includes an element of uncertainty, many days, long distances, multiple countries & cities, high speed & night journeys then Eurail Pass is for you. If you love train travel then other factors do not matter much anyway! #CreateYourOwnStory. We created ours!

Did you like the post? Pin it. 🙂

Complete guide to Eurail Passes, Europe

Disclaimer: Eurail had supported our travels with 15 days in 2 months Global Eurail Passes but the opinions, as always, are our own.

56 thoughts on “A Complete Guide to Eurail Passes”

  1. I have to admit, I never used EUrail passes (because I work in the rail industry in the UK so get bigger discounts 😀 ) – but this sounds like a fantastic idea for those coming in from outside the EU. Looks like you used them to the maximum as well.

  2. I always consider getting a Eurorail pass when I’m in Europe, but have never known if it’s worth it or not. This post is really helpful in breaking it down, especially now that I know I can use it in 28 countries!

    1. Thanks Marissa, for stopping by. The factors to consider are the time, cost, comfort and convenience and depending on ones travel style, strike a balance among these four factors…I hope I am making sense 🙂 🙂

  3. Wow! That was incredibly concise and detailed.

    Travelling around on train is one of the most beautiful experiences in the world. I have lived in Austria for 10 years and have done much of the trip you did, but on individual journeys. I gotta say, even though the bus is cheaper, there is something about watching the scenery and being able to go to the dining car!

    But seriously, great post.

  4. I love the train system in Europe and have slightly romantiscised views of rail journeys. It looks like you really managed to cover a lot in your time. I definitely want to spend more time travelling on european railways once I have more time. It is so easy to country hop

  5. What a great detailed guide! The 7 pm rule is a really useful tip as well. Personally, a Eurail pass has never worked for me , but it is brilliant if you can maximise it for your travels. The European rail system is a pleasure to use and I have often used it for my travels.

  6. I’ve loved following your stories throughout Europe, though totally didn’t realize you spent 100+ days! How epic! I always recommend the Eurail pass to people who want to spend extended time in Europe; you’re right, you could catch buses which are usually cheaper, but train is far more efficient, and it’s so much more comfortable. I think it’s a good in between.

    These are fantastic tips for the practicalities of getting a pass though, choosing the right one, and as you said, scheduling your days to maximize the travel you can get out of the pass. I have done single tickets for train journeys which were just point to point in the past, but a multi Eurotrip, I think the Eurail pass is definitely worthwhile. Also, very good tip on potentially needing specific reservations on some trains – we found this in Italy.

    Overall I think there are many benefits of the pass, and I think that Eurail is a fabulous company. So fabulous that there is WiFi on high speed trains now. And I didn’t know about the 7pm rule when I traveled Europe – VERY good to know!

  7. I always consider getting a Eurorail pass when I travel, but I always end up in a rented car! Probably the comfort takes a bet on me and wins! On the other hand, I live in Europe, so I get to travel during the weekends most of the time, therefore not sure if it’s such a great idea, but definitely, I will reconsider and give it a try this year!

  8. 7 PM rule sounds like a perfect jugaad. This is a great reference post for travel in Europe. Thank you for making this effort to document it so well. I am sure it would be helpful to all future travellers.

  9. Really comprehensive guide. I did a Eurail pass three years ago and found it really difficult to use. You have to spend loads of time reading up on it and it’s different for every single country. I received mine as a contest prize, and I’m still undecided on it. I wasn’t going all around – I just used it in France, Spain and Italy. I still had to pay quite high booking fees and turn up at the station to reserve my tickets in France since I didn’t book far enough out to receive the tickets by mail. Italy, I could reserve online but had a fee for every ticket that was typically 10 euro per ticket.

    I think you really have to put it to use – which it sounds like you did traveling for over 100 days. And you really have to plan and price it all out to see if it’s worth it in the end.

  10. Quite convenient considering the number of countries you were travelling. I love train travel and with views such views outside your window, it is totally worth it. Great guide.

  11. I love train travel but have never attempted it in Europe as it always seemed too complex. This guide is so comprehensive and has broken each detail down so well, I have no excuse not to use Eurail next time.

  12. 100+ days… you can write a novel now. And how silly of me I realised what NiVa stands for only now. 😛 🙂 Wise tag I will say. 🙂 This detailed post is very helpful. Since I have always hired cars for road trips never looked for euro rail tickets.

