Eurail Pass

It depends, for some people it can save a lot of money. For others it can be a complete waste of money. It depends on what your plans look like.

I’ve done the research to ensure it’s the most economical choice. I just want to ensure that the negative aspects don’t outweigh the financial savings.

6 weeks in Western and Central Europe is a long trip and fairly broad.

The pass works better in some countries and less well in others. Could you share a brief outline of the trip?

For some people and in some countries the pros outweigh the significant cons, for others not so much. So a bit of meat on the plans will help a lot with accurate suggestions.

The viability of the pass is highly country-dependent. Where are you going? In general, Eurail passes are very user-unfriendly in France, Italy & Spain, but better elsewhere.

The majority of our train travel will be in France, the UK, Italy and The Netherlands.

France & Italy have mandatory seat reservations for long-distance trains. The reservation fees add up quickly, especially in France where there are two separate quotas of reservations (10€ reservations sell fast, after that they cost 20€). Also, if you intend to visit Normandy, reservations on Normandy-bound trains have recently become mandatory as well but nobody has figured out how to make passholder reservations yet (!!). If you are able to book in advance, it is not too hard to get 30-50€ tickets for long-distance journeys on French high-speed trains: this negates any cost savings with a pass. You might find that a "Carte Avantage" could also give you additional discounts if you take more than ~3 long-distance trips in France...
This is a bit disjointed, but you get my drill: unless you are unable/unwilling to plan your trip ahead, a pass is generally not a great idea in France. I am not as definite about Italy, but I guess the conclusion is similar.

The majority of our train travel will be in France, the UK, Italy and The Netherlands.

I know you've done your analysis, but in my mind you've picked the 4 countries in which the Eurail pass has least value and is hardest to use.

Gone are the days like I had in 1971 (the last time I used a Eurailpass) when I could walk up to any train, anywhere, and just get on.

Italy - the trains are very inexpensive anyway, so you need to ride a lot of long distance journeys to make your money back, and there is the question of extra expense and hassle of pass holder reservations. There are basically two categories of train in Italy - Regionals and everything else.

The prices on Regional trains (Regionale and Regionale Veloce) are dirt cheap, they are easily available on apps and at ticket vending machines (multi-lingual) just prior to travel and the price doesn't change. Other than a very small advantage in convenience I see no other advantage to a Eurailpass. The pass days of travel will cost more than the actual tickets.

The walk up prices on all the faster trains (IC - Intercities, ICN - Intercities Notte, and the various flavours of Trenitalia Freccia high speed trains) are indeed higher, but nobody pays those prices. Most people pay much less with a modest amount of pre-planning, as little as 19€ on the Venice/Florence/Rome/Naples corridor so they often cost less, or much less, than a pass day. PLUS all these non-Regional trains require a significantly expensive mandatory pass-holder "reservation" fee of often 10€ per person per leg. That reservation is included for free with tickets for everybody else.

A major competitor to Trenitalia on the high speed routes (only) is Italo, my favourite for several reasons. Their fares tend to be lower than Trenitalia Freccia trains, nearly as fast, and for me, more comfortable. They even have a movie car. BUT - Italo do not accept Eurailpasses. So you can't use them.

Overall, Eurailpass is a bad idea for virtually everybody in Italy.

France- France also has two major categories, regional (TER and NOMAD), and high(er) (IC) and high speed (TGV). There is also a lower price TGV service which involves jumping through hoops (like checking in 30 minutes ahead, no large luggage, and others, so I'm leaving that out. TER (mostly) are walk up but some are now requiring reservations. NOMAD has variable ticketing and some require reservations, even with the pass. IC and TGV all require a very high pass-holder reservation fee, may be as low as 5€ or I have seen as high as 40€ per person per leg, and they are rationed. If the train you want to use has no more pass-holder reservations you have two choices - pay for a walk up (€€€) ticket or don't travel on that train.

In general, it is possible that you could save a little money before fees, but after fees and hassle Eurailpasses are a royal pain in the neck in France.

Netherlands - The vast number of Dutch trains are like a subway. You have a RFID card which you load money onto, and when you enter the gate at the station you tap the card on the reader and get on the non-reserved (except for international, they are all non-reserved) and sit down. When you get off you tap the card on the exit reader and your fare is calculated automatically and deducted. Trains, buses, boats, all the same. What could be easier. The distances are short so it is unlikely that you would save any money with a Eurailpass. Plus you need a QR code to open the gates because the Eurailpass isn't accepted by the gates. The train does, but not the gates.

You can't just hop on either Thalys or Eurostar or private trains in the Netherlands. Thalys and Eurostar pass holder fares are high.

So not really a good deal in the Netherlands.

I'm out of space so in a few minutes I'll explain about Eurailpass in the UK (spoiler - its not good)

This is EXACTLY the information I was looking for!! Thank you so much!

UK - Many trains in the UK don't offer reservations, although Avanti West Coast, LNER up the east coast, and GWR towards the southwest all do and they are a good idea, and free to all. Many trains - more all the time - no longer offer a First Class section so if your Eurailpass is a first class one, unless you are in First on a very long distance one like Aventi West Coast, LNER or GWR, you won't be getting your money's worth.

Walk up tickets on many trains, especially if you want to travel at rush hour (unless you like feeling like a sardine you won't), are eye wateringly high, and a pass may help. But even at rush hour really cheap tickets (like £10 or £20) are often easily available (depend on routes, day of week, etc.) often as late as the night before and some later than that. (of course they have restrictions like you must take the booked train). Short distance off-peak returns can be quite cheap, as little as £0.10 more than one-way (singles) minutes before travel.

So UK can be a mixed bag, depending on where, when and what class of travel you want and how last-minute your situation puts you in.

You might break even if you take lots of trips.

If you are getting to the UK from France or Netherlands by Eurostar, there is a Eurailpass fare which is quite expensive but will be less than a last minute fare. You still have to reserve.

I hope some of this is helpful...

To gather ideas on travel to your specific destinations - and to corroborate what's been written on this thread so far - you should definitely do some reading on this website:

https://www.seat61.com/

Re: "the cons outweighing the pros with a global pass."

The answer lies primarily in one's travel style and the trip particulars.

In my opinion, absolutely not given the duration (5 weeks) and your travel itinerary. If you qualify for a Senior Global Pass even better when used in central and western Europe, and most of all, if you intend on taking long rides 3+ hrs riding high speed trains, be they in Germany or France. How many days is your Pass.?

Simply put, there are numerous advantages with a Senior Global.

I don't use a mobile app, (can't help there), only a hard copy. No concerns on losing it, having it stolen, etc....not going to happen.