Travel Farther for Less with the Right Eurail Pass
June 29, 2009 | Susannah Sizemore
By Thursday Bram
With one ticket, you can travel all over Europe by train — you can visit 27 countries for less than a plane ticket to Europe costs. While there are a variety of different rail passes available, the Eurail Pass is ideal for college students planning their study abroad. The passes are limited to visitors foreign to Europe and have certain discounts specifically available for travelers aged 12 to 25.
There are actually a variety of different passes available through Eurail, and which one you’ll need depends on your travel plans. There are national, regional and global passes that provide travel for certain periods of time (usually a certain number of days within a month-long period).
Eurail Global Pass: There are several versions of the Global Pass, but students under the age of 25 will want to take advantage of the lower prices for Youth Passes. The Youth Pass gives you unlimited travel in 21 countries for a specific number of days, while the Youth Flexipass offers either 10 or 15 days of travel within a 2-month period. Both passes are for second-class travel. They range in price from $473 for a 15-day pass to $1,329 for a 3-month pass.
Eurail Regional Pass: Regional passes offer between 3 and 10 days of travel over 2 months and you can travel on the national rail networks of the two countries that make up your region. Combinations include Austria-Croatia/Slovenia, Austria-Czech Republic, Austria-Germany, Austria-Hungary, Austria-Switzerland, Benelux-France, Benelux-Germany, Croatia/Slovenia-Hungary, Denmark-Germany, France-Germany, France-Italy, France-Spain, France-Switzerland, Germany-Switzerland, Greece-Italy, Hungary-Romania, Italy-Spain, and Portugal-Spain. The price depends on which region you choose, but there is a Youth Regional Pass available at a significant discount from the full rate.
Eurail National Pass: With a national pass, you can choose either unlimited travel passes or a Flexipass with a certain number of days of travel within 2 months. National passes are available for both first class and second class travel. In some cases, two countries count as one for the purposes of a national pass, such as Austria and Liechtenstein or France and Monaco. You can also purchase a Britrail pass if your travels will be within the U.K.
In general, Eurail passes are an easy way to travel through Europe, but it is important to read the fine print. The passes cover travel on national rail lines, and there are some smaller rail lines that are not covered — you’ll want to make sure that your pass covers your travel before boarding any train.
Many travelers have reported problems specifically with regional and private railways in Italy, Spain and Switzerland. There are also certain types of trains, such as high-speed trains, that a Eurail pass will not cover the full price of a ticket. For those trains, you will be asked to pay a supplement. Ferry rides between countries not connected by train, like France and Ireland, are also discounted.
Eurail passes must typically be used within 6 months of the purchase date. Usually, you will be required to purchase your Eurail pass before you actually arrive in Europe. While there are many websites that offer Eurail passes, but Eurail.com operates with the approval of the Eurail Group (the organization of railways that makes the Eurorail Passes available).
Flexipasses can be more useful for many students because you may not be able to do much traveling during the week — but on the weekend you might try to see 3 countries in 2 days. If you’ve purchased an International Student Exchange (ISE) card or an International Student Identity Card (ISIC), you will often be able to get a discount on one of the various Eurail Youth Passes. Some study abroad programs also provide opportunities for students to purchase Eurail passes at a discount.