  13. Wow, a 100+ days in Europe, I envy you! It does make you an expert on the Eurorail pass:) There’s a wealth of information here which is very helpful and can come in handy when I plan my cross-country trip to Europe. Thanks for this, will bookmark it for future reference.

  14. This is such a detailed post on Eurail. You have covered everything from activation of your pass , reservation, point to point travel to visa. This is quite an helpful post for those who is planning month long trip in Europe. Looking forward to read your Europe Stories in coming days. You can actually write a book 🙂

  15. Probably the best guide out there about Eurail, coming from people with a lot of experience after 100+ days! I am happy you had a great time in Europe. It’s true that the train is a great way to travel as you arrive directly in the city center. As you mention, Eurail is not available to european citizens, which includes me since I am French! But luckily, we have the Interrail pass that we can use. I hope to do such a complete tour of Europe someday.

  16. Hey! Thanks for detailed tips, it does not happen every day to meet someone who experienced such a big Euro trip! You are right – doing it by car would be too much hassle with driving and insurance. Train is so much better option!

  17. We didn’t travel with Eurail the first time we visited Europe, but after reading this I wish we had! It sounds like a much more convenient and cheaper option than our car rental. The single day pass within a country sounds brilliant.

  18. Wow… what an Amazingly detailed guide. A global pass for a couple of months around the continent will be a dream come true. I wish Indian Railways had such systems. But I guess with all those delays and cancelled trains, it will be a nighmare to plan.

  19. This is a much-needed post as the task of deciding on a Eurail Pass can be overwhelming for the first-timers. I remember when we did our first Europe trip we did a lot of research on which one to buy and for how many days, how many countries pass etc., before finally zeroing in. Yet we did have a few surprises that we were not aware of at that time like on certain mountain railways the pass is not valid.

  20. The ferry ride from Copenhagen to Berlin sounds amazing. Trains on a ferry is really cool.

    The 7 pm rule is amazing. I would love to take advantage of that for long-term Europe travel. I have only done a few trains in Europe mostly because the bus is usually cheaper or more convenient. I feel like I should do a longer trip to Europe and spend some time traveling by train.

    1. Thanks Debra. We actually forgot to mark our ticket and travel diary once but the conductor was quite nice and allowed us to fill it up then and there.

  21. I did some planning on Europe last year and i found the pass to be of great use, except in situations where you have to stay at a place for a few days (and thereby losing travel days on the pass).

    The 7pm rule is fabulous! With your extended vacation there, the pass sure sounds to be well worth it.

    1. Thanks Alok. Good to know you found the pass useful. If you buy x days out y days/months (for example 15 days in 2 months) type of pass then you mark your pass only on the days you travel. You are probably talking about x days continuous in which you can travel unlimited for the entire period of its validity. In this case the concept of travel days do not apply .

  22. This is such a comprehensive and thorough guide to the Eurail passes! I absolutely love travelling by train around Europe, although I haven’t personally used the pass I can definitely see why it is so appealing and convenient to use. What a sight it would have been to see the train be carried by ferry over the Baltic Sea as well! Thanks for sharing your experience.

  23. This is so helpful, pinning this for later! When I was on the train from Vienna to Salzburg there was a group of middle-aged Australians who were doing a 2-week Europe trip with Eurail and it sounded like they were having a blast! It definitely takes out a lot of the hassle of planning out an extensive trip and makes it easier. That’s so cute that they send you a gift too for sending in your travel diary! haha

  24. This is SUCH a handy post. While Eurail can be a great option for those planning on seeing a lot of the continent, there’s no question it can be a bit confusing to navigate for first-timers. This is a great guide to bookmark.

  25. This was a very useful article and excellently laid out. I always had a fantasy about vagabonding through Europe with a Eurail Pass, excellently planning my route such that I get “Free accommodations” by sleeping on the night train. At 72 Euro for a, albeit first class, sleeper it would greatly increase the cost of my “free” night.

    It was also informative that bikes are not allowed on Eurail. The other part of my vagabond adventure was to bike the highlights and then use Eurail to get me through traffic, congestion, hard climbs, and bad weather.

    Sounds like I need to re-sculpt my Eurail fantasy a bit.

  26. 100+ days in Europe. Lucky guys!! You certainly seemed to have made the most of your time there. Thanks for the comprehensive guide. I have never used the Eurail pass before but seems like a great option if you are covering more than one country in Europe.

