A Eurail Pass makes booking your big trip so much simpler. And for transparencys sake, please know that some of the links in our content are affiliate links. Your Pass gives you the freedom and flexibility to hop on and off most trains as you please, as long as your Pass is valid in that country. Our best-sellers: Within the 2 months we managed to fit in 26 . Right now, Broke Backpacker readers can receive a discount on Eurail Global Passes of either type when they use the code BBPKLOOK. BUT I do think it can be really, really worth it if you plan a bunch of different legs that are only within a few hours of each other. Download the officialEurail Pass Mapfrom their website and start planning your trip. If you're 27 or younger on the date you choose to start your trip, you can buy our discounted Youth Pass. Read our booking termsand our refund & exchange policy. This is perfectly safe and comfortable, and means you get a free nights accommodation in addition to making it to your destination. You have already subscribed to this newsletter! Check before you buy to make sure. see our FAQ. Last but not least, a final thing to consider is whether or not youll be using the additional perks of your Eurail pass. Or plan out your trip completely, it's all up to you! This takes the flexibility of train travel out of the equations though, which is why a European rail pass is so convenient. For most trains between most major destinations, yes, you do. You dont have to buy a regional train ticket in advance since there are frequent services and reservations are not required. For me personally, I didnt actually use the perks very much apart from one time on a special train in Switzerland where it saved me 25% off but that did save me 10 euros so as you can see, you can extract a lot of additional value from your pass if you use the perks often! Only non-European residents can use a Eurail pass. Another consideration is your age, because Eurail offers really really fantastic discounts for both youth and senior passengers. This is a fun way to travel Europe because you can travel without a plan. For customer-service questions, contact them online (or call 800 622 8600, but expect long waits and periods of unavailability at the call desk) and keep in mind that refund options are fairly limited. It's flexible, so you can decide on the day where you want to go. One of the biggest questions that first-time visitors to Europe have is whether or not buying a rail pass is worth it. Just as there are trains that go everywhere in Europe, there is a pass for everyone. This doesnt have to be a family member and can be anyone over 18. Booking every leg of your journey months in advance takes a lot of meticulous planning and research. The Eurail Pass is the most flexible way to travel around Europefor non-European residents. These two factors combined mean youre likely to save a lot of money with a Eurail pass. The main idea behind this European rail pass is that you only have one ticket (which is your pass) and an unlimited amount of options to travel in European countries during the entire period your pass is valid! Some of the trains we took, (Italy-Switzerland) alone would have cost us around 350. You simply show up, hop on the train, grab the closest available seat, and youre away laughing. The one country pass is fairly straightforward: you purchase one pass and its valid for that one country only. The pass is best used to travel to neighboring countries; whereas, budget flights will make more sense from a time and money perspective if you are jetting across the European continent. But once you figure it out the rest is easy. Make sure to check the timetables and distance for your European trip. That being said, there are discounts for youth travelers (under 26) so make sure to use this option! Tip: Remember you can travel on multiple trains in one day, and it is still considered one trip. A rail pass in Europe offers unmatched freedom for multiple journeys (unless a reservation is required, which is necessary for most overnight and high-speed trains). Just turn up at the station and start your adventure! The comfortable and fun way to explore Italy. If you are already traveling Europe on a strict itinerary with reservations, or with limited-time vacation, then this shouldnt be disadvantageous anyway. You can purchase a3 Country Select Pass and travel between the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg (i.e. You can combine 1-5 countries, or get a global pass for full-admittance to all 28 participating countries. Not for most people think carefully before buying a rail pass, especially if your trip doesn't extend beyond Italy. They are one of the best ways to discover non-touristy areas of Europe. We discussed this above. With so many resellers and train companies selling different tickets, you need to understand where to look and when to book to snap up the limited cheap tickets before they increase in price. document.getElementById("ak_js_1").setAttribute("value",(new Date()).getTime()); Alright, so you decided to get a rail pass for Europe. While some trains require a reservation (like most overnight excursions), most of them do not require you to book ahead. those that had pretty flowers blooming like the Netherlands). Flexible: travel on a limited number of days within your time limit. Remember this cost, and always check last-minute regular tickets too. Required fields are marked *. Children under 4 travel for free and do not need an Eurail Pass. Rail passes do not, however, cover most of Italy's privately run trains, such as these biggies: Beside the popular-with-tourists trains listed above, several other privately run Italian railways don't accept rail passes: most TRENORD trains (which operate in some areas of northern Italy, including between Milan Cardorna station and the town of Como), Gargano Railways (from San Severo), and BariMatera trains ($5 tickets). This is actually pretty easy now because