The Best Ticket to Europe - A Eurail Pass!!
May 04 '00 (Updated Jun 08 '00)
Included in this review is information on Eurail Pass prices, advantages and disadvantages to travel by Eurail Pass, where Eurail passes are valid, safety of train travel in Europe, and other insight into travel by train through my own 5 months of personal experiences. If you plan on taking a trip to Europe and are considering travelling by train, this review should give you all of the necessary information for making your final decision. The following is a list of questions you may have had about the pass, along with answers to all of them.
Is travel by train right for me? Have you traveled by train in the U.S? Put that as far out of your mind as you possibly can, as train travel in Europe is a completely different experience. Train travel in Europe is the way to get around. It is by far the most efficient, fastest, and cheapest means of travel either within a particular European country or for bouncing from country to country. Other options are left in the dust by train travel either due to expense (car rental) or lack of routes (bus) or simply being unreliable. Trains travel on rigid schedules throughout Europe, and aside from occasional strikes by rail employees and tardiness, it's the only way to go.
Where will my Eurail Pass be valid? You can use your pass in the following countries: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland. That means you can travel between these countries or simply within their borders on most trains. When travelling between countries, trains make brief stops at borders to check passenger passports, visas, and the like. Eurail passes are not valid on certain city trains or on metros.
I've heard that some trains are unsafe. Is that true? We've all heard stories about people being robbed on trains in Europe. Italy is infamous for this activity, with a reputation for car gassing and robbery, especially on late night runs. I heard several stories first-hand from travelers I met during my travels. (Example: One couple I met had their backpacks stolen on a train near Naples while they slept.) I've heard enough of these stories to know that at least some of them are true. I have personally never had a problem on a train in almost 5 months of travel, one month of which was in Italy. Despite my experience, I would caution you to keep a close eye on your things while you're awake, and make sure that important documents and cash are stored in a money belt at all times, especially while you sleep. If you can, lock the door to your car before going to sleep (although this feature is fairly rare), and don't open it for anyone other than border police and conductors. If the door doesn't lock, secure backpacks to the overhead racks by their straps. It may not prevent them from being stolen, but if someone were to try to take it there's a good chance it would wake you up. And if you're travelling alone, do your best to meet someone you can trust to share a car with.
How much does a Eurail Pass cost? There are tons of different options which provide you with the flexibility you need for your trip. Price varies by age, type of travel (periodic or unlimited), number of people travelling, and by class of travel (first or second). Prices are as follows:
If you're going to be in Europe for a specific period of time, and expect to use the train daily or very frequently, you probably want to go with one of the following options allowing unlimited travel over the specified periods:
1. Eurail Youthpass (under the age of 26), 2nd Class
15 Consecutive Days - $388
21 Consecutive Days - $499
1 Month - $623
2 Month - $882
3 Month - $1,089
2. Eurailpass (all ages), 1st Class
15 Consecutive Days - $554
21 Consecutive Days - $718
1 Month - $890
2 Month - $1,260
3 Month - $1,558
If you know how long you'll be in Europe, but plan on spending at least several days at each destination, these may be more economical solutions:
3. Eurail Youth Flexipass (under the age of 26), 2nd Class
10 Days within 2 months - $458
15 Days within 2 months - $599
4. Eurail Flexipass (all ages), 1st Class
10 Days within 2 months - $654
15 Days within 2 months - $862
It's cheaper if two or more people travel on the same pass. To take advantage of this, try the following:
5. Eurail Saverpass (all ages), 1st Class
15 Consecutive Days - $470
21 Consecutive Days - $610
1 Month - $756
2 Month - $1,072
3 Month - $1,324
6. Eurail Saver Flexipass (all ages), 1st Class
10 Days within 2 months - $556
15 Days within 2 months - $732
Wow! Those numbers seem pretty high! Would it be cheaper to buy tickets from point to point in Europe?
That depends on where you are travelling and how often you plan on travelling. Obviously, if you plan on travelling on a daily basis, or at least very frequently, your best bet is to buy an unlimited pass. For the most part, you probably won't do much better than break even on train ticket expense. But here's the thing - you don't ever have to wait in line to buy tickets, which can come in very handy. You simply hop on the train to your destination, and off you go. One exception to this is Spain, where you will have to reserve a car and pay a small supplement for every train within that country. It usually only amounts to a couple of dollars, unless it's a high speed inter-city train, in which case even with the pass it could cost quite a bit. (I paid $60 for a Madrid to Paris, high speed, overnight even with the pass. Without it would have been about $90.) There are other supplements for high speed and inter-city trains throughout Europe, so that's something to consider. Anyway, not waiting in line means you won't have a problem with the language barrier that might exist. I found this convenience to be invaluable.
The Eurail Pass may also save you money in other ways. For example, it is difficult to find a hotel in Venice for under $100 a night due to its popularity. But the nearby town of Padova is only a 25-minute train ride away. There were plenty of vacancies there, and hotels were in the $20 - $30 per night range. Because I had a Eurail Pass, I could hop on any train between the two cities without waiting in line or paying for a ticket. I must have gone back and forth at least 10 times, and in this instance it saved me a lot of money. Your Eurail Pass can provide you with the flexibility to stay in towns near your destination with cheaper hotel rates all over Europe.
If you are concentrating on train travel in Italy, it may be cheaper to buy point to point tickets there. The train is very heavily used and is relatively cheap there because of it. Then again, if you'll be spending a lot of time in France or Norway, you'll find point to point tickets to be far more expensive. Usually the price of train tickets follows the general price of travel within a given country.
What if I lose my Eurail pass during my travels? When you buy the pass, you will be offered insurance against loss or theft. It's less than $20, so you should definitely buy it. Otherwise you will lose the unused portion and have to simply buy point to point tickets for the remainder of your journey. The reimbursement plan isn't the best, but I suppose it's better than the alternative. If the pass is lost or stolen, you have to file a police report in the country in which it was lost. Then you simply buy point to point tickets for the rest of the trip, and save your receipts. When you return to the U.S., you will need the receipts and the police report, and you will be reimbursed for the portion of the pass you lost.
Which of the above options have you used? Did they work out? On my first trip to Europe, I had a 10 day within 2 month pass. I was under 26, so it was cheap. This turned out to be the best option for me because it was my first trip to Europe. I wanted to see some of the larger attractions, and stay for 5 or 6 days at each one. I traveled throughout Europe for a little over 6 weeks, and saw 9 countries. I bought a few point to point tickets, like when I went to Prague (where the pass wasn't valid), and one from Florence to Rome because it was so cheap I didn't want to use one of the days for that particular trip.
On my more recent trip, I bought a 3 month unlimited pass. In this case, I knew I was going to spend less time in each destination, and I would be travelling to much smaller cities. The flexibility was awesome, and I would recommend this to anyone who plans on being in Europe for any of the lengths of time specified above. Basically, your itinerary will dictate which option is the most economical for you.
Where can I get a Eurail Pass? Most travel agents sell them. There's no point in shopping around, because they are sold at a fixed price. I believe the price is fixed by the European Union, but don't quote me on that. A travel agent can also help you figure out which option is most economical for your trip.
Conclusion: If you're planning on touring Europe, buy a Eurail Pass. The flexibility makes it well worth the price and you'll love skipping long ticket lines. I hope this helps!
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kifwebe
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