confused about Eurail passes and need for supplements

The Eurail pass is confusing and tedious. I would forget it and pay as you go. How much will you really save? Time and aggravation are worth something too. Even to see if it IS worth it you have to do an itinerary both with the pass and without it. Lot of work there. Eurail pass is only for tourist from outside Europe, so everyone else you see on the train is paying as usual. You can too.

Try going thru this portal. Are you saying they are asking for a seat reservation? That may be correct. Seat reservations are an additional cost to having a Eurail pass.

https://www.ricksteves.com/travel-tips/transportation/trains

“ Taking the plunge and getting Eurail passes”

Are you really sure? Have you done the math? What train journeys do you plan to take? In the Netherlands all trains have free seating and tickets are valid all day and not tied to a specific train on a specific time, so I’m confused as to why you think you need to reserve a train let alone pay for a reservation.
To train from Schiphol to Rotterdam just buy your ticket including the supplement for the intercity direct on the website of the national railway company www.ns.nl/en
Details about the supplement can be found here https://www.ns.nl/en/season-tickets/other/intercity-direct-supplement.html

I did use Eurail a long, long time ago (before it was digital 😊). I guess you’re using Eurail/interrail because you want to travel to several countries in Europe. Eurail is only valid on ‘regular’ trains. High speed trains, special trains you often need a reservation and pay a supplement. In this case Schiphol-Rotterdam, you need to pay a supplement because it’s a ‘special’ train (Intercity direct) where as the normal connection needs a transfer and would take you double the time. Dutch traveller has already given you the link explaining how to pay for the supplement.

Schiphol to Rotterdam may be on the High Speed line so attract a premium. I don't know how Eurailpasses handle that. Or it may have indicated use of a Thalys train which does require expensive "reservation" fee.

Maybe clarify where you are using trains and your planned trips and we can help more.

So on the Eurail you can either choose to travel on the Regional train at no extra cost (which takes around 50 minutes), or on an Inter City direct (which takes 26 minutes) but at a supplement of E2.90, or by Thalys in 20 minutes for a far higher (unspecified) supplement.
The IcD supplement is then further reduced if you travel off peak and pay at a 'supplement pole' (whatever that is, new since I was last in the Netherlands in January 2020).
Dutch traveller will correct me if I have got that summary wrong, but I believe that is what the situation is.

When I was looking at this earlier on I could see that there was an ongoing incident on this line. I have just heard the news that sadly there was a fatal rail accident near Leiden in the early hours of this morning.
My thoughts and prayers go out to those affected.

Hello, Dutch Traveler and all who have added their thoughts - thank you so much for your advice regarding whether or not to purchase Eurail Passes for me and my traveling companions – Before I totally abandon the idea of getting them – Any concern about trains selling out if we wait to show up at the train stations to buy tickets for the next available trains? Am I right that you are saying if we buy a train ticket at the station that it is not timed for a particular train, we can use it for any timed departure for the selected destination that day? We will be taking trains for the following excursions:

1) Day trip from Rotterdam to Leiden (or possibly the Hague or Gouda – undecided at this point)
2) Rotterdam to Amsterdam where we will be staying
3) Amsterdam to Delft and back (day trip)
4) Brussels to Bruges (staying for several days - we already purchased tickets from Amsterdam to Brussels)
5) Bruges to Ghent and back (day trip)
6) Bruges to Brussels (where we will be staying several days)
7) Brussels to Ypres (overnight stay)
8) Ypres to Brussels
9) Possible day trip from Brussels
10) Brussels to airport

Thank you so much for all the advice on this forum -it’s a lifesaver!

You can look up the fares for any journey in the Netherlands on the NS website above (the national operator), and for Belgium on their national operator's (SNCB) website- https://www.belgiantrain.be/en.
All trains in both countries are buy on the day, travel any train, impossible for a train to sell out.

Briefly-
1) assume Leiden 17.40
2) 17.90
3) 30.60
4) 16.00
5) 15.00
6) 23.80
7) 27.60
8) 27.60
9) ?
10) 10.3 Euro

TOTAL 185.9 Euro Each

Each of 4 to 8 can be reduced to 14.10 if you are over 65, buy on the day senior ticket

Domestic trains in Belgium and the Netherlands are mass transit, just like the subway in New York for instance. Trains have free seating and tickets can never sell out because tickets aren’t tied to a specific train. Tickets cost the same no matter when you buy them. So if you want to travel from Ypres to Brussels on April 6 for instance, you simply buy a ticket from to Ypres to Brussels for that day and board the next train or the one after that or the one after that etc etc. In the Netherlands you can also do something that’s even easier; use your credit card to tap in at your departure train station and tap out on your arrival destination.
So in short; tickets can never sell out and there is no price advantage when you buy your tickets in advance.

Many many thanks to both Dutch Traveler and isn31c - with these reassurances, it definitely does NOT make sense to buy the Eurail Passes and we will take the forum's advice and buy as we go, thereby not only saving us some significant money, but adding more flexibility as well - to say nothing of not having to cope with the dreaded Rail Planner app! :)

the senior ticket in Belgium is less than was quoted above. Seniors over 65 can make a day trip anywhere (except the airport for which there is a supplement) in the entire country for 7.80€ per person. Travel after 9 M-F, any time weekends.

the 16.60€ is for a first class senior day return.

https://www.belgiantrain.be/en/tickets-and-railcards/senior-ticket

Good to know! Thanks for that clarification - and I am actually old enough to get the discount!

Just a follow up to my recent trip - thanks so much to Dutchtraveler and others who weighed in - we did NOT buy rail passes and as Dutchtraveler noted, it was extremely easy to just buy as we went, and wevsaved a lot of money and hassle by doing so.

Thanks so much for coming back to report your experience. I’m glad to know that everything worked out great with the train tickets.
I hope you enjoyed your trip the Netherlands and Belgium.

glad you had a good (and easy) time!

Eurail passes were a great bargain 50 years ago but they are obsolete now. Reserve early for good prices on long distance trains. and pay as you go for the locals.