Wondering if a Eurail Pass is worth it? Read on to find out if you should get the Eurail Global Pass and how to plan your Europe trip!
With gorgeous scenery, breathtaking art, culture, cuisine, dreamy castles and exceptional music, there’s nowhere quite as exhilarating as Europe!
Are you wondering how to get around the beautiful cities of Europe? Lucky for you, you can always count on the Eurail Pass to see you through!
Time to dust off your backpacks and hop aboard the express rail. The Eurail Global Pass will take you across the borders and straight to your fave European cities with just one pass!
What is a Eurail Global Pass?
Remember the days when you’d have to line up and buy a single journey train ticket to Paris from Rome and back? Well, scrap that out, because the Eurail Pass offers more convenient, hassle-free travel across Europe.
For starters, a Eurail Global Pass is a single document that allows you to travel by train multiple times and across 33 countries in Europe. With this, you can take as many train trips as you want within a set time period that ranges from 4 days to 2 months—all without breaking the bank!
Visit over 44,000 destinations across 33 European countries with a Eurail Global Pass
How do Eurail Passes work?
Because Eurail Passes work as a global ticket, they’re easy to use in 3 simple steps:
Step #1: Pick your pass
The first step is to choose your pass. Travellers can pick between a flexible pass, which can be used for a certain amount of times within the set period, or a consecutive pass, which lets you ride the train anytime within the validity period.
Confused? You can think of it this way:
- With a flexible Eurail Pass, you can enjoy a certain amount of days of unlimited train travels within your chosen period. For example, 15 days of unlimited train travel within 2 months.
- On the other hand, a consecutive Eurail Pass will let you ride the rails every day, as long as it’s within the validity period. Whether it’s 15 days or 3 months straight, you can hop aboard any day and every day!
Each travel day covers as many trains as you’d like to take between the 24-hour time window from 12:00 a.m. to 11:59 p.m. on the same calendar day. Though, keep in mind to plan ahead if you’re taking the night train.
If you’ve booked a train that leaves Monday evening and arrives at the destination the following morning, it’s immediately counted as two travel days. So, be careful!
Step #2: Reserve your seats
Taking the trains, you’ll also need to check up on whether you’ll need to pre-book your seats or not. Night trains, international high-speed trains, and scenic trains, like the Bernina Express in Switzerland, as well as popular countries such as France, Spain, and Italy, require you to book your seats in advance.
Though for the most part, you can hop on almost any train in Germany and Central Europe!
Step #3: Activate and hop on!
To get started on your first EU vacay spot, you’ll have to download and install the Eurail App to activate your pass, OR if you prefer to do it the long way, just head out to a ticketing office of any large station in one of the participating Eurail countries and have a railway official activate your pass.
The great thing about the Eurail Pass is that it doesn’t have any set start date, so you can use it instantly or save it for later! Eurail Passes are valid up to 11 months max after the purchase date.
All set? Now time to climb aboard!
Travel to Finland and see the northern lights! Image credits: @maripopeo on Unsplash
Where can the Eurail Pass take me?
The pass covers a total of 33 countries in Europe:
Northern | Western | Eastern | Southern |
|---|---|---|---|
Denmark Finland Estonia Ireland Latvia Lithuania Norway Sweden Great Britain | Austria Belgium France Germany Luxembourg Netherlands Switzerland | Bulgaria Hungary Poland Romania Slovakia Czech Republic | Croatia Bosnia and Herzegovina Greece Italy Montenegro North Macedonia Portugal Serbia Slovenia Spain Turkey |
Need a guide? Check out the official Eurail Pass map below and start planning!
Does the pass cover city subways?
No. The Eurail Pass covers only regional and intercity train lines—not local trains, such as subways or trams.
How much does a Eurail Pass cost?
Based on the age group, global passes will start from:
- Youth (12 to 27 years old) - $226
- Adults - $301
- Senior (60+ years old) - $270
Children below the age of 12 travel for free
Can I travel with children using the Eurail Pass?
Good news: if you’re travelling with the kids, they’re free! Children ages 11 and under don’t need a Eurail Pass. Instead, they have their own pass. The Eurail Child Pass is free of charge with your Eurail Adult Pass. You get two child passes with 1 adult pass, making family time in Europe cheaper and faster!
Where can I buy a Eurail Pass?
You can get your hands on these wallet-saving passes from Klook to enjoy hassle-free booking and exclusive discounts, including a 10% off plus free admissions to popular attractions!
Is the Eurail Pass worth it?
It depends. If you’re only touring Europe for a short while—say, Rome to Paris—then it’s cheaper to book a normal train ticket. On the other hand, the Eurail Pass is perfect for the cowboy type of travellers who are planning to stay longer and don’t have any fixed plans.
If you're planning to solely visit individual countries, you can also book Eurail Passes for that specific country which are cheaper. Take a look at the which countries the Eurail Pass is available for here!
Embark on a scenic train ride to see the magnificent Swiss Alps! Image credits: @la_veraa
The Eurail Passes is all about flexibility as you can hop on and off the trains whenever you want during your month-long trip in grand old Europe!
Also, let’s not forget these passes also include cool perks such as a 50% discount on ferries in Greece, Italy, Germany, and many more! See the full list of ferries, trains, and other public transport accepting Eurail Passes on board here.
What are the other benefits of a Eurail Pass?
All Eurail Pass holders can also enjoy free AND discounted admissions to over 700+ attractions across 33 countries.
Not yet sold? Here are 10 reasons that’ll change your mind!
So, is the Eurail Pass worth buying? Definitely, especially if you’re dreaming of exploring Europe at your own pace!
Travel Essentials for Europe
Make your trip stress-free by getting your travel essentials beforehand! Getting travel essentials such as SIM cards or thinking about how to travel from the airport can be difficult, so it'll be good to get them in advance!
Inspiration for your Europe Trip:
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