I am going to be traveling to Europe in June for 36 days and was looking at buying the global pass. I was wondering how exactly it all worked. Can you travel multiple times in one day or is it just one use per day?
Posted by
dallas, tx, usa
1358 posts
Use the toll-free phone number for the agency you will buy from to ask them your questions. I find talking with a person as opposed to working on the web to be far more helpful.
Posted by
Lakewood, Colorado
19274 posts
Samantha,
I have found that "re-sellers" sometime don't know all the answers. Check Eurail's own website, http://www.eurail.com.
A Global pass is valid for unlimited travel on most rail lines in Western Europe. There are some exceptions, like the UK, Eurostar under the channel, and maybe some of the scenic railways in Switzerland. Also, on some "premium" lines, like Thalys or Italian Eurostar, an extra fee, called a passholder reservation, is required and these my be limited in number.
They have both Global (valid in 21 countries) and Select (valid in 3-5 countries) passes, and they have passes valid for consecutive days or for a certain number (5-10 or 15) of days of your choice in a 2 month period.
Also, look at "How railpasses work" under the Railpasses tab at the top of this page.
Posted by
Minneapolis, MN, USA
8700 posts
The answer to your direct question is that you can ride as many trains as you wish on each day your pass is valid. However, you will have to buy separate seat reservations for each leg on any and all trains that require them (like TGVs in France).
In addition to reading the information on the Railpasses section on this site, read the Railpasses section at www.seat61.com, an excellent train site.
For helpful, free, expert advice, call the toll-free number given on the BETS site.
Posted by
Eastern Iowa, USA
8058 posts
Use of a railpass at one time was certainly much easier. It then included nearly every train and there were few, if any, mandatory reservations. That is one of the biggest concerns, is if you hop on a train, should you have had a reservation. More and more trains now fall under the "premium" heading requiring upgrades and/or reservations. This is easy to overcome with some education though, and usually, another, though slower, train goes to the same place on the same tracks. Aside from that, yes, it is as easy as just hopping on and off trains, even at a moments notice, and going where you wish. Rail passes are best for extensive, frequent travel; so if you are staying in a spot for a week at a time, a flexpass or point to point ticket may be better; or mix a pass with carefully chosen point to point to maximize the savings.