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With the addition of Slovakia, Eurail Global Pass holders can now visit 23 countries. Pictured is Bratislava castle in the capital city of Bratislava, Slovakia.
Many Americans associate the Eurail Pass with college students bumming around Europe for the summer. However, that stereotype is about as dated as Americans cruising Route 66 in a V8 convertible.
The Eurail Pass is a low-stress, efficient and civilized choice for travelers of any age and increasingly of mid-range and upper budgets. And with the recent addition of hotspot destination Slovakia to Eurail’s Global Pass, it is an ever more comprehensive way to visit the continent.
The Adventure Travel Trade Association recently ranked Slovakia as a top adventure spot in the world among developing destinations. Eurail Marketing Director Ana Dias e Seixas points out that “with the inclusion of the Slovakian railway, Eurail Global Pass holders will expand their range to 23 European countries.”
With more than 225,000 miles of track, Eurail gives direct access to areas not served by air and does away with the anxiety of driving and parking on roads that were originally built for horse-drawn chariots.
Why pass up on that glass of champagne at lunch only to sit in horrific traffic in your rental car? Instead, you can amble over to the dining car and take in the sights as the countryside rolls by. Most trains also deposit you right in the city center rather than forcing you to negotiate an additional trip from a suburban airport to your hotel.
The Eurail Pass is no longer a one-size-fits-all travel voucher but a variety of ticket options that have evolved along with travelers’ new needs. These days, most people have shorter vacations and prefer to target a few countries rather than taking the summer-long jaunts of yesteryear.
According to Mark Smith, founder of train travel information site The Man in Seat 61, “Eurail isn't even necessarily the best money-saving option. It's actually the gold-plated option, giving you flexibility and freedom at a relatively affordable cost compared to the expensive full-price fares you'd pay at the station.”
Smith says that nowadays students and others who are on the tightest of budgets may be more attracted to “the cheap 'budget train fares' you can find online for an advanced-purchase, pre-planned itinerary assuming they’re willing to risk a no-refunds, no-changes ticket."
The Eurail Pass is worth the price for peace-of-mind and convenience. And they sweeten the deal with free or reduced transportation on private railroad companies, national and international ferry crossings and bus transportation, as well as reductions on hotels, museums and bicycle rentals.
Next time in Europe, consider thinking beyond flights and rental cars. With new destinations like Slovakia, Eurail allows you to see it all and actually have a chance to enjoy that relaxing “Continental” pace-of-life in the process.
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This is the worst pass to get in Europe! If you don't reserve a seat online the day before they will not let you travel even though you purchased a seat and the train is near empty. Plus it costs a fraction less to travel by other train companies. I paid 90% less for train tickets in Italy in person then buying this stupid pass. I would never recommend to purchase this train pass. It is not like the US with only one train company. There can be half a dozen or more train companies in a large city. Plus in Europe they run specials all the time that you can not get over the internet that makes it incredibly cheaper to wait and purchase at the station. Who ever wrote sounds like they wrote it off a press release instead of real experience.
You're right in that it's almost impossible to calculate your real cost of daily rail travel because of the myriad of fees for reservations, overnight berths, and super speed train options.
However, I have found that if two people are traveling together, the short 3-country or 4-country contiguous Eurail Select passes can save you money and time if you are trying to see a lot over a short period of time.
In addition, looking for fare specials online while you're in Europe can waste hours of your vacation time. In Britain, often the best individual train and bus fares must be purchased weeks in advance, and the prices rise the closer to departure you are.
Buying tickets at rail, metro, and bus stations can take up a lot of time because American credit cards don't have the "chip & pin" feature that is necessary to use the automatic ticket machines. Instead, you must stand in a long line to buy tickets from a ticket agent. Read up on the problems of non-C&P credit or debit cards before you travel to Europe. The few available alternatives are expensive. You may prefer to speed up your travel by simply having a pass instead of repeatedly buying tickets.
Rick Steves' website and books give a more detailed explanation on how to compare rail passes to individual prices. There are discounts for students & young adults, groups, combo train & rental car passes, and so many more choices. While you can save money by purchasing 2nd class train passes, you may regret the comfort difference in southern Europe, while the northern Europe 2nd class cars are usually nicer.
I have traveled all over Europe many times using a variety of transportation methods, and rail passes may be the best option on certain routes. It used to be that if a single train ride cost $60 U.S. or less, then you would be wasting a Eurail pass day; individual routes costing more than that would usually save you money using certain Eurail/Select Passes.
Another half-way article. The most important thing about the Pass is that it is no longer a cheap way to travel. It can be terribly expensive. Unless I plan to be on te go almost every day I do much better just buying one at a time in the Kiosks.
In the old days we just bought a week or two in advance and had a great time for reasonable money - not no more.
ttmadison above seem to have it explained pretty well!