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Partnering with Eurail.com

Eurail Global Pass

Eurail Global Pass

Today I'm excited to share a new partnership with Eurail.com, a website specializing in the sales of Eurail train passes for travel through Europe.

Fourteen years ago, in 1998, I went backpacking around Europe for the first time.

Paris / Amsterdam / Prague / Venice / Florence / Como / Rome / The French Riviera / Ireland

My 10-day Eurail Youth Flexipass gave me the freedom and flexibility to move around the continent on a whim.

And it was that first experience traveling on my own that would later inspire me to think bigger, and take a 20-month trip around the world.

This September marks my return to Europe for the first time since the end of my RTW trip, and I'll once again be riding the rails.

This time, with a Eurail Global Pass.

High speed train in Paris

High speed train in Paris

The Global Pass is good in 23 countries, and my goal is to visit as many new ones as possible while I'm in the region.

I don't have a concrete itinerary in mind, which is exactly why a rail pass suits travelers like me so well.

I'm still trying to decide between heading north to Scandinavia, or heading south through Eastern Europe toward Greece.

The pass is valid for 15 days within a two-month period, and because I'm now well over the age of 26, I'll be riding in 1st Class.

The 1st class compartments are more spacious and comfortable, and I'll still have access to the 2nd class compartments if I want to relive my youth.

The trains in Europe are a backpacker's best friend

The trains in Europe are a backpacker's best friend

For those unfamiliar with Eurail passes, the first step toward obtaining one is to decide which type of pass best fits your trip.

Eurail.com offers four categories of passes:

  • Global Pass
  • Select Pass
  • Regional Pass
  • One Country Pass

The Global Pass is ideal for the travelers who don't want a set itinerary. It gives you access to 23 countries, and there are a variety of passes to choose from based on your age, and the length of your trip.

The Select Pass offer access to three to five neighboring countries of your choice, while the Regional Pass is even more specific, offering access to one or two neighboring countries.

One of the best parts about using a Eurail pass is the ease with which you can travel.

Unless you're taking a high speed or overnight train, you usually don't have to reserve a seat in advance.

You just show up and board the train of your choice, and write the day and month in one of the spaces provided on the pass. Then, when the conductor comes by, he/she will stamp that date.

The Global Pass allows you to travel as much as you want on a single day, so I could make a trip that requires several transfers, but as long as they all occur on the same day, I'm only using up one of my 15 days.

My 10-day Eurail Youth Flexipass from 1998

My 10-day Eurail Youth Flexipass from 1998

My goal during the two-month travel period is to showcase the ease with which you can get around Europe by rail, and the savings foreigners can experience by buying a pass in advance, versus individual tickets as you go.

At the end of my trip, I'll compare costs, and share the results here.

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Disclosure:  Eurail.com provided me with a complimentary rail pass. As always, any opinions expressed are my own.

Planning a trip? Go Backpacking recommends:

sonja everson

Wednesday 12th of September 2012

Just have to let you know that I love your blog. I stumbled upon it today by accident and have managed to spend the last few HOURS reading all sorts of great stuff. We're yanking the kids (8 & 10yrs old) from school at the tail end of 2013...mayber early 2014 and are planning our own globe trekking adventure. You've got loads of useful tips and ideas and I'm happy to see that many of your suggestions were already on my list (feels good that I'm sort of on track...LOL). Anyway, I'm adding the Eurail Global Pass to my list of things to look into. Thanks again for all your posts, shared experiences and traveling wisdom!

Dave

Thursday 13th of September 2012

Thanks Sonja. Eurail passes are definitely a worthy investment, as are rail passes in Japan if you happen to head there some day!

Michael

Wednesday 12th of September 2012

Eurail passes can only be purchased by non-European residents. Other countries whose nationals are not eligible to buy a Eurail Pass include Turkey and the Russian Federation. It is possible for non-Europeans to obtain passes in Europe, although they are cheaper and easier to procure outside of Europe. For European residents InterRail is available, which has similar benefits, except that it is not valid in the buyer's country of residence.

Dave

Wednesday 12th of September 2012

Good point Michael, I forgot to mention that the Eurail passes are specifically for non-residents, and must be purchased before arriving in Europe.

Jeff Broman

Wednesday 5th of September 2012

I think about my first trip to Europe with my one month Eurail pass all the time. It was a great feeling knowing that if you wanted to go somewhere else or just change your schedule that all you had to do was go to the train station and get on the next train to somewhere.

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