Eurail

2018 Eurail Pass with accompanying Pass Cover and Pass Guide

The Eurail Pass, formerly known as "Europass" or "Eurorail pass", is a train pass that allows pass holders to travel in and through up to 28 European countries on nearly all European railroads and some shipping lines. The product was launched in 1959. The company responsible for the marketing and management of the Eurail Passes is Eurail Group. Eurail Group is based in Utrecht, the Netherlands, and is wholly owned by more than 35 European railway and shipping companies.[1] A Eurail Pass is available for non-Europeans, while European residents can travel with an Interrail pass.

Eurail Pass Eligibility[2]

Eurail passes are available to those who are citizens or official residents from countries outside the European Union or outside one of the countries listed hereafter:

Albania, Andorra, Belarus, Bosnia-Herzegovina, FYR Macedonia, Gibraltar, Iceland, Kosovo, Liechtenstein, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, Norway, Russian Federation, San Marino, Serbia, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine and Vatican City.

Proof of citizenship can be established by a passport/identity card. Proof of residence can be established by government issued residency documents.

Traveler Categories

Eurail Passes come in 4 types of traveler categories[3]

  • Child Pass: For travelers who are younger than 12 years old. For children aged 4 to 11 years old can travel for free with a full-paying adult, maximum of two children per Adult Pass.
  • Youth Pass: For travelers who are younger than 28 years old.
  • Adult Pass: For travelers with age above 27 years old.
  • Adult Saver Pass: For adult travelers who travel together with a small group of 2 - 5 people. This Saver Pass grants a reduction of approximately 15% per traveler on the adult rate.

Pass Type

Eurail Global Pass

Countries in which the Eurail Global Pass is valid

Pass Coverage

The Eurail Global Pass is valid in all 28 participating countries, as of 2018: Austria, Belgium, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland (including Northern Ireland), Italy, Luxembourg, Montenegro, Netherlands, Northern Ireland, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and Turkey.[4]

Pass Validity

Eurail Global Pass includes these following pass validity[5]

  • 5 days within 1 month
  • 7 days within 1 month
  • 10 days within 2 months
  • 15 days within 2 months
  • 15 days
  • 22 days
  • 1 month
  • 2 months
  • 3 months

Eurail Select Pass

The Eurail Select Pass is a pass that allows customers to choose two, three, or four adjoining countries. The Eurail Select Country Passes are available for 4, 5, 6, 8, or 10 travel days within 1 month.

Eurail One Country Pass

Pass Coverage

The Eurail One Country Pass is a pass that allows customers to travel by train across the national rail network of one country, taking as many trains as they want on each travel day. The Eurail One Country Passes are available on the following countries: Austria, Benelux, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Greece, Greek Islands, Hungary, Ireland (Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland), Italy, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Scandinavia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Turkey.[6]

One Country Pass Benelux covers for travel in Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg region and One Country Pass Scandinavia covers for travel in Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and Finland.

Currently, there are no Eurail One Country Passes for Bosnia, Germany, Montenegro, and Switzerland.

Pass Validity

The Eurail One Country Passes are available for travel in 3, 4, 5 or 8 travel days within 1 month.

Seat Reservations on High Speed, Overnight, and other Trains

Seats on Thalys Train

With Eurail pass, usually reservations are not required for local or regional trains.[7] However, a reservation is needed for most high-speed, international and night trains.[8] Additional fee surcharges are often required to guarantee secured seat reservations, as well as other extra add-on benefits (e.g. meals and drinks, free Wi-Fi etc.)[9]. These reservations can usually be avoided by taking regional or local trains instead.[10] You can make reservations at the station, on the website of railway companies, in Rail Planner App, by phone through call centers or at your travel agency.[11]

High speed trains

Many high speed trains require reservation and sometimes payment of an extra fee either sold as a supplement or Pass holder fare. Examples include:

  • Eurostar (London, Paris, Amsterdam and Brussels) require payment of a "seat booking fee" of £26.50/€30 each way in Standard Class, plus £10 "service fee" for bookings made at stations or by phone[12]
  • Thalys (Paris to Brussels, Amsterdam and Cologne) 2nd Class = €15 to €25, 1st Class = €25 to €35[13]
  • TGV (Domestic rouets) 1st or 2nd Class from €10 to €20[14]
  • Trenitalia (Italy): Frecciabianca, Frecciargento, Frecciarossa 1st or 2nd Class €10
  • AVE (Spain) 2nd Class €10, 1st Class €23.50.[15] Reservation fees for 2nd class (€6.50) are payable on most other long distance trains in Spain (e.g. Arco, Euromed, Alvia, Alaris, Altaria)
  • In Germany and Austria, virtually all of the fast InterCity and InterCityExpress trains can still be boarded without the hassle of queueing for additional tickets or supplements of any kind. ICE (Germany) trains do not require reservation, but it is voluntarily available at €4,50[16]
  • SJ high speed train (in Sweden and reaching Copenhagen) €7 (2nd class) / €17 (1st class)[17]
  • Some scenic trains have the option to travel in a special panoramic coach, which requires a reservation.[18]

