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Rail Pass

I just purchased a new seven day rail pass through RS and received it today. In addition to the two part section of the cover of rail pass there are five additional sections of the folder called "Travel Report". According to the instructions I am to keep it attached, complete it on a daily basis, and after my trip re-fold and return (along with the rail pass) to Rail Europe. There is no postage required and it is apparently for some kind of survey for which they will then send me a "free gift". It's been a couple of years since I used a rail pass and I remember the requirement to keep the pass inside the cover, but never something like this. I usually keep my pass in my money belt and this additional thickness makes that more difficult. Anyone ever heard of this, and if so, what did you do? Thanks.

Jim

Posted by
32320 posts

Jim,

As I recall from the last time I used a Rail Pass I also filled out some kind of survey after I returned and mailed it back to them. The gift was a small travel compass or something - it's been a few years, so my memory is getting a bit hazy on that.

Posted by
33454 posts

The controller can ask to see your travel report.

Posted by
8889 posts

They have to share out the money received for these passes between the various railway companies. My guess is that they need the data to decide who gets what.

Posted by
19232 posts

Another reason not to get a rail pass.

Posted by
16895 posts

You are required to carry the travel report, to fill it out, and to present it to the conductor. You are not required to keep it in your money belt if you can easily remember it in another location and you are not required to mail it back (to Eurail in the Netherlands, not to Rail Europe).

Posted by
570 posts

In the past I have filled out the travel report after the fact, and never ran into any problems, but on one train in Germany there was a very officious, stern, female conductor who wouldn't punch my pass until it was all filled out properly. .....a nearby young German woman commented to me afterwards that she worked with several women like that....where power goes to their heads. :)

I think I kept the pass in a pocket of my journal, not in my moneybelt. And I did send it in and received a thank you gift of a little pocket calendar about 5 months later.

Posted by
3428 posts

We completed the 'Log' and mailed it in. We got very nice, compact travel alarm clocks as our gift. This was before we had smart phones, so they were a good deal for us.