Visiting European destinations is a dream of many, but planning one seems like a nightmare! However, in present times, planning a European vacation has become less daunting due to streamlined travel options. The introduction of the Schengen visa and the Euro currency were major breakthroughs which simplified exploring multiple European countries. Today, with a Germany tourist visa and euros, travelers can visit nations like France or Italy without worrying about getting additional visas or being concerned about currency exchange rates. Furthermore, rail connectivity is also a prime key factor to ease travel within European countries with comfort and convenience in mind. In this post, let us look at how Eurail is a budget-friendly and popular way to travel and explore European destinations.
What is Eurail?
The Eurail is a pass that lets a foreigner living outside Europe journey across Europe’s popular destinations via train as they wish! It functions similarly to a hop-on/hop-off ticket but for train trips throughout Europe. Except for some trains, you can board a train anywhere, at any time, without having to make a reservation for a seat. You can currently travel through 33 Eurail countries. These are:
Finland, Sweden, Norway, Estonia, Latvia, Denmark, Lithuania, Poland, Germany, Netherlands, Belgium, England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Luxembourg, France, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, Italy, Austria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Turkiye, Bulgaria, Greece, Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia. Interested travellers can get Eurail passes with various options on its official site or through RailPass or Rail Europe which are authorized to sell Eurail passes.
What can you do with a Eurail Pass?
A Eurail Pass gives you the freedom to design your own itinerary through rail routes between your favourite European cities in a convenient, affordable way. Choose from over 30 Eurail Global Pass countries to create an itinerary without having to decide how many tickets you have to purchase. In Europe, taking the train is less expensive than flying, and it’s the best way to take in the breathtaking views of the European countryside. This is something you won’t see if you decide to take a flight. Except for some long-distance, overnight, and high-speed trains, you don’t even need to worry about making reservations for each leg of your train trip. You can board and travel on any train in Europe with just one pass. You can even choose a pass that best suits your travel budget. You can choose a Eurail One Country Pass if you are travelling via train within one European country or a Global Pass to go country hopping and take as many train journeys as you like. You can also reserve first-class or second-class seats as per your budget.
Why Eurail is beneficial and budget friendly for travellers visiting European countries?
A Eurail Pass is a flexible, multi-stop as well as budget-friendly way to view the scenic splendors of Europe. The main reason it is beneficial for Non-Europeans
- It is a reliable service that has been operating since 1959. Being operational for 6 decades and counting, the experience speaks for itself. Since its inception, it has expanded from 13 to 33 European countries, generated price structures tailored to young adults and senior citizens and made the ticketing process simpler by introducing online passes. The website functions as an online booking portal and offers an interactive Eurail trip planner making it simpler to plan a trip and purchase a pass.
- It is flexible and offers you free will to choose your cities within the 33 European countries and plan your own itinerary. The passes are designed in such a way that you get ample travel days to cover a wide area in Europe within a stipulated time window. Passes start from 4 travel days within a one-month time frame and on each travel day, the traveller is free to take as many train trips as they like! Once your Eurail Pass has been issued, there is no requirement that you travel on consecutive days. You can spread out your train journey within the time frame specified on your pass. Additionally, you can travel anytime within 11 months from the date you are issued the Eurail Pass. When you use the pass for the first time, that day becomes the pass’s start date, and it remains valid for the duration specified on the pass. You can travel by train whenever and wherever you want, without having to worry about making multiple reservations, reserving point-to-point tickets, or dealing with unfamiliar booking procedures in a foreign country.
Eurail is regarded as one of the most budget-friendly ways to travel in Europe
The reasons are:
- Land transfers are expensive and only practical in tightly connected European nations. It gets tiresome as well. With a Eurail pass, you get ample options to plan train journeys which are comfortable, spacious and faster compared to road trips.
- The passes are also cheaper than budget airlines operating within European countries. Children under the age of three do not need a pass which is not the case with airline travel. There are special rates available for Senior citizens, youths and children as well.
- The Global Budget Pass starts with 4 travel days in a month priced around USD 292 onwards. You can easily plan a Eurail itinerary and travel to two to three European destinations with this pass, as well as multiple times on trains within the destinations of your choice, day or night. The One Country Pass allows you to travel casually within any of 29 European countries exclusively unlimited times within a time frame, with passes starting at USD 59. Say you want to plan a comprehensive backpacking Germany trip, then just grab a budget guide to Germany to shortlist the best budget-friendly places to visit and head to Eurail’s official website and book the One country pass and you are sorted to travel throughout Germany on scenic train routes!
Now that you have a gist of what Eurail Passes are and how beneficial it is for Europe travellers, planning a long vacation in Europe with train journeys is a piece of cake! Get in touch with a reputed travel consultant or book directly from Eurail’s website and start planning your dream European journey today.