Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Discount cards and special offers.
Most countries sell discount cards that can save a lot
of money if you're going to take multiple train trips within a single country. For example,
in Switzerland you can buy a Half-Fare Card for about $120 that lasts a month and gives a
50% discount on train fare. Germany has a similar BahnCard. Look for these discounts in any
country where you're going to make multiple train journeys.
Some countries also have different discount fare schemes. For example, Germany has the
Schönes-Wochenende-Ticket (translated as “Lovely Weekend Ticket”) that gives you unlim-
ited travel all throughout Germany on a Saturday or Sunday until 3 a.m. the following day. It
only costs about $60 but up to five people can all share the single ticket—which makes it very
cheap per person. There is also a weekday version called the Quer-durchs-Land Ticket which
costs as little as $20 per person if you have five people.
Check websites of all countries on the journey.
With international journeys, you can often
book a ticket from any country the train passes through. For example, tickets for a train go-
ing from Paris to Berlin can be purchased via the French or German rail operator websites.
However, the prices may not always be the same, so it doesn't hurt to shop around. Do read
the fine print about where you're able to collect the tickets because some countries make you
pick up the tickets in the country where you bought them.
Overnight Trains
Taking an overnight train is a popular way to save a little money while also gaining extra travel
time since you're traveling while sleeping. You will have to pay a little extra for a reservation
on these trains, but you don't have to pay for a hostel that night so it kind of evens out.
If you're on a budget then you can simply sleep in a normal seat. The seats recline a little
but enough to sleep comfortably. I know from experience that it's a fairly uncomfortable way
to sleep but it's the cheapest option. If you're lucky and the train isn't busy, you can prop your
feet up on the seat in front of you.
You also have the option to reserve a small bed in a sleeping car. The most common con-
figurations are six-bed rooms and two-bed rooms. The rooms are small and you'll most likely
share the room with strangers unless you're traveling with a group of people. A bed will cost
about $35 to $55 extra. You can also rent a cabin with a single bed but expect to pay signific-
antly more.
It is important to realize that many find sleeping on the train to be difficult and uncomfort-
able because of the noise and constant movement. Don't expect an excellent night's sleep.
Traveling with a Eurail Pass