  27. This is a very useful guide as we are planning our European travels now! I love that most of the train stations are within the city center. What a fun way to arrive! We’ll definitely look more into getting a Eurail pass and what makes sense for us. Thanks for putting this helpful guide together!

  28. Very detailed , useful , informative and interesting post . It will really help those who are planning to travel there in Europe.Ni-Va combination is amazing and unique . I read this post in two days 🙂 . It was too informative , and I noted some points for further use .

  29. Your NiVaEuro trip was super inspiring! 🙂 I’d love to do something like that someday 🙂 Bookmarking this superbly written, extremely useful comprehensive guide. That map gave major travel goals BTW 🙂
    Train journeys are super fun and when you get views like those *lovestruck* 🙂 So good that you guys made the most of the journey and I am glad there are so many options available! 🙂 “Hum toh aise hai bhaiya ” 😛 hehe

  30. woow this is so amazing and helpful guide.I have been following your europe journey and it is great you had 100+ days journey in europe..This article covered every aspect for first timers guide..Thank you for sharing this guide

  31. Wow, I had so many questions and now I’ve got so many answers! Thank you for putting this together, and thanks for the tip about the 7PM rule, the more time to travel the better! We love to fly by the seat of our pants when we travel and it sounds like the Eurail is made for folks just like us! Thanks for the guide.

  32. That certainly is an epic trip!! I’m European, I believe there is a similar pass that we can use but I’m not sure – the Eurail seems like a great deal and I love travelling by train. It’s also good to note that for some shorter journeys it is cheaper to just book a local train instead of ‘waste’ a day of the Eurail pass, it helps to be a savvy traveller or read a post like this to get all the tricks!

  33. Great tips on helping people understand how to use the Eurail Pass. You guys really toured alot of Europe on this adventure. We used the train a lot while travelling between Austria, Germany, & Liechtenstein but tended to buy rail passes on a as need basis. However, I think looking back having a Global Eurail Pass would have definitely been more beneficial and perhaps even financially more sound.
    Going to have to consider this when we return if we travel across country lines again.

  34. That was a very thorough review of the Rail pass for Europe, I did this about 5 years ago and saw so many amazing countries and cool destinations along the way. Definitely worth the experience.

  35. This is such a comprehensive guide to Eurail Passes. Will definitely consider using this when I get to visit Europe..:) I love the idea of being able to use it for multiple destinations and that you can reserve it in advance and online. 🙂 thank you for sharing this..:)

  36. First of all what an incredible trip over 100 days! That is my dream to spend that kind of time in Europe. There is definitely alot to think about – and I really appreciate your super detailed post. I’ve considered point to point buses, but I like the comfort and enjoyment of the train journey.

    So good to hear there is Wifi available, bookmarked for my future travels.

  37. I love the efficient train system in Europe and had no idea that the Euro Rail is only available to non- Europeans! What a fantastic way to travel. Did you have any favorite countries or cities on your travels? Your story about experiencing the first class sleeper is amazing. Private showers on a train…love that! These are really great tips, thanks for sharing them 🙂

  38. Excellent post with detailed information. I have few friends in London. They mostly travel Europe by car. I must admit I never knew about this Eurail pass. I love this idea. It sounds like it is much cheaper to travel using Eurail Passes as compared to hiring a car to travel. I will surely like to try it when i visit Europe next time.

  39. Heading to Italy for 8 days. Question for you. If the pass is utilize from Venice to Florence. Can it be used again that day from Florence to Pisa and back? And still all this would count as one day of the pass. Looking to get 8 days and want to be able to utilize the local, shorter distance transportation if possible as well.

    I have read a lot about the pass and the high speed trains are a small fee.

    Thanks for you time. This was great to read AFTER all my research.

    1. First of all thanks to note that you found our article helpful. In case after your trips you find points we may have missed , we shall gladly add or change.
      To answer your query. Absolutely. You can make multiple trips within the same calendar day (before midnight). As long as you complete all the trips on the same day, it is acceptable. Just remember to add all the trips to the log. But keep only one entry per day on the top part. We have often done day trips using Eurail Passes. I hope this answers your question.

  40. Exploring Europe with a Eurail Pass is a traveler’s dream. This comprehensive guide covers everything you need to know about these flexible train tickets. From the various pass types to tips on planning routes, it’s your key to seamless European adventures.

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