Further information on supplements on daytime high speed trains can be obtained from the official Eurail site

Overnight trains

Economy Single compartment on an ÖBB double-decker sleeping car

Besides the high-speed trains, many overnight trains in Europe require reservations with extra costs for sleeping accommodation such as couchettes or in sleeping cars, and some may not have any non-sleeper cars.[19] However, with Interrail Flexi Global Pass, using a direct overnight train leaving after 7pm and arrives at its final destination after 4am, only requires you to fill in one travel day of the pass, for the following day.[25] This rule cannot be used if that day would be the first one on which the pass is valid.

Reductions on privately owned trains

Interrail Pass is normally only valid on the national railway system of the countries concerned. In many countries there are private railway systems some of which offer free or a reduction to Interrail Pass holders. Normally the reductions are between 25% and 50%.

History[20]

  • 1959: Eurail is founded and valid in 13 countries
  • 1971: Student Railpass (2nd class) was introduced
  • 1980: Eurail become valid in 16 countries
  • 1991: Eurail Pass expands to Eastern Germany, allowing travel throughout reunified Germany
  • 2001: Launch of Eurail Select Pass
  • 2007: Eurail Pass is renamed Eurail Global Pass
  • 2008: Slovenian and Croatian railways join and the Pass becomes valid in 20 countries.
  • 2009: 50th Anniversary Eurail Pass. Eurail valid in 21 countries.
  • 2013: Launch of Rail Planner App
  • 2015: 2 children under 11 travel for free with at least 1 adult. Poland, Montenegro, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Serbia join Eurail Global Pass offer
  • 2016: Eurail Global Pass covers 28 countries. All Passes available to purchase 11 months in advance
  • 2017: Eurostar joins Eurail Group. Increase of Youth Pass age to 27. Introduction of 2 new Pass options: Eurail One Country France Pass and Eurail Italy Switzerland Select Pass

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Company - Eurail Group G.I.E." Eurail Group G.I.E. Retrieved 2018-08-20.
  2. ↑ https://eurailgroup.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/03/Eurail-Pass-CoU-2018-1.pdf
  3. ↑ "Beginner's guide to Eurail passes 2018 | Buy a Eurail pass online". www.seat61.com. Retrieved 2018-08-10.
  4. ↑ https://eurailgroup.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/03/Eurail-Pass-CoU-2018-1.pdf
  5. ↑ https://www.eurail.com/en/eurail-passes/global-pass
  6. ↑ "Eurail One Country Pass". Eurail. Retrieved 2018-09-14.
  7. ↑ https://www.seat61.com/Railpass-and-Eurail-pass-guide.htm
  8. ↑ https://www.eurail.com/en/plan-your-trip/about-reservations/do-i-need-reservation
  9. ↑ https://eurailgroup.org/travellers-area/reservations/#dom_ir
  10. ↑ https://www.eurail.com/en/plan-your-trip/about-reservations/can-i-avoid-reservations
  11. ↑ https://www.eurail.com/en/plan-your-trip/about-reservations/how-do-i-book-my-reservations
  12. ↑ https://help.eurostar.com/faq/uk-en/question/Can-I-use-my-interrailing-pass-on-Eurostar
  13. ↑ https://www.eurail.com/en/get-inspired/trains-europe/high-speed-trains/thalys
  14. ↑ https://www.eurail.com/en/get-inspired/trains-europe/high-speed-trains/tgv
  15. ↑ https://www.eurail.com/en/get-inspired/trains-europe/high-speed-trains/ave
  16. ↑ https://www.bahn.com/en/view/offers/other/seat-reservation.shtml
  17. ↑ http://www.sj.se/sj/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=108&a=144429&l=en&intcmp=1144425
  18. ↑ https://eurailgroup.org/travellers-area/reservations/#dom_ir
  19. ↑ https://www.eurail.com/en/get-inspired/trains-europe/night-trains
  20. ↑ https://eurailgroup.org/company/
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