Eurail recently rehauled their entire system and nowadays you can only purchase either a one country pass or a global pass. {{variant.localizedTravelPackDescription}}, {{variant.localizedPassUpgradeDescription}}, *Additional conditions about our promotional Passes, Additional conditions for Youth travelers, Additional conditions for Senior travelers, Additional conditions for Adults with Children. At first glance, it's. You can buy a Eurail Pass that covers the number of days you plan to travel and hop on and off trains at your convenience. So, in this post, Ill be going over the many considerations you should make to decide whether a Eurail pass is right for you, along with a free quiz to help you decide as well! Start planning your Eurail adventure now: Join our Newsletter for exclusive discounts, inspirational travel content And a chance towin 2x Eurail Passes! Europeans can use the similar. Youre traveling in expensive, Western European countries like Germany, France and Italy, You plan to travel frequently and cover a lot of ground, You plan to take overnight trains instead of flying to get a free nights accommodation, You dont want to do too much planning in advance: you value the freedom of being able to choose your route or dates as you go, You have to be a non-European resident and order your pass in advance. Of course, booking point to point tickets comes with a major downside, which is that they tend to be inflexible and locked to a certain date and time, leaving no wiggle room at all in terms of travel dates. This is really, really great if you have a more spontaneous travel style or if you just want more flexibility when it comes to your travel plans. There are different types of passes that will allow you to travel on specific Eurail partner trains for a certain number of days within a period of time as dictated by the type of pass you have purchased. Some countries, like the Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg are considered1 country on the pass called Benelux.. It may be worth adding a couple flights if you are trying to cover a vast distance. Most of the time you can just hop on the train, which leaves from cities centers. Travelers report that reservation requirements are getting worse by the day. For the Select Pass, you are limited to traveling between 3, 4, or 5 bordering countries. Save. Thats because train travel is hands down one of the most comfortable ways to travel around Europe you get way more leg room than a bus (and much nicer bathrooms), plus the journeys tend to be substantially more scenic and enjoyable than flights. The longer your pass is valid, the more expensive it is. {{variant.localizedTravelPackDescription}}, {{variant.localizedPassUpgradeDescription}}. Error subscribing to the newsletter. You can use it across multiple countries in Europe and ride free you pay when you buy the rail pass, and dont need to worry about purchasing more tickets on your journey. This gives me a small commission, but costs you nothing extra. If you only have a couple weeks to travel around Europe, cutting out time spent at the airport can be huge! And if you want to change your plans, you can! Many towns are only reachable by regional trains, likeSintra, Portugal. Should you choose a continuous pass or flexi pass? . Continuous: unlimited travel within your time limit. Flexibility: Travel whenever you want, wherever you want. Again, airline tickets may seem cheaper, but once you add in luggage fees and the taxi or metro fare youre going to need to pay to get to your hostel, money can start adding up. Paying less for your rail pass means more money for all of those amazing museums and those crazy backpacker parties in Europe. 60-day Pass is 126 Euros. Travel in Spain: Often times Renfe (the system here) is quite expensive for last-minute tickets. Children must be 11 or younger on the date you choose to start your trip. If a rail pass doesn't pencil out for your trip, you may be able to shave off the cost of your train tickets or at least some of the hassle with some of these tips: Check our general tips for buying point-to-point tickets. Eurail Pass for Portugal (Mobile Pass) 0 (0 reviews) US$ 103.95 US$ 93.55. The only downside is that second class is significantly more crowded. The train is great if you are hopping from city to city within one country or neighboring countries, but I wouldnt want to take a train all the way from Paris to Rome if a flight is a similar cost (and it is). Exclusively for European residents. Available for 3, 4, 5, 6, or 8 travel days within 1 month. This will save you money! If you plan to spend at least 3 days at most of your destinations, the flexi pass definitely makes the most sense. For example, if you only have 2 train rides left on your Eurail Pass, youre going to want to use it to get from Paris to Berlin, not Berlin to Dresden (which will probably have a more affordable local ticket). *Anyone who lives outside Italy can also opt for a Trenitalia Pass, which costs roughly the same as the Italy Eurail Pass (but price tiers are based on the number of journeys covered, not calendar days). For instance, there are countries that have a lot of mandatory reservation fees like France, Italy, and Portugal. Based on the age of the traveller, a Eurail mobile pass will start from: Child (0 to 11 years old) - Up to two children aged 0 -11 can travel for free with a single adult. You can use theEurail timetableto plan your journey with regional trains too. Point-to-point tickets Prices are subject to change all the time! So, what I would do if I were you is I would actually look at the different countries that youre going to be exploring and check the Eurail website to see what those additional perks are. You cannot change the currency once you have a Pass in your cart. These are not included in your Eurail Pass. You don't necessarily need to make the reservations that far in advance (and in Italy there's no deadline to make them), but if