Eurail Global pass

The $517 that shows up on the top of the pass search screen:

Eurail Global Pass Prices:
1st Class Price per person
Adult from $517 Show More
2nd Class Price per person
Youth (<28) from $338

How many days do you plan to travel by train? 5 days
Over what period of time will you be traveling? 15 days

That price is for 5 travel days in a 15 day period. When you put in the 30 day pass the price for the 30 day pass was generated - it is not a very good method

With a bit of planning, you can beat that cost by perhaps half. Keep in mind that even with a Eurail pass, there are costs for things like mandatory reservation fees on fast trains in France and Italy. Other private railways in Switzerland only give discounts, as little as 25%. The Thalys trains between Paris and Amsterdam charge very high reservation fees.

The fantasy of carefree wandering through Europe with a Eurail pass is just that, a fantasy. The more carefully you plan, the more money you save.

Eurail Passes and Traveler's Cheques - DO leave home without them :-)

If you post your itinerary and travel dates (to the degree that you know them), some folks here may be able to comment on specific cost-saving measures (or extra pass-related issues) for individual legs of your trip.

For example, not only are reservations (at considerable extra expense) required on the fast trains in France, but the SNCF also has quotas on how many reservations it makes available to pass holders on each train. It is entirely possible for a rail pass holder not to be able to buy a reservation on the desired train even though seats are available.

And Germany has a lot of special deals available, some targeted at groups of people traveling together. Sometimes the first person travels at a discounted price, then each additional person pays a very modest amount (can be less than 10 euros).

Hi,

In which country are you traveling the most? I use a rail Pass since I travel the most in Germany and some in Austria when it's more than 3 weeks. This time the trip is over seven weeks and certainly the German Pass is going to be used. Since you have month, how many days are you spending in Germany which you can use the Pass on ICE trains. What about going on night trains? Is that an option for you. Doing the night train option sitting in general seating area means you can dispense with the hotel and squeeze out an extra day.

The basic question is do you need a Global Pass? Maybe another Pass would suffice since you are limiting the train rides to Western Europe. It is a matter of savings over flexibility, depends on which is more important and which you're willing to sacrifice., ie a matter of travel style.