Eurail_Passes

Which pass is best for you?

Prior to my departure from home, I took a lot of time deciding which pass would be best suited for my needs. I consulted with travel agents and previous travelers and eventually did a cost/benefit analysis. Looking back in hindsight, I guess I did receive useful tips on making my decision but utlimately it was the wrong one.

I originally narrowed my decision to buying either the unlimited travel in 2 months pass vs. the 15 days in 2 months. I eventually bought the 15 days in 2 months because even though the unlimited travel gives you the peace of mind of hopping on and off any train you please, Europe was not meant to be seen by train alone. To me, the cost of he unlimited was totally not worth getting.

But back to my original purchase, I was saying that the pass I bought was the wrong one because I only used up 10 days in 2 months which left me with 5 unused. Now if you were trying to save money, then I would suggest the 10 day in 2 month youth pass.

What I found while traveling was that in certain countries the prices of the tickets were extremely cheap from one city to another. For instance, it woudl cost less than 25 US to travel between Rome and Florence. The Eurail pass would only be useful for long distance train rides and again, who would want to live in a train for over 24 hours? Another thing I found (but do not recommend or support) is that during several train rides, the ticket conductors never came around to check the passes. That essentially allowed me to have a free ride from one destination to another.

Things to keep in mind while traveling on a train

1) If you have a limited eurail pass, you are requried to fill in the date prior to being checked. If the train conductor comes round and the date is not filled, he/she has the legal right to take the pass away from you. I encountered such a situation in Belgium as the ticket conductor was threatening to take my pass away if I didn't stop arguing with him about not having a pen to fill in the date (which he ended up filling as the wrong date). At that point, I couldn't do anything about it and was completely helpless.

2) REMEMBER that if you are travelling after 7pm, you can write the next days date on the eurail pass. Essentially this gives you 29 hours of a train ride as opposed to 24 hours. This is good for travelers deciding to take overnight trains for long distances. Instead of using 2 days of your eurail pass, you're only using one. If you decide to travel an hour or two before that time, try to find out where the train will be at 7:00pm and buy a ticket to that destination (shouldn't be more than 10US), then use your eurail pass for the rest of the journey (as long as its an overnighter).

3) If you are traveling during the summer months (June-August) and it's during the weekends, it would be highly recommended that you purchase a seat reservation because trains tend to fill up quickly (especially to common destinations; ie. Barcelona). You don't want to be stuck sitting in the corridors for 9 hours straight as strangers walk all over you. Once during a train ride to Barcelona I found myself in a compartment where people were just standing in the aisle because there wasn't even room for them to sit on the floor. Fortunately, I spent an extra 5 bucks and bought a reservation.

4) If you find yourself on a train that appears full and completely reserved, it may not be the case because there may be reservations that were already used by previous occupants. If that occurs, then the seats are up for grabs. Also be aware that some compartments that are dark and closed may only have one or two people inside. You have a right to open the door to check.

5) If you're taking an overnight train, remember to lock up all of your bags and if possible lock your compartment. After talking to several backpackers, I learned that there were instances where people would be held up because their compartments were accessible. IMPORTANT: Also note that if you're taking an overnighter that sometimes carts may split in the middle of the night because each cart has a different destination. Make sure to ask the conductor that you are in the correct cart.