you're traveling with a rail pass, don't assume you can hop on any Italian train with just your pass in hand. These tips are guaranteed to save you $100s of dollars and lots of time, so use them! If your travel priority is budget-friendliness, honestly, there are cheaper ways to travel around Europe than using a Eurail pass. That said, train tickets prices in Europe can jump up sharply. In addition to that, these countries tend to be quite pricey for trains, so I was really able to get my moneys worth using the pass. The costs of Eurail Passes vary greatly based on how many countries you select, how many trips you choose,andflexi vs. continuous. Night trains require a reservation though, so plan in advance. In 2022, the cost of a Eurail Global Pass purchased directly through Eurail starts at $280 for second-class fares and $374 for first-class seats for the four-days-in-one-month pass for adults. Compare the price of the Eurail Pass to every point-to-point, flight, and bus ticket option. For instance, while once upon a time, staying under budget was of utmost importance for me, these days Im more inclined to pay extra for comfort, convenience, and being as far away from loud youths as humanly possible. Eurail Global Pass (33 countries) read more about this pass. Traveling in a pair or as a group? Even if you are only going on a day trip between two destinations, regional train passes can becheaperthan a normal roundtrip ticket! You are a very organized traveller and intend to book all your accommodation/activities in advance, You do not qualify for additional discounts (e.g. Traveling Europe on a budget? Milan-Venice: 35 Venice-Munich: 114 They have an app, but theres no ticket on the app. This rail line covers 10,000 miles, including 600 miles of high-speed train tracks that connect cities and towns in Italy and throughout Europe. This was one of my big questions too during my first backpacking trip 5 years ago after all, many of us grow up with this whole backpacking Europe by train thing ingrained in our heads as THE rite of passage for eager wanaderlusters. 2nd class Passes are only valid in 2nd class coaches. Everybody prioritizes different things when they travel. Want to know which countries you can visit with Eurail? We ended up buying tickets for our three individual trips and spending so much less than the Eurail passes. If its affordable, then you can use your pass with one less country (France)which will save you a lot of money. Use this map to add up approximate pay-as-you-go fares for your itinerary, and compare that cost to the price of a rail pass for the number of days you expect to spend on the train. A Eurail pass is a single rail pass for train travel across many European countries. Last year they had a 30-day 'hop on, hop off' pass for the incredibly low price of 75 Euro. Fares shown on the map include reservations when required, but they cost extra when using a rail pass. Budget Tip: If you know you are traveling to Europe this summer, then book your passfar in advance. If you do decide to buy one, Id love if you could use my affiliate link here at no additional cost to you! Add your Pass to the app, activate it, and jump on a train! Your email address will not be published. Prices start from 105 See Italy Passes France Explore all of France's amazing art, delicious food and beautiful nature with the Eurail France Pass. With the advent of budget airlines like RyanAir, WizzAir and EasyJet, flying even at short notice between European cities has never been quicker or cheaper. You also have no flexibility to change your travel plans, which can mean missing out on more time in the cities youre not ready to say goodbye to, or spending a day too long in a town you just didnt click with. A California native, Ana Pereira is a writer by trade and inspired by earthly exploration and introspection. Travellers aged 12 to 27 can travel with a Youth Pass. Verdict: A Eurail Pass would save 173.30, more than 25% cheaper than point-to-point tickets. For example, if you want to get from Barcelona to Rome, just buy a flight. Was a mistake for ya. Traveling Regionally: If you are only traveling within a region of a country, the regional ticket will be sufficient. Map shows approximate costs, in $US, for one-way, second-class tickets. Please try again later. You don't need a Eurail pass if you're only going to be in Italy. Depending on your travel style, if you decide to use a lot of these perks, that would make the pass super, super worth it. Furthermore, a rail pass doesn't provide much hop-on convenience in Italy, since many trains require paid seat reservations (see below for more Italy-specific reservation advice). 8 years ago we ditched our jobs, sold everything & pursued a life outside the 9-5 bubble. Should I buy a Eurail Pass or point-to-point tickets? Youth Pass (12 to 27 years old) - $273. All rights reserved. If your travel priority is budget-friendliness. Bottom line: The Eurail pass isnt a must have for all travelers, but it can be a major asset if it suits your plans and travel style. 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Traveling Regionally: if you know you are traveling to Europe this summer, then this shouldnt be disadvantageous...., 4, or 8 travel days within 1 month always check last-minute regular tickets too lot of reservation! But theres no ticket on the day where you want to go to use option... Advance since there are cheaper ways to discover non-touristy areas of Europe this. Beyond Italy already traveling Europe on a train travel Europe because you can purchase a3 country Select pass its... Can decide on the date you choose to start your trip, you do 27 younger... Of the time using the additional perks of your destinations, yes, you do decide to buy a pass. Only going to be in Italy: a Eurail pass for full-admittance all! Are only going to be in Italy non-touristy areas of Europe 25 % cheaper point-to-point.
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