Railpass or not?

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http://www.seat61.com/Railpass-and-Eurail-pass-guide.htm#Should you buy a railpass or pay-as-you-go

The man in seat 61 is the best source for information on rail travel in Europe. Please read the information in this link before you buy anything.

You can buy a railpass at the last minute, if that turns out to be the best option for you . Take time now to explore all your transport options. Countries aren't enough. You will need to nail down specific journeys for a good cost comparison. At DB (German railways) advance-purchase rail tickets for specific trains can be very good. Amsterdam - Berlin for example can be had for €39. Berlin - Prague, €29. To get such prices you have to decide your journeys ASAP as prices will rise once the low-price tickets are gone.

The global railpass ensures that you will spend an enormous amount of time on ground travel - and only ground travel. I think Croatia and Spain and maybe Italy could be good countries to fly into. The abundance of cheap fare airlines (Ryanair, Air Berlin, Easy Jet, and several others) means generally good competition and good prices in addition to time saved. In combination with train and/or bus travel, they can be a very good choice.

Long-distance buses have made solid in-roads and are good for certain routes and can be VERY cheap.

If you want maximum schedule flexibility, the 3-month railpass will work but you will likely pay a hefty premium for it. (It's not an "investment" - it is generally a way to pay more than you need to for the privilege of leaving your trip unplanned, if that's the approach you prefer.)

This itinerary is much more rail-friendly than the previous version. The regions where you'd be most likely to consider another form of transport are from Croatia to Italy (e.g., ferry or flight, depending where you are in Croatia), from Switzerland to Spain (your longest distance, e.g., 9-10 hours from Basel to Barcelona), and possibly also back from Spain to Paris (flying can be affordable if you don't plan other stops in France). The pass gives you a lot of freedom and hop-on convenience for most of the trip, but it is important to reserve ahead (minimum of 3 days and often weeks ahead) for TGV trains across France. Given the looseness of the itinerary so far, I doubt that you're ready to lock in many reserved tickets yet. But you should try to judge at least a month in advance whether or not you will travel by train to Spain and back into France so you can make those seat reservations online (some are e-tickets, but you don't find out until check-out) or at train stations in Europe.

The 3-month Global pass for a youth in 2nd class costs about $1235 and the 1st-class youth version for $1518 (tomorrow's price) is only a small increase to give you the 1st class option. You certainly could spend that much on tickets, depending on additional route details. Passes also cover some extras such as lake boats and lift discounts in Switzerland. As on my last reply, I still wonder if your continental travel is close to fitting into a 2-month window, from departing Belgium to arriving in your last city. Book the Eurostar ticket soon for best price, and to help the plan take shape.