Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The price of each rail pass differs, and it's wise to compare each pass based on how much you
plan on traveling. You don't want to purchase a thirty-day global pass if you only plan on us-
ing the train a few times because you'll end up wasting a lot of money. Additionally, if you're
over twenty-six-years-old, you can still buy a rail pass but you're forced to purchase a more
expensive first class pass.
The ten-day second-class global ticket is $528, the thirty-day Global Pass is $836, and the
three-month Global Pass is $1,453. The ten-day and fifteen-day Flexi Pass is $623 and $817,
respectively.
The three-country, five-day select pass starts at $341 and goes all the way up to $736 for the
fifteen days five countries pass.
The regional passes range anywhere from $120 to $220 for five travel days and go up to over
$500 for ten travel days.
It's also important to remember that pass prices rise each year so visit
raileurope.com
or
eurail.com
to find the latest prices. These sites also have tools to help you choose which pass
is best for your travel itinerary.
Extra fees for Eurail pass holders
There are a few instances when you'll have to pay extra when using your rail pass. The most
common extra fee comes from trains that require a
seat reservation
. Nearly all high-speed
trains that operate in France, Spain, and Italy require a reservation, but there are a handful of
other routes throughout Europe that also require a seat reservation. Routes requiring a seat
reservation are denoted with a “R” printed on the timetable. Reservations can cost as little as
$5 but can go as high as $45 for the Thalys train from Paris to Amsterdam. Reservations can
be made in person at a train station and some can also be made online or via phone. Addi-
tionally,
book your reservation as soon as you can
because most routes only allow a limited
number of pass holders to ride the train and they sell out early.
Furthermore, all overnight trains require a seat reservation. Expect to pay $7 to $35 for
a reservation in a normal seat. A couchette (basically a bunk bed) can cost anywhere from
about $20 to $75 extra. For overnight trains, you'll only use up one of your pass's travel days,
assuming your train departs after 7 p.m.
ARE EURAIL PASSES WORTH THE MONEY?
Determining the value of a rail pass is kind of tricky because it strongly depends on your
travels so you'll have to do the math based on your itinerary.
A good place to start is to figure the cost per day of travel for the pass. For example, a ten-
day Flexi Pass is $623. That means every travel day is worth about $62.
For example, a single ticket from Paris to Berlin would cost around $300 if booked on fairly
short notice so that would be a pretty good deal if you had a rail pass. However, Paris to Lille
